Will Tory Horton be Seattle Seahawks' No. 3 WR?

Heading into training camp, the general assumption was that veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be the Seattle Seahawks’ No. 3 wide receiver this season behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.

But it appears rookie Tory Horton is making a strong push for that role.

Rookie WR Tory Horton gains steam as potential Seahawks draft steal

Horton, a fifth-round draft pick out of Colorado State, has reportedly been turning heads and moving up the depth chart with a strong showing on the practice field. Head coach Mike Macdonald even acknowledged on Tuesday that Valdes-Scantling is in “a battle” with Horton for the WR3 spot.

So, will Horton be the Seahawks’ No. 3 wideout this season? That was a question during Wednesday’s “Buy or Sell” segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

Brock’s take

Brock Huard is buying Horton overtaking Valdes-Scantling as the WR3.

Huard referenced a Brock and Salk conversation from this spring with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who said Horton would have been a top-50 overall pick if he’d entered the NFL Draft in 2024 instead of 2025.

In 2024, the speedy Horton was coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons at Colorado State, ranking in the top 20 among FBS receivers both years. However, he suffered a knee injury last October that required surgery and ultimately caused him to slide all the way to the fifth round in this year’s draft.

“I’m buying, because he’s got a unique skill set that fits this (offense),” Huard said. “And I’ll go back to what DJ said to (us) after the draft — this is a top-50 player had he not gotten hurt. A top-50 player. That’s talent-wise like (Elijah) Arroyo plus. Like, that dude’s got some juice to him, and he’s been a man on a mission.”

Huard also pointed to the prevalence of fifth-round receivers who have found success across the NFL, which includes stars like Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs.

“Fifth-round picks – wide receivers especially – can hit the ground running,” Huard said. “They’ve done so all over the league, time after time after time after time. Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin – undrafted guys here – made it and hit the ground running. So I’m gonna say, yeah, (Horton) is gonna be in the top three (on the depth chart).”

Salk’s take

Mike Salk wasn’t ready to make that declaration just yet, given that Horton has yet to play even a preseason snap in the NFL.

“I don’t know about that,” Salk said. “At some point this season? Sure, maybe. And injuries will probably play a role in that as well. They always do. So throwing injuries into it? Yes, the answer is probably true.

“With everyone healthy? I mean, maybe MVS just kind of fails and maybe Tory Horton comes on really quickly. (But) I’m not quite ready to say that yet about Tory Horton. He hasn’t played a preseason game yet. I’d like to see some of that before I make that prediction.”

Will Tory Horton be Seattle Seahawks’ No. 3 WR?

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