NFL Network analyst and former Seattle Seahawks receiver Nate Burleson has made it exceptionally clear he is a big, big fan of wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Burleson, who played for Seattle from 2006-2009 and now is a commentator on ‘Good Morning Football’ and ‘The NFL Today’, predicted back in February that Metcalf would have 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns next season. He followed that up in April by saying Metcalf is just scratching the surface of what he can accomplish in the NFL.
Now, Burleson listed his top-five breakout candidates at wide receiver, and as you can probably guess, Metcalf is number one.
Metcalf is followed by Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys, Will Fuller of the Texans and Henry Ruggs III of the Raiders.
While some may think there’s some favoritism going on here (Burleson is also from Seattle) there is certainly some legitimacy to the idea of Metcalf breaking out in 2020.
For starters, he was awesome as a rookie, racking up 900 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 58 receptions. He is heading into year two more familiar with Russell Wilson, and with the expectation he could be moved around the formation more.
Tyler Lockett is still in the mix, and the team added a few more weapons in Greg Olsen and Phillip Dorsett, as well as three pass-catching rookies, but that only makes it more difficult for teams to defend Metcalf, as they are less likely to double-team him.
A 1,000 yard season and a potential Pro Bowl berth are both realistic possibilities for the hulking receiver in year two, and Burleson is not along in expecting big things from Metcalf when the season gets going.
