Seahawks Final Report Card: DK Metcalf, Receiving Corps Rewrite Record Books
Despite finishing with a winning record for a second straight season, the Seattle Seahawks weren't fortunate enough to earn a playoff spot in 2023, bringing a disappointing season to a close earlier than expected.
While the Seahawks "underachieved" according to general manager John Schneider, a talent-laden receiving corps still produced dynamic numbers and for the most part lived up to the hype, as DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the first trio of receivers in team history to surpass 60 receptions apiece in the same season. In addition, undrafted rookie Jake Bobo came out of nowhere to provide quality contributions on offense and special teams.
Continuing my annual post-season report card series, I hand out my year-end grades with areas of strength and areas of improvement while taking a look into the crystal ball to see what's next for the Seahawks at wide receiver.
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
DK Metcalf
Overall Grade: 86.0
Areas of Strength: Re-emerging as one of the NFL's best big play threats on the outside, Metcalf finished with nearly 100 more receiving yards than he did in 2022 despite catching 24 fewer passes. Snagging 28 receptions netting at least 16 yards, he finished 10th among receivers in that category, while finishing third behind only Tyreek Hill and D.J. Moore with 11 receptions of 30-plus yards. Contributing favorably to his career-best 16.9 yards per reception average, he racked up 370 yards after the catch, averaging 5.6 yards after catch per reception, which tied for eighth-best among qualified receivers.
DK Metcalf finished the 2023 season on a tear, producing 660 yards and six touchdowns in Seattle's final nine games.
USA TODAY
Taking advantage of his 6-4, 235-pound frame, Metcalf took a big step forward efficiency-wise in the red zone, particularly on throws inside the opposing 10-yard line. According to Pro Football Reference, he was the only player in the NFL this season with at least five receptions inside the opposing 10 that turned each of those receptions into six points, finishing with five touchdowns on five catches. Overall, he ranked fifth with six red zone touchdown receptions.
Areas of Improvement: As has been the case throughout his five-year career, Metcalf continues to struggle with drops, as his 8.3 percent drop rate ranked fifth out of 44 qualified receivers with at least 98 targets. He also ranked near the bottom of the league in efficiency on contested catches, reeling in just 29 percent of 31 contested targets this season. In addition, penalties and temper issues remained a major problem for the talented receiver, as he was flagged eight times and also got booted from a Week 14 loss to the 49ers for post-whistle misbehavior.
Tyler Lockett
Overall Grade: 79.0
Areas of Strength: While far from his best season statistically, Lockett remained a reliable security blanket for Geno Smith, hauling in a team-best 79 receptions and converting those opportunities into 47 first downs. On third down, he proved to be the go-to target, catching 21 passes for 239 yards and turning 18 of those receptions into a new set of downs for an offense that struggled moving the chains most of the season. Finishing in the middle of the pack, he caught a respectable 67.5 percent of his 117 total targets and still posted a quality drop rate under five percent.
Despite not getting many red zone targets compared to previous seasons, Lockett still turned 12 targets into six receptions and four touchdowns, including scoring three times on just five targets inside the opposing 10-yard line, showing he could still come through in key situations when granted the opportunity.
Areas of Improvement: Unlike his previous four seasons where he eclipsed 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, Lockett wasn't able to hit either of those thresholds in part due to decreased efficiency as a deep threat. For the season, he only caught nine passes that resulted in 20-plus yards, five fewer than he produced in 2022 and 13 fewer than he produced in 2021. He also stayed a relative non-factor manufacturing yardage with the ball in his hands, ranking 40th among qualified receivers in yards after the catch and dead-last forcing just two missed tackles.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Overall Grade: 81.0
Areas of Strength: Rebounding from a slow start, Smith-Njigba turned in a rock solid rookie season, catching 63 passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns as a complementary weapon to Metcalf and Lockett. Producing both from the boundary and in the slot, he caught 70 percent of his targets with 370 yards after the catch and averaged a healthy 5.9 yards per reception after the catch, ranking seventh among rookies in both categories with at least 50 targets this season.
Seeing substantial snaps from the outset, Smith-Njigba also finished ninth in the rookie class with 29 first down converting receptions and became the first rookie since 1960 with two game-winning touchdown catches inside a minute left to play, sealing wins over the Browns and Eagles with clutch scoring receptions.
Areas of Improvement: After missing the end of the preseason with a fractured wrist, Smith-Njigba dealt with drop issues throughout the course of his rookie season, failing to reel in eight catchable passes and posting an 11.3 percent drop rate, the 10th worst among qualified receivers this year. In particular, he didn't excel in contested catch situations as he did at Ohio State, catching just three out of 12 such throws. Known for his ability to create after the catch, he also forced only six missed tackles with the football in his hands.
Jake Bobo
Overall Grade: 80.0
Areas of Strength: Doing what he could with limited opportunities after earning a spot on the Seahawks roster as an undrafted rookie, Bobo caught 19 out of 24 targets thrown his direction for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a highlight reel-worthy grab in the end zone in a Week 7 win over the Cardinals. Comfortable plucking balls out of the air in traffic, he caught five out of seven contested catches and also added a rushing touchdown on a jet sweep near the goal line against the Browns, showcasing unexpected versatility.
Getting after it as a run blocker, Bobo earned PFF's third-best run blocking grade by a non-offensive lineman with at least 135 run play snaps, finishing behind only 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.
Areas of Improvement: Not known for his athleticism, Bobo didn't offer much with the ball in his hands manufacturing yardage, finishing with just 88 yards after the catch on his 19 receptions. After a strong first half, he only caught seven passes in Seattle's final eight games, averaging under seven yards per reception with no touchdowns.
What's Next?
With Metcalf and Lockett under contract through 2025 and Smith-Njigba potentially under contract through 2027 thanks to the fifth-year option for first-round picks, the Seahawks have as much stability at the receiver position as any team in the NFL. Add in Bobo and Dareke Young with multiple years left under contract at a cheap price and they arguably have the deepest, most talented receiving corps in the league long-term.
But Seattle may have a difficult decision awaiting regarding Lockett's future. Coming off his worst season in half a decade and now on the wrong side of 30 years old, the savvy veteran wideout has a cap number soaring close to $27 million in 2024, which could make him a potential cap casualty candidate with a new coaching staff set to take over. Trading him or cutting him with a pre-June 1 designation would create more than $7 million in cap space, while a post-June 1 release would open up $17 million in relief.
Most likely, the Seahawks will find a way to keep their entire receiving corps together as currently constructed, however. As far as potential draws for a candidate to replace Pete Carroll, the team has few cards - if any - that would be a better play for generating interest than their loaded group of pass catchers. If any changes will happen, former second-round pick Dee Eskridge could be on the way out after three disappointing seasons and another player could be added through the draft.
Previous Seahawks Report Cards: Quarterback, Defensive Tackle, Running Back, EDGE/Outside Linebacker
