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Seahawks Have 'Great Competition In The Receiver Room' 

Heading into training camp, the competition at receiver was one Mike Macdonald was looking forward to and after two weeks, the competition has been on display. 

Seahawks-Have-Great-Competition-In-The-Receiver-Room

At the end of mandatory minicamp, when asked about which position group he was most excited to see competition play out at, coach Mike Macdonald's first answer was receiver and it was for good reason. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are presumed to see the most playing time, but the competition after that, as has been the case in training camp so far, is up in the air.

Smith-Njigba, now in his third training camp, has been setting the tone for the receiver room.

"I think he led the charge on the kind of player that he wants to be," Macdonald said. "He's kind of set his own standard and his goals that he wants to be an elite receiver in this game in our league and I think he's right there. Can run all the cuts, run on the whole route tree, take the top off. He's great after the catch. He's great at the run game. He's playing really decisive right now. He's moving around and he's playing spots. Him and Coop [Kupp] have a great relationship. Let's keep it rolling, We're going to need him and we're going to feature him and teams know that and he's doing a great job."

Quarterback Sam Darnold added, "[Smith-Njigba] is one of a kind, just the way that he can get in and out of routes his shiftiness. I think for him, just the way that, like I said, he gets in and out of cuts his speed. I mean, it's really everything I feel like I described, I described the way that he moves, kind of like a hockey player on ice. It feels like sometimes he's just skating out there the way that he can get in and out of cuts, and that's just how I feel as a quarterback. And even when I throw him the ball, even not being on his team, I always felt like he was one of the best guys run after the catch in the NFL. So to kind of see it in person, see it every single day during camp has been special."

Rookie Tory Horton is a receiver who has strung together a few good practices where he's showing up more and more, and his fellow rookies, along with coaches are noticing.

"I think he's one of the best receivers I've seen as far as just growing and developing," Nick Emmanwori said on Friday. "You saw him today, he was making all types of plays. I can salute him for that. I think he's going to be a great player for us."

Later adding, "Even though I'm on defense, I'm like, 'That's a crazy catch right there. Just giving him props for that. I'm just glad we got him, honestly. I think he's going to be the steal of the draft."

During Saturday's Football Fest, a training camp practice at Lumen Field, Horton got some reps with the ones catching a few passes from Sam Darnold.

Getting more reps with Horton, Darnold said, "He's shown a lot of great things so far in training camp and just his curiosity and the questions that he asks with the receivers to us as quarterbacks. He's very hungry to just learn the game, learn the system, and he just wants to put his best foot forward for the team. And that's all you can ask for."

Macdonald noted that Horton is just doing what he's supposed to be doing right now.

"A wise man, Steve Smith Sr. once said, 'Rookies gotta make a play a day to kind of make a name for themselves.' And he's doing that. He's making multiple plays every day. So it's great for the Seahawks. Great for him. Great competition in the receiver room. We're two weeks in, but let's keep it rolling."

Also in the competition mix is Dareke Young. The last three seasons, Young has been a solid special teams player.

"[Dareke] keeps making plays every day," Macdonald said. "So you can't ignore that, I feel the physicality. He's always been a physical guy, especially on a special teams, gunner, that sort of thing. But in the run game, we feel him. I feel like he's somehow gotten more flexible. He's done a ton of offseason work. He's like a rocked up guy. He's really strong, but getting in and out of his breaks, sinking his hips, getting explosive out of his breaks. You feel that and then he's made some really great contested catches, especially in the endzone. So that's been great, happy for him and he deserves the situation he's put himself in."

Along with Smith-Njigba, Kupp, Horton and Young the Seahawks still have other talented receivers -- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Bobo, Cody White, Ricky White III, Montorie Foster, John Rhys Plumlee, Steven Sims and Tyrone Broden, who are making cases for themselves for roles behind Kupp and Smith-Njigba.

The Seahawks saw their first live action at Lumen Field during a practice as part of Seahawks Football Fest on August 2, 2025.

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