Elijah Arroyo, who the Seattle Seahawks selected No. 50 overall in this year's draft, isn't just a tight end. The hype surrounding the second-round rookie continues to build as more information comes out about offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's plans for the 6-5, 254-pound pass-catcher.
The Seahawks lost DK Metcalf (6-4, 229 pounds) this offseason, trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers after he requested to be moved. According to ESPN's Brady Henderson, Kubiak could use Arroyo as much more than just an inline blocker and receiver. Arroyo could even be slid out wide as a receiver, keeping defenses guessing.
"Arroyo's size, speed and route-running ability led new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to wonder aloud during predraft meetings whether he could essentially take over as Seattle's X receiver afterDK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason," Henderson wrote.
It doesn't seem farfetched, either. Looking at Arroyo's build and physical tools, he isn't far from what Metcalf provided the Seahawks for the last six seasons. Metcalf also never seemed to reach his peak with the Seahawks, consistently producing but only surpassing 1,000 yards receiving in half of those seasons in Seattle.
That gives Arroyo the perfect opportunity to be Kubiak's secret weapon, moving him everywhere from an inline tight end all the way out to an X receiver. If he becomes the player the Seahawks hope he can be, that could be very dangerous for NFL defenses.
"This guy can run an extensive route tree," Macdonald said, per Henderson. "To have to account for a tight end body on the field and him also to be able to split out wide, do X receiver type of things, bigger body than we probably have right now on our roster, just provides a ton of value. And then he's going to throw it in there as an actual tight end in line and be able to kind of create some of those bigger personnel formations is the vision that we have for him. So it's really exciting."
Losing a weapon like Metcalf massively changes the offense if he isn't replaced. But Arroyo may be that replacement despite being a rookie, immediately giving him a critical role.
