By this time next Friday, the Seattle Seahawks will just about own the podium for Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. They have a pair of second-rounders and a pair of third-rounders as a result of the DK Metcalf and Geno Smith trades, so there is much intrigue seeing what Seattle could pull off in the meat of the draft.
Longtime NFL Network draft analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah held a media conference call on Friday. Field Gulls was the only Seattle Seahawks representation out of the roughly 100 reporters and writers in attendance. In the interest of transparency and completeness, here’s my full question and his response. Some of the transcription is edited for clarity. We were only permitted one question and my focus was on Seattle’s wide receiver situation.
Field Gulls: “Last time we did this conference call before the NFL Combine and the Seahawks still had DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the roster and they also had Geno Smith, but all of them are gone and the Seahawks have since signed Sam Darnold in free agency and then from a wide receiver standpoint, they signed Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency.
So my question to you: Seattle’s only receivers under contract through 2026 are Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Are there any receivers from this class, particularly ones in that Day 1/Day 2 projected range, who stand out to you as potential fits and draft targets for Seattle’s offense? Or, alternatively, could you see Seattle making a play for a major receiving TE like Colston Loveland or Elijah Arroyo or Mason Taylor?
Daniel Jeremiah: “With where they’re picking [at No. 18], if one of those top two tight ends [Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland] were to get there, I think I would have a hard time passing on them just for the value that they represent.
“If I was building out this team, where would you feel that they need to go? To me, interior offensive line early would be more of a focus if I’m just looking at it and I want to feel comfortable. I look at Grey Zabel, if he was there, I think he would be a great fit. Not only can he come in and start right away, he’s going to allow you to get your best five guys on the field because of his versatility. So you get injuries throughout a season, I think that would be a valuable chess piece for them.
“I would be more inclined—if you’re gonna look at a receiver for them, when you’re looking at 50 and 52, that would probably be more the range I’d be looking to address that room, and I think there’ll be good value there with some really solid options.
“I love Jack Bech [from TCU], there are people who have compared him to Cooper Kupp because of just the toughness and all of that. I think that’s the competitive side of that comparison. I get someone who could play over the top as well and go get the ball. I think he would be a fun one to add to their mix. I’m looking more for guys that are going to play on the outside so Jack Bech would be one.
“Tori Horton from Colorado State would be another one who can get down the field and is a home run hitter who also has some big time punt return value. You’ve just got to go back to 2023 to watch; he just wasn’t healthy at all this year.
“And Kyle Williams from Washington State. That would not be a long drive and that would be a big impact—he’s a really, really good player.
“This is why I love doing this call because you start thinking about teams outside of the first round and who could match their needs. And I think the Seattle receiver need marries up really well with where they’re located in the second round.”
Obviously none of these players is a Day 1 target, which is fine because it’s more likely than not that Seattle would look to address WR on Day 2. I want to focus on Tori Horton a bit because we have not addressed him on this site at all. Williams had a pre-draft visit with the Seahawks and Bech has been a marginally popular name to link to Seattle in mock drafts, particularly after his emotional and awesome Senior Bowl.
Horton is listed at 6’ 2 1/2’’ and 196 lbs with a 30 1/8” arms and 9” hands. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Horton put up a 4.41-second 40-yard dash with a 1.53-second 10-yard split, as well as a vertical jump of 37.5”. He’s a tall player without being a big-bodied target like DK Metcalf or Tee Higgins, but he’s not meant to be like them. Unlike Williams and Bech, Horton is more likely to be at most a third-round pick than second-rounder, although his season-ending knee injury in 2024 likely impacted his draft stock more than anything else. He’s also still 22 years old despite being in college for five seasons between CSU and Nevada, so he’s not an older prospect.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has to say about Horton:
A two-year starter at Colorado State, Horton was primarily an outside receiver (on the right side of the formation) in Jay Norvell’s version of the Air Raid. After ranking top five in the FBS in catches (96) and first-down grabs (57) in 2023, he returned for his “super senior” season in 2024 but played in just five games because of a right knee injury — and fell 35 receiving yards shy of the Mountain West career record. However, he will continue Colorado State’s impressive run of producing pass-catching draft picks (Trey McBride, Olabisi Johnson, Michael Gallup, Rashard Higgins).
Horton is field-fast and flashes an explosive gear on downfield and crossing routes (33 combined catches of 20 yards or more over the 2022-23 seasons, seventh most in FBS). His ball skills and route timing can be disrupted by physical defensive backs, but his vertical speed will also open up comebacks, digs and underneath runways. Overall, Horton must tighten his route running and get stronger, but his fluidity, speed and natural tracking skills can be weaponized by the right coaching staff. He projects as a rotational Z receiver/punt returner who can gradually push for starting flanker reps.
I should also note that Horton, whom Jeremiah touted for his punt return skills, returned a punt for a touchdown in each of his three seasons at CSU. That might be very relevant to the Seahawks as they look for punt returner options this season after the disaster that was 2024.
Take a look at his 2023 highlights in this compilation video below.
Which of these three receivers interests you the most as a potential Seahawks fit? Let us know in the comments section! And a special thanks to Daniel Jeremiah for once again answering a Field Gulls question.
