RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks addressed one of their needs by selecting Western Michigan wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge with the No. 56 overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft Friday.
After sitting around through the first round without a selection, the Seahawks took the speedy playmaker to add to a wide receiver group that already includes Tyler Locket and DK Metcalf.
But depth was an issue at wide receiver after David Moore and Phillip Dorsett left in free agency, leaving Lockett, Metcalf and Freddie Swain as the only wide receivers with extensive experience on the roster.
Eskridge is undersized at 5-foot-9 and projects as more of a slot receiver in the NFL. But his speed is elite and could end up being a matchup problem for Seattle opponents.
Eskridge had 33 catches and eight touchdowns in just six games last season for Western Michigan. He played just four games in 2019, but had 38 receptions for 776 yards in 2018.
Most notable for Eskridge were the big plays. He averaged 20.4 yards per reception in 2018 and 23.3 yards per catch last season, and Eskridge can also be an option in the return game.
Seattle has just two picks remaining in the draft, and moving the second-round selection likely would have been the Seahawks’ best shot at acquiring more midround selections. But the Seahawks have seemed comfortable from the start with having a limited number of picks.
