Former Seahawks WR Bryan Walters says DK Metcalf is 'slightly overrated'

DK Metcalf was the most popular player on the Seattle Seahawks, from the day he fell to them at the end of the second round of the 2019 NFL draft until the day he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, as gifted as Metcalf is/was there is a crowd of folks who have always believed that he's never reached his full potential as an athlete.

One of Metcalf's critics is former Seattle wideout Bryan Walters, who played in the days of Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate, among others. Unlike most fans Walters seems to think the Seahawks are actually better today with Cooper Kupp and company rather than being led by Metcalf, who he calls "slightly overrated."

Here's what he said in an appearance on the Brock & Salk show on Seattle Sports radio.

"I've been very vocal about kind of my thoughts on DK as a wide receiver... and you know, maybe i'll be a little nice I guess, but slightly overrated. I think he's gonna do well in Pittsburgh, but at the same time I just think that they really revamped this wide receiver room to fit that Kubiak scheme and a lot of guys that are better route runners and guys that just kinda complement each other. I think JSN and Cooper Kupp are gonna be so fun to watch together."

This may sound like a spicy take but it's only moderately so. There are exactly zero receivers in the league who have better physical gifts than Metcalf - and by rights he should be a top-five or top-10 player at his position every year, but he's never been able to consistently produce at that level.

DK may still get there with the Steelers but the longer he goes without that big break-through we've been waiting on the less likely it is that it'll happen. There was a strong argument to sell high on Metcalf and trade him before he begins to decline.

As for the Seahawks, it's not just about JSN/Kupp and the improved depth at wide receiver. When you throw in the added prowess that rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo brings to the passing game, there's a decent chance that this WR/TE group is better than any the Seahawk have had in a long, long time - certainly in the Pete Caroll-John Schneider era.