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A Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver was the best first-year player at his position in Week 6, but it wasn’t first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It was undrafted wideout Jake Bobo who earned Pro Football Focus’ highest grade of the week among the Class of 2023 WRs.
Bobo had three fewer targets, two fewer receptions and five fewer receiving yards than Smith-Njigba in the Seahawks’ 17-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on October 15, but it was Bobo and his two catches for 43 yards that made the bigger impression.
The first, a 23-yard grab with 10:49 left in the third quarter, got the Seahawks down to the Bengals’ 4-yard with some sweet spin moves. The drive ended with an interception, but Bobo had made his mark.
On the next drive, the Bobo made a 20-yard catch and took a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit from Bengals defensive back Dax Hill, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Bobo has “quickly become a fan favorite,” according to Mookie Alexander of SB Nation’s Field Gulls. He wrote that fans “can see how much Jake is eager to get his hands dirty and take on blockers.”
Seahawks WR Jake Bobo Earned High Marks for Week 6
Bobo also made an impact on other aspects of the game. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound WR also excels as a blocker, and the Seahawks trust him so much that they used him as a lead blocker for Kenneth Walker III when Walker scored the Seahawks’ only touchdown of game on a 1-yard run with 8:38 left in the first quarter.
This game earned Bobo an 80.2 overall grade from PFF, which was the highest among the 15 rookie wide receivers who played in Week 6. Others had more catches, more yards and more touchdowns, but no one was more impactful overall.
Behind Bobo were Jalin Hyatt of the New York Giants (72.0), Michael Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals (71.5) and Smith-Njigba (69.3), who had 4 catches for 48 yards.
According to radio host Michael Bumpus, the Seahawks have “unlocked” a new red zone threat.
“[From the] 30 and going in, that’s where he shines. I think they might have unlocked a legit red zone target down there,” he said on the September 29 episode of the “Bump and Stacy” radio show. “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.”
Bobo & Smith-Njigba Can Be the Latest Young Duo to Pop in Seattle
Seattle was the first team to take a wide receiver off the board in the 2023 NFL draft. Head coach Pete Carroll’s offense already features DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but quarterback Geno Smith needed a third target.
Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State was a highly rated prospect who was the best pass catcher on a Buckeyes team that also featured Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. back in 2021.
After the draft, the Seahawks added Bobo, who played four years at Duke before transferring to UCLA for his final college season.
Neither Smith-Njigba nor Bobo has truly established themselves yet. Smith-Njigba has 16 catches for 110 yards with no touchdowns, and Bobo has 4 catches for 51 yards and a TD. They could become yet another pair of talented players at the same position drafted by the Seahawks in the same year or just a year apart.
In 2019 and 2020, general manager John Schneider drafted his current starting guards, Phil Haynes and Damien Lewis. Two years later, the team found its bookend offensive tackles in the same draft, taking LT Charles Cross in the first round and RT Abraham Lucas in the third.
That 2022 NFL draft was huge for the Seahawks. Schneider and Carroll also found two defensive backs in Coby Bryant (Round 4) and Pro Bowl corner Riq Woolen (Round 5). In 2023, the Seahawks made the duo a trio, adding Rookie of the Year favorite Devon Witherspoon at No. 5.
In the past two second rounds, the franchise has also found an excellent one-two punch at running back, taking Walker III last season and Zach Charbonnet this one.
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