Seahawks Predicted to Part Ways With 26-Year-Old Wide Receiver

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young was able to earn a roster spot after coming to the team as a seventh-round draft pick in 2022, but has hovered around the fringes of the roster in the three seasons since then.

This could be the year that Young finally lands on the wrong side of the roster bubble, with one analyst predicting the team will part ways with the 26-year-old at final cuts this summer. The Seahawks have made some big changes to their wide receiving corps already, and Young could be the next one to go.

Seahawks Predicted to Make Changes to Receiving Corps

Reporter Bob Condotta of the Spokesman-Review predicted the Seahawks would keep six wide receivers this season with Jaxon Smith-Njigba at the top of the depth chart followed by Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He also predicted that Tory Horton, Jake Bobo, and Steven Sims would earn roster spots due to their versatility.

“The top three WRs are set, while Horton is a big part of long-term plans and likely to be a key man on return teams this year,” Condotta wrote. “Bobo had a nice offseason and seems to still be ahead of the rest of the vets trying to earn roster spots. Cody White also had some good practices and will be one to watch in camp. And for now, I’m keeping Sims as a sixth WR for his return ability.”

That would leave Young in a fight to earn a roster spot, needing to overtake at least one of the players ahead of him.

“Dareke Young, a 2022 seventh-round pick who has been on the active roster the last three seasons, will be in a fight to stay on roster this time around,” Condotta wrote.

Young has played mostly on special teams through his three seasons in Seattle, logging 541 total snaps on special teams versus just 145 on offense. All of his offensive production — two receptions for 24 yards — came in his rookie season, with just one pass target going his way in the last two years combined.

If he aims to earn a roster spot again this season, Young may need to prove that he has more value to the offense beyond just his special teams contributions.

Another Seahawks Receiver Could Steal Roster Spot

Young could face one of the biggest challenges from White, the fellow 26-year-old who has turned heads at the team’s early practices in the spring. White is coming off an impressive campaign in 2024 where he made two receptions for 44 yards and blocked a punt in four games.

White, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and 2022, appeared in 49% of the team’s special teams snaps during his four games.

There could be some opportunities for players at the fringes of the roster to make a big impression this summer after the Seahawks parted ways with top receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. The team also moved on from veteran quarterback Geno Smith, instead signing Sam Darnold after his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings and drafting former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe as a developmental project.