Saw an item this morning about a second-year undrafted wide receiver turning some heads at Seattle OTAs. Penny Hart drew praise in a story in The Seattle Times, and with second-rounder D'Wayne Eskridge sidelined with a toe injury and David Moore gone in free agency, there's a path to Hart being the team's No. 3.
This is somewhat intriguing to those in deeper leagues or dynasty leagues with open waiver wires, but expectations should be kept in check. It's been a long time since Seattle has had a relevant No. 3.
With DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett dominating looks from Russell Wilson (and probably a couple of viable tight ends, too), whoever the No. 3 is should put up modest numbers. There's 20 years of history to support the idea.
Table below shows Seattle's 3rd-best wide receiver every year this century. Just one top-40 wideout, Bobby Engram back in 2003. Two others sneaking into the top 50 since then. On average, that player has gone for 473 yards and 3 touchdowns.
| NO. 3 SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS, 2001-2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2020 | David Moore | 47 | 35 | 417 | 6 | 118.8 | 64 |
| 2019 | David Moore | 34 | 17 | 301 | 2 | 61.6 | 99 |
| 2018 | David Moore | 53 | 26 | 445 | 5 | 101.0 | 72 |
| 2017 | Tyler Lockett | 71 | 45 | 555 | 3 | 124.3 | 56 |
| 2016 | Jermaine Kearse | 89 | 41 | 510 | 1 | 98.0 | 80 |
| 2015 | Jermaine Kearse | 68 | 49 | 685 | 5 | 147.5 | 48 |
| 2014 | Paul Richardson | 44 | 29 | 271 | 1 | 62.1 | 98 |
| 2013 | Jermaine Kearse | 38 | 22 | 346 | 4 | 80.6 | 91 |
| 2012 | Doug Baldwin | 50 | 29 | 366 | 3 | 83.6 | 79 |
| 2011 | Ben Obomanu | 61 | 37 | 436 | 2 | 93.9 | 78 |
| 2010 | Deon Butler | 70 | 36 | 385 | 4 | 99.1 | 74 |
| 2009 | Deion Branch | 79 | 45 | 437 | 2 | 99.9 | 75 |
| 2008 | Koren Robinson | 58 | 31 | 400 | 2 | 82.6 | 78 |
| 2007 | Deion Branch | 85 | 49 | 661 | 4 | 139.1 | 49 |
| 2006 | D.J. Hackett | 66 | 45 | 610 | 4 | 130.0 | 51 |
| 2005 | Darrell Jackson | 55 | 38 | 482 | 3 | 104.9 | 63 |
| 2004 | Koren Robinson | 67 | 31 | 495 | 2 | 92.8 | 69 |
| 2003 | Bobby Engram | 75 | 52 | 637 | 7 | 157.7 | 34 |
| 2002 | Bobby Engram | 72 | 50 | 619 | 1 | 117.9 | 60 |
| 2001 | Bobby Engram | 51 | 29 | 400 | 0 | 69.0 | 75 |
| Average | 62 | 37 | 473 | 3 | 103.0 | 70 | |
A couple of those 3rd-best wideouts emerged as top-2 options, and just maybe Metcalf or Lockett gets hurt, enabling Hart (or Eskridge, more likely) to emerge as one of Wilson's top 2. But be careful who you cut to make room for one of those youngsters. Odds are it won't be a player you want to start anytime soon.
--Andy Richardson