The general assumption is that veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the leading candidate to be the Seattle Seahawks’ No. 3 wide receiver this season behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
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But according to one NFL analyst, don’t be surprised if rookie fifth-round draft pick Tory Horton makes a serious push for that role.
The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson, who previously worked for Pro Football Focus, raved about Horton during an appearance Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
Horton compiled back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons at Colorado State in 2022 and 2023, ranking in the top 20 of the FBS both years. However, he suffered a knee injury last October that disrupted his 2024 campaign and required surgery. He was ranked as ESPN’s No. 91 overall draft prospect, but the injury likely impacted his stock and allowed Seattle to nab him in the fifth round.
“I really like the Tory Horton pick,” Monson said. “I think he got kind of slept on throughout this entire process because he got hurt. … I think it kind of made everybody forget about him and lose sight of what he could be.”
First look at our 166th pick, Tory Horton. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/9YzEJAv0gb
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 26, 2025
At the NFL combine earlier this year, Horton tied for 14th out of 39 receivers with a 4.41-second 40-yard dash. It was particularly impressive given where Horton was in his recovery process. He told reporters in his post-draft media session that he’d only resumed running two weeks prior to the combine.
Monson said the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Horton’s speed is a “great fit” for Seattle’s new-look receiving room, which needs a speedy downfield receiving threat to help fill the void of DK Metcalf. The 6-foot-4 Valdes-Scantling, who’s heading into his age-31 season, also can stretch the field vertically with his speed.
Horton was limited during spring practices that were open to the media, but the Seahawks appeared to be playing it safe as he continues to recover from his knee injury.
“I think (Horton) perfectly fills the missing piece (to complement) the skill set of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp,” Monson said. “He’s a Marquez Valdes-Scantling type of player. And obviously Valdes-Scantling can be a useful veteran addition, but there’s not an awful lot preventing you from going with the young guy if he shows a lot.
“I’d be really interested in keeping an eye on (Horton) through training camp and through preseason and seeing if he can really carve himself that role as the third receiver who plays outside the other two guys.”
Listen to the full conversation with The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson at this link or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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