Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a new defensive lineman to work with.
The Seattle Seahawks already have a pair of star wide receivers, but a new wideout has a real chance at turning the heads of coaches and fans alike during this year’s training camp and preseason.
Tim Weaver with USA Today‘s Seahawks Wire gave his list of the top seven sleepers to watch during training camp. There were a handful of rookies listed, along with promising defensive players like Alton Robinson, but rookie wide receiver Dareke Young was the top sleeper Weaver encouraged fans to keep an eye on.
“…There are several intriguing young talents at [receiver], all of whom might get a chance to be genuine contributors,” Weaver said. “Dareke Young comes to the Seahawks from Lenoir-Rhyne, where he was their version of Deebo Samuel…Young’s athleticism (his RAS was 9.96) might give him an edge over the other rookie receivers.”
Young may not be fighting for a top-two receiver spot, but he’ll be going against others for a spot on the final 53-man roster heading into Week 1.
Dareke Young Has High Expectations for a Seventh-Round Pick
Even though he was one of the final picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, Young has already generated enough buzz that Seahawks fans are excited to see what kind of impact the rookie can have this season.
Young was a virtually unknown high school player out of North Carolina before enrolling at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2017. Although he appeared in eight games for the Bears as a freshman, Young only caught a pair of passes for 18 yards.
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After appearing in every game as a sophomore, Young took a big step as a junior in 2019. Used as both a runner and receiver, the Bears star finished the season with 850 total yards and 12 total touchdowns on just 74 total touches.
Young’s senior season wasn’t as productive as the year prior, but the Bears receiver also only played in two games. He scored a pair of touchdowns in those two games before turning his attention towards the NFL draft.
The pre-draft process helped Young generate enough buzz thanks to his size and athleticism. t 6’2″ and 224 pounds, Young recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.44 seconds while posting an elite broad jump of 11’3″ at his pro day.
With his impressive size and athleticism metrics, Young has a chance to be a hidden gem for the Seahawks, and training camp will give him the opportunity to show what he’s made of.
Other Wide Receivers Trying to Make the 53-Man Roster
Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are locks to make the roster, even with the latter continuing to work on a potentially record-breaking contract extension. That only leaves a few receivers spots open on the 53-man roster, with a handful of players besides Young fighting for those spots.
Bo Melton was another seventh-round pick by the Seahawks out of Rutgers. He doesn’t have the size that young has at 5’11”, but he has experience playing at the FBS level while also having experience as a special teams contributor that could help him make the roster.
Veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will also be fighting for a final roster spot despite already having success at the NFL level. The 31-year-old has been in the league since 2013, posting over 2,600 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns at the pro level. However, the smaller wideout at 5’9″ has relied on his speed to make plays, and the veteran receiver has lost a step as he approaches his 32nd birthday in November.
Other receivers trying to make the team this training camp include Penny Hart, Aaron Fuller, Cade Johnson, and a number of other players. However, it will be Young, Melton, and Goodwin who will be getting most of the attention from media members and fans this preseason.