In April, the Seattle Seahawks spent two high draft picks to add firepower to the offense, selecting wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round and running back Zach Charbonnet in the second.
The moves provide the Seahawks with the potential to be among the most explosive offenses in the NFL. Smith-Njigba fits perfectly alongside stars DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in three-WR sets, and Charbonnet's skill set meshes well with fellow young home-run-hitting RB Kenneth Walker.
On Tuesday, Metcalf glowed about what the rookies bring to the table in an interview with NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti during the Gatorade Player of the Year awards.
"I mean, just the type of person he is, first," Metcalf said when asked about JSN. "He's a great dude. And on the field, he's a great route runner, excellent hands. So, I think he's going to open the offense even more. Him and Zach Charbonnet is going to do, you know, amazing things at the running back position along with Ken Walker. We got a whole arsenal of weapons on offense, adding Bobby (Wagner) back on defense, you know, a leader for not only the defense but the whole team."
The biggest winner in Seattle this offseason was Geno Smith. Not only did he finally get a long-term contract entering Year 11, but the Seahawks didn't add young competition to the QB room. Then they went out and spent early assets to buffer the offense. If the young offensive linemen improve upon last season's solid campaign, Smith is in a spot to smash in 2023.
Of course, that's all on paper.
Seattle needs JSN and Charbonnet to hit the ground running, starting with training camp later this month, and there are still questions on a defense that was ripped apart last season. But after being projected as a rebuilding club following the Russell Wilson trade, Seattle enters the 2023 campaign as an expected NFC contender.
"We have to decide what type of team we're going to be and not just listen to the outside noise," Metcalf said. "We just got to be a band of brothers on Sunday just playing for each other, and everything is going to fall in place."
