Seattle Seahawks rookie grades for 2019: D.K. Metcalf earns top marks

Round 2

Marquise Blair: C+

The Utah product entered 2019 with a good shot at stealing the starting free safety job from Tedric Thompson. Seattle wanted a true heir to Earl Thomas‘ spot, and Thompson only served as a liability in the starting lineup. It seemed certain Marquise Blair would take over eventually.

Injuries to Bradley McDougald and Thompson created opportunities for Blair. McDougald missed Week 7 and did not start in Week 8. Thompson did not play in Week 2 and Week 3. After Week 8, Thompson landed on injured reserve (IR) with a shoulder injury. The path seemed open for Blair.

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After only playing 12 snaps through the first six weeks, Blair earned three starts during the middle of the season. He continued contributing on special teams during this time as well. However, after starting in Weeks 7-9, Blair returned to the bench.

After playing 199 defensive snaps in three weeks, Blair played only 19 defensive snaps in the team’s seven final regular season games. He did play a higher percentage of Seattle’s special teams snaps during this time, but you can draft a special teams player in any round.

With McDougald cemented at strong safety and Quandre Diggs, who Seattle acquired before Week 10 and replaced Blair with, set at free safety, Blair’s apparent chance to start is gone.

D.K. Metcalf: A

This grade might be too high for D.K. Metcalf considering his production didn’t blow anyone away in 2019. However, Metcalf deserves a lot of credit for defying his detractors. After a tremendous combine, the freakish wide receiver fell to the final pick in the second round because teams feared his game couldn’t translate to the NFL. Seattle traded back into the second round to draft the Ole Miss product.

Metcalf rewarded Seattle’s faith. The speedy 6-4, 229-pound behemoth started 15 games for the Seahawks and thrived alongside Tyler Lockett. Metcalf finished the regular season with 58 receptions for 900 yards and seven touchdowns.

In the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, Metcalf hauled in seven catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. His incredible performance set the record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game during the Super Bowl era.

While there’s still plenty of room for growth in Metcalf’s game, all signs point toward Seattle’s third draft pick in 2019 turning into a long-term starter.