The Seattle Seahawks traded away physical specimen DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the offseason.
When they drafted tight end Elijah Arroyo out of Miami, no one initially thought of Metcalf. But apparently people in the building did.
ESPN beat reporter Brady Henderson recently wrote: “Arroyo’s size, speed and route-running ability led new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to wonder aloud during predraft meetings whether he could essentially take over as Seattle’s X receiver after DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.”
Metcalf measured up at 6-foot-4, 229 pounds. Arroyo is listed as 6-foot-5, 254 pounds.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald already alluded to Arroyo’s talents in comments after the draft, too.
“This guy can run an extensive route tree,” Macdonald said. “To have to account for a tight end body on the field and him also to be able to split out wide, do X receiver type of things, bigger body than we probably have right now on our roster, just provides a ton of value. And then he’s going to throw it in there as an actual tight end in line and be able to kind of create some of those bigger personnel formations is the vision that we have for him. So it’s really exciting.”
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At Miami, Arroyo had three seasons of less than 100 yards before breaking out in 2024.
This past fall, Arroyo had 35 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns from Cam Ward.
It seems like he’s just figuring things out, which means the Seahawks will have a chance to mold him into the player they want him to become.
Arroyo likely won’t put up Metcalf numbers right away, but maybe down the road, Seattle will have unearthed an incredible gem.
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