The Seattle Seahawks were infamously forced to part ways with oft-injured wide receiver Doug Baldwin earlier this offseason. However, the heralded NFC West franchise wasted absolutely no time in finding Baldwin's replacement as the Seahawks notably selected former Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
While many believed that Metcalf possessed first-round talent, the Seahawks managed to snag his services just ahead of the third round. Not only did his pre-draft value plummet, but Metcalf was also bitten by the injury bug early on in his Seahawks tenure, a setback that initially put the start of his rookie season in jeopardy.
However, it appears as though Metcalf is now fully recovered after just recently undergoing knee surgery to correct some lingering issues. Despite going under the knife less than a few weeks ago, Metcalf was actually a full participant in practice for the Seahawks on Tuesday with all signs pointing toward his rookie debut taking place on Sunday afternoon against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.
“He looked good today. He had a fantastic recovery,” Carroll told Gregg Bell of The News Tribune on Tuesday. “If you can imagine, it was just a couple weeks ago. Fantastic recovery. He looked great out there and today, he was running. He practiced with us throughout the practice.”
Now all healed up just in time for the start of the 2019 season, Metcalf will likely serve as the team's No. 2 wide receiver with fellow Seahawks pass catcher Tyler Lockett currently topping the depth chart. With Lockett moving up the receiving hierarchy in place of the aforementioned Baldwin, Metcalf will slide into Lockett's previously occupied No. 2 wide receiver role.
It is also worth noting that Metcalf will split time with a veteran wideout, Jaron Brown, in terms of receiving first-team reps against the Bengals. With Lockett no doubt leading the way, it remains to be seen as to how much playing time Metcalf ultimately receives in Week 1, especially with Brown recently re-signing with the Seahawks.
Nonetheless, not much should be expected of Metcalf in his first NFL game. Not only are the Seahawks expected to absolutely trounce the Bengals, who will surely struggle throughout the upcoming campaign, but quarterback Russell Wilson should not be forced to sling the rock much as Seattle's rushing attack will likely take over sooner rather than later to close things out.
With that in mind, Metcalf should be expected to see a legitimate amount of playing time, though Carroll will absolutely avoid causing further injury to his new weapon on the outside. Had Seattle been matched up against a more formidable foe, this would obviously be a different story.
If Metcalf can stay healthy and produce five receptions, including a few red zone targets, while failing to drop the ball, it will be a huge win for both he and the Seahawks. If he manages to find the end zone, Sunday's outing should be considered much more than a success with an entire season still on the horizon.
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