The Seattle Seahawks, for the second year in a row, used the NFL draft to select three pass catchers to compete for targets from Russell Wilson.
Last year the Seahawks brought in three unique wide receivers, with two of them – DK Metcalf and John Ursua – expected to be in the mix for 2020.
This year, the team brought in two tight ends – Colby Parkinson and Stephen Sullivan – as well as speedy slot receiver Freddie Swain.
Swain has a lot of traits the Seahawks love (instincts, grit, toughness, maturity) but in a receiving room that features Tyler Lockett, Phillip Dorsett, David Moore as well as Metcalf and Ursua – Swain will have to find a way to make himself stand out if he wants to make the 53-man roster out of camp.
Perhaps the best way for him to do that is on the special teams. Swain was an elite punt returner in college, returning 39 punts for 308 yards and a touchdown at Florida.
“He’s a very good punt returner,” general manager John Schneider commented after the draft. “I would say from a special teams standpoint, he’s going to be a guy that’s going to be in the mix right away.”
The Seahawks had two players – Lockett and Moore – return punts last year, with defensive back Ugo Amadi handling a lot of returns in preseason as well.
Seattle has long hoped to transition Lockett out of a return role, wanting to protect his health, and Swain could be the guy to do it.
As for everything else, his attitude and intelligence on the football field will help him compete with Ursua and Moore for one of the final spots on the active roster.
“He’s got some swag about him, he’s a smart football player, he’s a competitor,” Schneider continued. “He’s going to be a fun guy to watch and we’re very excited. He’s one of those guys that studies his tail off. As I told you before or as I talked about last night, it’s been important for us to try and acquire players that seem to be a little bit ahead of the curve from a learning standpoint in this current environment that we’re in.”
Now that the draft is complete, the Seahawks will hold a virtual rookie minicamp before next steps are determined, as this unprecedented NFL offseason charges on.
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