Rookie wide receiver Tory Horton has been making noise in training camp, and it translated into success in his first game on an NFL field.
The Seattle Seahawks’ fifth-round draft pick shined in their preseason opener on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, hauling in a team-high three receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.
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The performance came just two days after head coach Mike Macdonald said that veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling was in a battle with Horton for the No. 3 wide receiver spot.
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard was one of the many who came away impressed by Horton’s outing. Huard dove into why during his Blue 88 segment Friday morning on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
“The game was not too big for him at all,” Huard said. “When you have elite speed and feet like he did – he showed that off on his punt return as well – it gives you an athletic arrogance and a confidence that, yeah, I’m gonna go in … and put on a show. And I loved it.”
‘Elite first-round-receiver stuff’
The highlight of Horton’s night came when he was on the receiving end of a second-quarter TD pass from quarterback Drew Lock.
On the play, Horton ran a short route and found a hole in zone coverage, immediately shook two defenders closing into tackle and got by another with a spin move into the end zone for an 11-yard score.
FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN 😮💨 @toryhorton11
📺: @King5Seattle or @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/PnURclUrWr
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 8, 2025
Seahawks play-by-play voice and former NFL wide receiver Steve Raible acknowledged how Horton has stood out so far during his call of the touchdown.
“Somebody said a rookie needs to make a good play every day in practice so he’s seen by the coaches,” said Raible, who was referencing a quote from Macdonald from last week. “That’s all Horton has done is make big plays in practice, and now in preseason games.”
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Huard was particularly impressed with the veteran-like awareness Horton showed on his route.
“He sees … that outside corner to his left has eyes to the backfield, (the defense is) playing zone,” Huard explained. “So when I run this route, I’m not going to run 100 miles an hour into him. I’m gonna settle down so Drew then can put it on either shoulder. And then after he catches it, he breaks three tackles for a touchdown. I mean, that’s (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) stuff. That is elite first-round-receiver stuff, and he did it in game number one.”
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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