Earlier during the offseason, the Seattle Seahawks were criticized for not doing enough to address what turned into a dilapidated wide receiver room in the wake of parting ways with star veterans D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
That, of course, was music to the San Francisco 49ers' ears who didn't seem to have much worry about facing a Hawks receiving corps led by its new No. 1, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while hoping for something left in the proverbial gas tank of former Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp.
Now, though, a fresh face within the NFC West could give the Niners plenty of reasons to worry.
Despite not making a headline-grabbing move to restock its wide receiver room during the offseason, Seattle nevertheless might look to a first-year pro out of Colorado State.
Seahawks WR Tory Horton could torment 49ers, rest of NFC West for years
Granted, it was just one preseason game when the Seahawks tied the Las Vegas Raiders 23-23 in exhibition Week 1.
But, fifth-round rookie wideout Tory Horton made a name for himself with three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown in which he broke three would-be tackles to cross the goal line:
Fifth-round pick Tory Horton extends the @Seahawks' lead!
LVvsSEA on @NFLNetwork
Watch live out-of-market preseason games on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/etLKlC23Vd
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
Horton, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, might be one of the bigger sleepers of last April's NFL Draft, and early indications are he might be a legitimate threat for the balance of the Hawks' NFC West rivals, including the Niners.
In fact, Horton's performance versus Vegas prompted Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz to quote an anonymous notable source as saying the rookie is "one of the steals of the whole draft."
Again, it's just one preseason game. But, plays like the one above should put Horton on the radar, especially San Francisco with a questionable defensive backfield heading into 2025.
For what it's worth, the 49ers will face Seattle in Week 1 to open up the regular season, and it'll be interesting to see whether or not Horton winds up being a key X-factor in that divisional showdown.
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