Russell Wilson says D.K. Metcalf can be Hall of Fame player

D.K. Metcalf is entering his rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks with a great opportunity to be one of the team’s go-to wide receivers in 2019.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is one of the most respected players in the NFL not just for his ability on the field, but because he’s a quality guy off of it, too. And while there have been some questions about how well he blends with the locker room, he’s still the unquestioned leader of the Seahawks. So when he offers a young player a compliment of the highest regard, it’s worth taking notice.

And that’s what happened Friday at Seahawks camp.

Seattle has a glaring need for one of their young receivers to step up and fill the void left by Doug Baldwin‘s retirement. The most obvious choice — even though he’s a very different type of player — is second-round pick, D.K. Metcalf.

If Wilson’s assessment of Metcalf is accurate, then the Seahawks passing game has little to worry about.

“He’s got the talent to be a Hall of Fame-type player, but, you know, we haven’t played game one yet, so you got to prove it every day,” Wilson said. “And so, how you do it is you prove it today, you prove it tomorrow, you prove it the next day, and you just let them add up, and you look back at it and hopefully it was worth it.”

Metcalf was the buzz of the 2019 NFL Combine after blazing a 4.33 40-yard dash at 6-3, 228 pounds. His elite 40 time was somewhat neutralized by a pedestrian three-cone performance, but few guys with his size in the NFL can run as fast as he does. And with a quarterback as accurate as Wilson is throwing downfield, there’s a really good chance for fireworks in Seattle this season.

Before Metcalf can have a Hall of Fame career, he has to prove he can stay healthy. He appeared in just seven games for Ole Miss in 2018 and finished the season with 26 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns. He has just 21 games of college ball on his resume.

Metcalf will be given every opportunity to start as a rookie in 2019. And if he puts in the work and stays healthy, he could be a strong candidate for offensive rookie of the year consideration come season’s end.