Bump: How 6th-round WR can impact Seahawks

After the Seattle Seahawks re-signed free agent Rashid Shaheed, much of the noise about the team taking a wide receiver in the NFL Draft faded away.

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In the end, however, the Seahawks still ended up taking a wide receiver, selecting Kansas product Emmanuel Henderson Jr. in the sixth round at No. 199 overall.

During his Four Down Territory on Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus broke down how Henderson fits with the Seahawks and his clearest path to making an impact.

After transferring from Alabama, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Henderson saw his first significant playing time on offense this past season at Kansas. He averaged 17.0 yards on 45 receptions while totaling 766 yards and five TDs. The Hartford, Ala., native also averaged 25.3 yards on 18 kickoff returns, which included a 94-yard touchdown.

Bumpus sees Henderson’s biggest impact for the Seahawks coming on special teams.

“He’s going to be able to help out there (in the return game), even though we know that you have returners already in Rashid Shaheed and (Tory) Horton over there,” Bumpus said. “This is going to be the replacement for Dareke Young, at least he has the opportunity to be. The tough part about these guys who are drafted late is that, for some people, it’s just a glorified invitation to camp.”

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One thing helping Henderson is that he profiles as more than just a returner on special teams. He could also fill the gunner position for the kickoff and punt coverage units, which Bumpus pointed to as a rare trait for a wide receiver.

“He does a good job getting downfield, breaking down and making some plays,” Bumpus said. “I was excited to see every a wide receiver drafted mainly for special teams because you typically don’t see that. That’s reserved for the running backs, the linebackers, the corners or whatnot. You do have some receivers out there, but typically it doesn’t happen like that.

“And this shows the commitment to special teams. You had one of the best special teams units in the game last year. Keep that rolling.”

While Bumpus sees Henderson’s path to a roster spot and playing time being special teams, he also sees some redeeming qualities in Henderson as a receiver.

“He can catch a football, he does run good routes, he has good hands, he high points the football,” Bumpus said. “He will get some opportunities there, but he’s gonna make a big impact on special teams.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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