Let’s establish a few points right up front because how it relates to the Seattle Seahawks is important. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy ran the fastest time on record at the NFL scouting combine last year. He had a decent rookie season in Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown came out of the league with a “slow” 4.59 40 time on his resume. That is the main reason why he famously fell behind 16 other receivers in the 2021 draft. St. Brown was a First-Team All-Pro last year, while many of those speedier wideouts are barely holding onto roster spots.
So the takeaway is that raw, straight-line speed is no guarantee of NFL stardom, and a less-than-elite 40 time does not doom a receiver to mediocrity. This has always been true. Check out the 40 times and corresponding careers of Jerry Rice and John Ross for further proof.
The Seattle Seahawks desperately need more speed from their perimeter receivers
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But it does seem in this era of increased emphasis on the passing game that a wideout's speed numbers are becoming more and more treasured. Too treasured, I think. But that belief does not stop me from saying the following…
2024 provided a good example of what happens when NFL offenses lack speed on the outside.
DK Metcalf, who possesses just about the best blend of size and speed in the entire league, missed time with injury. Tyler Lockett had lost a step. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the emerging alpha, had good speed, but his real distinction came in short-area burst and quickness. He is very hard to cover, but he does not routinely break chunk plays.
To top it all off, Seattle had no one in reserve who could inject the kind of speed that gives DBs nightmares. The roster John Schneider assembled lacked speed on the outside. Jake Bobo, Laviska Shenault, Cody White … [big receivers with some fine qualities](https://12thmanrising.com/seahawks-make-clear-that-2025-will-be-year-more-jake-bobo). But speed was not one of them.
Bobo and White are back battling for backup spots behind presumptive starters Smith-Njigba, [Cooper Kupp](https://12thmanrising.com/camp-buzz-building-fast-around-seattle-seahawks-veteran-right-reasons), and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS is an elite-level burner who has the capability of running past any defender in the NFL. The problem is, he has never been a consistent performer, and it is hard to predict how much impact he will really have on the field.
Kupp is a technician, not a speedster. The Seahawks drafted Tory Horton this year, and he has excellent speed. He is a lock to be the Hawks’ fourth receiver, poised to move up during the course of his rookie campaign.
After JSN, Kupp, MVS, and Horton is where things get interesting. Who will fill out the rest of the Seattle receiving corps? I expect speed to figure into the decision.
Bobo and White are still in contention, and I think many prognosticators have awarded Bobo one of the remaining spots. I’m not so sure. Bobo and White are big receivers, and that is valuable in and of itself. They contribute on special teams. But neither can stretch the field. In fact, few of the presumed backups can offer that.
This has generally not been the case in the recent past. The David Moores and Freddie Swains and Jaron Browns of Seahawks past all were solid 4.4 40 guys. None were going to challenge for Olympic gold, but they could all run.
One of the most important things to look for throughout the preseason is just how fast this year’s batch of backup wideouts looks when they are in full pads. 40 times in a vacuum don’t mean all that much. If you were around to watch Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver in NFL history, you may recall that his 40 time was nothing special.
He likely maxed out at 4.5. Still, no one ever saw Jerry Rice get chased down from behind. When he took a step, he was gone.
That type of speed sets up entire offenses because it scares the hell out of entire defenses. Corners play off, which opens up underneath throws. Safeties don’t cheat up, which makes it far easier to run. And one false step, one stumble in a back pedal, one instant of indecision, and your opponent is running for the end zone. That’s something Seattle has not been able to do lately.
I don’t mean to place all the onus on the receiving corps. The QB, the offensive line, the play caller – they all have to be in sync. But without dangerous speed on the outside, it is much harder to make an offense explode.
Coaches will be looking at finer points when the Hawks take on Las Vegas on Thursday. The want to see how well the receivers run routes even when they are not targeted, They want to see how well they block. Those things matter a great deal.
The one thing we can all look for, even if we are ignorant of the play design and specific responsibilities for each player, is whether the wideouts look fast. Steven Sims does not have blazing straight-line speed, but he has excellent quickness.
Can he use it to gain separation? Bobo has neither speed nor quickness, but he has great size and enough technique to use it. The same question applies. Can he gain separation?
Separation is really the key. Speed is one tool receivers use to achieve it. But it’s not the only one. So watch the contenders for backup receiver for that separation.
Tyrone Broden has amazing speed for a tall receiver, but can he use it to get open? He is a classic long-strider with little suddenness.
Sims is the exact opposite. Ricky White III and Dareke Young are fast options on the outside. Can they run sharp enough routes to make use of that speed?
On the opposite end of the spectrum, can Cody White overcome a lack of top-end speed and use his bigger frame to separate and make catches?
If MVS and Horton are as good as advertised – and if JSN and Kupp stay healthy all year long – these position battles won’t mean very much. But there’s a pretty good chance that not everything will go according to script. When problems do arise, having dangerous, play-making speed on the outside will help the offense stay on track.
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