Seahawks may have found a secret weapon at minicamp without even trying

The Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver group is not going to be viewed highly this year. This is what happens after a team trades DK Metcalf and releases Tyler Lockett. Name recognition matters a lot to NFL pundits.

And yes, Cooper Kupp has high name recognition, but while the Seahawks signed him in free agency, everyone knows he is often injured. His addition likely makes many analysts believe Seattle's receiving group is even worse than if the team had not added him.

Of course, any ranking of the NFL receiver rooms is not based in reality, only projection. Jaxon Smith-Njigba could be even better for the Seahawks than he was in 2024, and Kupp could stay healthy. Plus, a rookie might have a far greater impact for Seattle than many predict.

Fifth-round pick Tory Horton could have multi-faceted production for the Seahawks

Colorado State's Tory Horton was a fifth-round choice for Seattle in the 2025 NFL draft. The 6'3" receiver might have been taken higher, but he suffered a knee injury midway through last season, and teams weren't sure he would be ready to play anytime soon.

If teams did think that, they would have been wrong. Horton not only went from doing nearly nothing in rookie minicamp to being a full participant in non-contact minicamp drills, but he was effective. That is true with his work as a receiver and a kick and punt returner. Is he going to be WR1? Hopefully not in 2025, but he definitely could make a bunch of splash plays.

The great part, as mentioned above, is that Horton might be a multi-faceted contributor. Not only is he expected to be full go in training camp, he might create havoc for opposing teams during the regular season on deep fades as a receiver, as well as being an explosive kick returner.

The NFL tweaked its kickoff rule again for this coming season so that any kick that is downed in the end zone or goes out of the end zone will be placed at the 35-yard line. This means more teams could pooch the kick in hopes a kick returner will call for a fair catch. The whole thing should lead to more kickoff returns.

A healthy Horton might have gone as high as the third round. He does need to gain strength and mass to hold up to NFL punishment, but he appears to be back to full speed, and he is fast enough to cause issues for the Seahawks' opponents. He might be the next fifth-round choice for the Seahawks to turn into a diamond.