Bumpus: Seahawks may have unlocked new red zone target in Jake Bobo

The Seattle Seahawks have two rookie receivers on the 53-man roster that joined the organization in very different ways.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba, an All-American at Ohio State, was taken 20th overall by Seattle with one of the team’s two first-round picks.

Jake Bobo, meanwhile, was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Seahawks and the UCLA product wasn’t even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

But as we enter Week 4, when the Seahawks go to New York for a Monday Night Football date with the Giants, both Bobo and Smith-Njigba are on the active roster. And Bobo is the one who has found the end zone.

“JSN” leads the two rookies in catches (nine) and yards (57) through the first three weeks of the season, but Bobo caught a touchdown during last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers.

After seeing what Bobo brings to the table, former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus shared what he thinks Bobo can be for the Seahawks moving forward.

“Look, Jake Bobo is not going to run by anybody. And he knows that,” Bumpus said during Friday’s Bump and Stacy on Seattle Sports. “During the preseason, he was at his best inside the 30 (yard line), right? (From the) 30 and going in, that’s where he shines. I think they might have unlocked a legit red zone target down there.”

Bumpus said star receiver Tyler Lockett, who caught two touchdowns in a Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions, is “gonna get his targets” in the red zone.

“As he should because he’s nice in the back of the end zone,” he said.

As for DK Metcalf, while the fifth-year receiver is a huge target at 6 foot 4 and 235 pounds, Bumpus said the red zone isn’t where he shines.

“Honestly, DK is not the greatest in the red zone. He’s better (between) the 20s,” he said. “He’s more of a ‘give me some space to run’ type of receiver. Now can he catch the football in the red zone? For sure. Catch touchdowns? Most definitely. It’s not a knock on DK. But when I think about his game, I think of him inside the 20s and him making big plays.”

And then there’s Bobo.

“With Jake Bobo, he doesn’t have the speed of a DK Metcalf, so he’s not gonna be able to get open like that, and he doesn’t have the the wit of a Tyler Lockett … So he’s gonna be in that red zone, (so) throw it up to Jake Bobo,” Bumpus said. “I think they might have unlocked something. If he can stay healthy and just keep earning the trust of these coaches, you’re gonna see a lot more Jake Bobo in the red zone. Throw it up to him and let him go get it. I like his game.”

Listen to the full second hour of Friday’s Bump and Stacy at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

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