The Seattle Seahawks have revamped their team. While the years of the Legion of Boom and Russell Wilson have come to a close, it seems that time has a funny way of repeating itself.

The Seahawks are a formidable team at the moment. Having lost by a combined seven points in their two losses, they’re a dark horse in a loaded NFC conference. A mysterious offense backed by a heavy-hitting defense will always give opposing coaches headaches.

However, it’s a rookie on the offensive side of the ball who is turning heads in Seattle.

Tyler Lockett to Tory Horton

Former Seahawk Tyler Lockett was a slot receiver, a player who always had Russell Wilson’s back in third-down situations and an overall reliable target. While smaller than the average football player, he had blazing speed and worked on special teams as a punt returner.

He was one of the first of his kind to play as a hybrid receiver and changed the game as a deep threat. While the Seahawks released Lockett this past offseason, a new receiver was waiting in the background for his opportunity behind the curtain of the NFL Draft.

Tory Horton is a 22-year-old from Colorado State University. He began his collegiate career at the University of Nevada, but Horton took off after transferring to the Rams program in 2022.

Notching back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, Horton looked NFL-ready, yet he decided to return for his fifth-year option in 2024 due to a knee injury scare. The decision backfired as Horton reinjured his knee, requiring surgery.

“It kind of takes your mental game to another level,” Horton said in an interview with Seattle Sports. “Coming from that injury, there’s a lot of things you don’t want to do. There’s some of those days where you don’t feel like doing what you have to do to better yourself, and you either need to make a choice to do it or not do it. That’s something I had to learn quickly if I wanted to get my knee better.”

“If I see any signs going on, I try to jump on that early because those things linger around and just make it worse,” said Horton.

His return from his injuries is a true testament to Horton’s mental fortitude and focus he brings to the game of football, and his performance has shown that with the Seahawks.

NFL Draft Diamond in the Rough

Horton slipped all the way into the fifth round of the draft where the Seahawks picked him.

So far through six games, Horton has nine receptions for 113 yards and three touchdown grabs. He also had the electrifying kickoff return for the longest touchdown in Seahawks franchise history — 95 yards. He’s currently second in rookie touchdowns behind Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka, the favorite for Rookie of the Year.

Regardless of what you think of Tory Horton’s stats so far this season, he is still playing on a star-studded offense. Led by one of the hottest young talents in football, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the clear No. 1 option at receiver.

On top of that, Cooper Kupp — the 2022 Super Bowl MVP and a major offseason signing for the Seahawks — has solidified himself as a reliable second option. The only thing missing from his game are touchdown grabs, which is where Horton has found his role.

With Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet doing the heavy lifting in the backfield, this Seattle Seahawks offense truly has the pieces to be great. The depth Horton provides will not only give the Seahawks insurance in case of injuries but also a capable new receiver to grow into the next star wideout.