The Seattle Seahawks have gotten used to being on the wrong end of big plays from San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel.
As they formulate their draft plans, the Seahawks look to have interest in adding a Deebo Samuel of their own.
Per Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, the Seahawks are scheduled to hold a top-30 visit with Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley.
The Seahawks of course drafted a receiver in the first round last year in the form of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and still have two dynamic starting wideouts in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
But the Seahawks could move on from Lockett next offseason and save $17 million against the cap while doing so — they would also carry a dead money charge of nearly $14 million, per Over The Cap — and Smith-Njigba is a natural successor.
Corley would give the Seahawks something they don’t have at receiver, a compact but well-built wideout who is a consistent big-play threat with the ball in his hands in space.
The player he is most commonly compared to? Deebo Samuel.
Last season, Corley ranked 18th in the country in yards after catch per reception, according to Pro Football Focus, with an average of 8.6. Per Next Gen Stats, Metcalf and Smith-Njjgba managed a respectable 5.9 per reception. He also ranked second in the country with 42 screen catches and first with 330 yards on those screens.
In other words, much like Samuel, he is a player who can take the pressure off his quarterback by catching the ball just a few yards beyond or even behind the line of scrimmage and turning it into a big play with YAC ability that is superior to anything the Seahawks have at present.
For all the merits of their top three receivers, that is a dimension to the offense the Seahawks have not had consistently in previous years.
With the offensive line still an area of concern, it could be a very smart play to draft Corley and give Geno Smith a quick game outlet that can take a lot of the pressure off his shoulders. Wide receiver is not a need for Seattle, but Corley could prove to be a hugely impactful luxury selection.
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