Heaps: Seahawks’ DK Metcalf will solidify himself as superstar WR in 2021
May 10, 2021, 10:15 AM
(Getty)
Entering the 2020 season, perhaps no player on the Seahawks had more hype surrounding them than receiver DK Metcalf, who was entering his second NFL season after a standout rookie campaign.
Watch: DK Metcalf runs 100M at USATF Golden Games
In his rookie season of 2019, Metcalf, a second-round pick, burst onto the scene with 900 yards and eight touchdowns. So how would he follow that up? Well, with one of the best seasons in Seahawks history.
Metcalf caught 83 passes, 10 of which were for touchdowns. He also set a franchise record with 1,303 receiving yards while earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
So what’s next for Metcalf? Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps shared his expectations for the third-year receiver on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake and Stacy on Friday.
“His rookie year when I first saw him at rookie minicamp I said that this guy is going to be a major contributor right out of the gate,” Heaps recalled. “Year 2 I said he was going to be a Pro Bowler and that ended up happening. I think that in Year 3 he’s going to solidify himself as a superstar in this league.”
What exactly does a superstar season look like for Metcalf, though?
“I expect him to have over 1,500 yards receiving and I expect him to get 10-plus touchdowns yet again,” Heaps said. “And I think that the efficiency in which he’s able to do it is going to be increased as well.”
Not only will Metcalf be entering his third NFL season, he’ll be in a new offense as the Seahawks hired former Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron as the team’s new offensive coordinator this offseason. Heaps thinks Waldron’s offense will be big not only for the Seahawks as a whole, but for Metcalf as he takes the next step in his career.
“In this offense with Shane Waldron there are more answers, there’s more variety, there’s different ways to get him the ball than you have seen in years past,” Heaps said. “This offense for the Seahawks (in 2020) was trying to evolve, was trying to get to that point where they could find mismatches and move him across the board and they did a pretty good job of that last year, but they got stuck in a rut a season ago in the second half of the season.”
The Seahawks had perhaps the NFL’s most explosive passing attack in the first half of 2020, but opposing defenses slowed them down in the last half of the year and the big plays downfield that Seattle relied on so much early on were harder and harder to come by. As a result of the offense as a whole slowing down, Metcalf’s impact was lessened as the year went on.
“I don’t anticipate that happening. I don’t see DK Metcalf’s production dropping,” Heaps said. “I think he has another outstanding year and, as I said, solidifies himself as a superstar receiver in this league … He will be an All-Pro this year.”
Listen to the second hour of Friday’s Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.
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