Heaps: Seahawks’ DK Metcalf should have a Pro Bowl season in Year 2

DK Metcalf had a standout rookie campaign for the Seahawks, setting new records and coming close to some others.

Carroll: Hawks should be ‘really improved on defense’ after moves

For example, Metcalf’s 89 yards in Week 1 snapped Steve Largent’s 43-year-old team record for most receiving yards in a Seahawks debut by a rookie. In Seattle’s postseason opener against Philadelphia, he hauled in seven passes for 160 yards to set single-game playoff receiving yards records both for the Seahawks franchise and for NFL rookies. And lest you think it was just a few breakout games for Metcalf, his 58 receptions and 900 yards in the regular season now stand as the second-highest marks for a rookie in Seahawks history.

Despite those big numbers, Metcalf didn’t see any accolades comes his way after the season. The Offensive Rookie of the Year Award went to Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, and the only other players to get votes were Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown and Eagles running back Miles Sanders.

Jake Heaps, a former Seahawks quarterback and current co-host of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy, thinks Metcalf will play his way into earning a big accolade in 2020, though.

“I think DK Metcalf is going to be a Pro Bowler in Year 2,” Heaps said Friday during the show’s daily Four-Down Territory segment. “I just think DK is ready to explode onto the scene yet again in a big way and show that DK Metcalf can be one of the elite receivers in this league.”

D.K. Metcalf's first career postseason touchdown was a good one.@dkm14 | @Seahawks | #NFLPlayoffs

(by @GenesisUSA) pic.twitter.com/3Ii6VWU2Le

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2020

Metcalf was known for his extreme athleticism and muscular frame coming out of Ole Miss in 2019, but due to concerns about his ability to run routes he fell in the NFL Draft to late in the second round, where Seattle took him with the 64th overall. He seemed to put those concerns to rest in his rookie season, and Heaps said Metcalf is continuing to develop his game – and improve his chemistry with quarterback Russell Wilson.

“I think DK has continued to work extremely hard on his craft, and I think that Russell and DK’s relationship has continued to grow and mature,” said Heaps, who has been in California with Wilson and Heaps recently to aid in their training for the 2020 season.

Work ethic and a commitment to getting better is something that stands out about Metcalf to Heaps, and they are big reasons he expects Metcalf to have a spot in the Pro Bowl next winter.

“Gosh, I’ve just been so impressed with this guy.  He’s been a pro’s pro since the beginning and that has not changed this offseason after a rookie year. You typically see some rookie sensations struggle in the second year or third year of their career because they get comfortable and DK is simply not one of those guys. I expect big things from DK Metcalf and fully believe he will be a Pro Bowler here in Year 2.”

You can hear the full discussion beginning at the 21-minute mark in this podcast of Friday’s edition of Tom, Jake and Stacy.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake Heaps on Twitter.

More from Jake: Seahawks’ Olsen and Dorsett will make a big impact

Follow @BrentStecker