The San Francisco 49ers aren't the only NFC West power expecting to field a deeper, more dangerous cast of wide receivers this season.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks used the draft to add lightning-quick Paul Richardson to a group that quarterback Russell Wilson expects to run right past the opposition.
"Yeah, our receivers right now are as fast as it gets," Wilson said Monday, per The News Tribune. "You've got Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse is extremely fast, too. Then you add Paul Richardson who you saw today went for that deep, deep ball that I threw to him. He's looking exceptional, as well. So I think our receiver group is probably one of the faster in the league right now, based on who we have."
Seattle went into May's selection process with the intention of turning up the jets on offense. Richardson -- chosen at No. 45 overall -- marks the third-highest pick the Seahawks have used on a wideout in franchise history.
His 4.39 time in the 40 prompted one scout to tell Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the rookie has the skills to "separate on the outside" from Day 1 in the NFL.
Twenty-one starters threw more attempts than Wilson last season, but the emphasis at wideout tells us the team is ready to expand its signal-caller's responsibilities through the air in Year 3.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" picks their favorites for Comeback Player of the Year and takes listener calls.
