Seahawks Rookie Making Strong Impression in Training Camp

The Seattle Seahawks are throwing their rookies in the deep end for their first training camp, but they are figuring out who can swim with their champions.

Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. reacts during the second half against the Utah Utes. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was never going to be easy for Seattle Seahawks sixth-round pick Emmanuel Henderson Jr. to make the roster. The wide receiver out of Kansas came to the team with a crowded position group that thrived in 2025.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the league's leading receiver, while Rashid Shaheed signed a three-year, $51 million contract in the offseason. Shaheed also has a lot of value on special teams, which endangers Henderson's chances of making the roster.

Contributions on special teams are a requirement for Day 3 picks, but Henderson is proving himself to be a factor in that phase of the game for the Seahawks in training camp.

"He's showing a lot of great stuff," special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh told reporters. "He's learning, getting better. You see the movement skills, the speed, the twitch and acceleration, all that stuff. So yeah, he's been really fun to work with. And all those young guys, it's just, especially up to this point, every day there's things that they're trying to figure out.

"And so they just got to stay positive and keep making improvements and try not to mess the same stuff up two days in a row. And he's had a great attitude. So it's been fun working with him."

How Henderson Can Make Seahawks Roster

Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. against the Arizona Wildcats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Henderson caught 45 passes for 766 yards and five touchdowns last season with the Jayhawks, but those numbers likely won't translate to the NFL. He is likely going to be the sixth wide receiver on the roster behind Smith-Njigba, Shaheed, Cooper Kupp, Tory Horton and Jake Bobo.

Some teams don't even carry six receivers on the roster, making Henderson officially part of the team's roster bubble. That's why Henderson has to be strong on special teams.

Henderson has some experience as a return specialist. He returned 18 kickoffs for Kansas last season, logging 554 and 55 yards and a touchdown against West Virginia in their first conference game.

Henderson will have a chance to return kicks and punts for the Seahawks, but Shaheed and fellow rookie Jadarian Price could challenge him for those spots. He can make an impact in other special teams roles, which will be needed if he wants to make it to the 53-man roster.

Henderson's chances of making the roster could trend in either direction when the team faces off against the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener on Aug. 15 at Lumen Field.

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