The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off next week in Green Bay, giving the Seahawks and 31 other NFL teams a chance to add talent to their roster. And with five picks in the first three rounds of this year's draft, the Seahawks find themselves in a particularly strong position to improve their roster.

"Every year is totally different," Seahawks general manager and president of football operations John Schneider said. "Having those five picks in the first 92, it allows you to maneuver a little bit depending on how other people see it. That's one of the things that I'm trying to do down here."

If the Seahawks use those five picks in the first three rounds—they have five more on Day 3 of the draft—they obviously hope to add five impact players, but another benefit of that kind of draft capital is it gives Schneider and company a lot of flexibility to make trades should the right opportunity arise.

"Initially, you're like, 'Yeah, we're going to take five really good players,'" Schneider said. "But then you get in a situation where it's like, 'All right, that guy's a starter, we should probably move to go get him,' if you can. It depends on how other people see these guys. But yeah, it allows us the ability to just be more free throughout our draft process."

So with the draft coming up soon, Seahawks.com is taking a position-by-position look at where things currently stand for the Seahawks, as well as draft analyst Rob Rang's top draft prospects at each position. We'll also look at Seattle's draft history at each position over the past 15 drafts under Schneider.

So far we've covered the offensive line, defensive line and outside linebacker, tight end, and linebacker, running back, and safety, and today we focus on receiver. Check back tomorrow when we turn our attention to cornerback.

Seattle's 2025 Draft Picks: Round 1, No. 18 overall; Round 2, No. 50 overall; Round 2, No. 52 overall (from Pittsburgh); Round 3, No. 82 overall; Round 3, No. 92 overall (from Las Vegas); Round 4, No. 137 overall (compensatory pick); Round 5, No. 172 overall (compensatory pick); Round 5, No. 175 overall (compensatory pick); Round 7, No. 223 overall (from Pittsburgh); Round 7, No. 234 overall.

Receiver draft history under John Schneider: Golden Tate (No. 60 overall, 2010); Jameson Konz (No. 245, 2010); Kris Durham (No. 107, 2011); Chris Harper (No. 123, 2013); Paul Richardson (No. 45, 2014); Kevin Norwood (No. 123, 2014); Tyler Lockett (No. 69, 2015); Kenny Lawler (No. 243, 2016); Amara Darboh (No. 106, 2017); David Moore (No. 226, 2017); DK Metcalf (No. 64, 2019); Gary Jennings (No. 120, 2019); John Ursua (No. 236, 2019); Freddie Swain (No. 214, 2020); Dee Eskridge (No. 56, 2021); Bo Melton (No. 229, 2022), Dareke Young, (No. 233, 2022); Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 20, 2023).

Where The Seahawks Stand

Among the several significant moves the Seahawks made this offseason, the changes made at receiver rank among the biggest of all. Gone are DK Metcalf, who was traded to the Steelers this offseason, and Tyler Lockett, who was released in a salary cap-related move, while new to the team are former All-Pro Cooper Kupp and big-play threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

While there has been a lot of change at receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the team's leading receiver and a Pro-Bowler in his second season, is back, and the additions of Kupp, a former AP Offensive Player of the Year, and Valdes-Scantling, give the Seahawks a solid foundation at that position even before they make any additions in the draft.

"It was evident that Cooper was going to become available, then once DK wanted to be traded, we decided as an organization we were going to do that, talked it through with (Seahawks Chair Jody Allen), she's thoughtful, she's engaging, she's willing to make tough decisions, so we decided to move forward with DK," Schneider said last month at the NFL Annual Meeting, adding the release of Tyler Lockett also created a need at receiver. "Once we did that… we had a gap there, and Cooper was the guy we identified. (Offensive passing game coordinator) Jake Peetz had coached him in the past, so we felt like we really knew the person, knew what we were getting into. He had like three or four teams he was talking to, and he wanted to come home. He's going to be great for (Jaxon Smith-Njigba)—he's going to be great for the whole team—but you think about a guy like JSN, the guy's just, what everybody says is he's the ultimate worker. It was a huge get for us."

Schneider also sees both newcomers as being strong fits in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense. Kupp spent his career with the Rams in a similar West Coast scheme, while Valdes-Scantling saw his numbers take a big jump after joining New Orleans, where Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, midway through last season.

"This system is going to be great for (Kupp). MVS is like the take-the-top off (guy)," Schneider said. "You can really look at their offense last year in New Orleans and kind of picture it, now especially with MVS being here. We really thought it was going to be DK, but here we are. So now MVS is the take-the-top off guy, JSN can take the top off, then Cooper is a deceptively fast dude, so working the middle of the field, setting people up. Those two guys working with each other are going to be really hard to defend with the tight splits and everything."

Even with Smith-Njigba, Kupp and Valdes-Scantling already in place, as well as some solid young depth options like Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, Cody White and River Cracraft, the Seahawks could very well still be in the market to add to that position group in the draft. The Seahawks have found success over the years selecting receivers in the first two days of the draft, including Smith-Njigba, Metcalf and Lockett, as well as Golden Tate in Schneider's first draft in Seattle, and with five picks in the first three rounds, there could be another opportunity to find another playmaker to their offense. And as Rob Rang notes below in his rankings, there are several strong Day 3 options as well, including players who could be options in the return game.

Rob Rang's Top 5 Receivers

Overview: Even with the Seahawks signing veterans Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, I expect Seattle to draft at least one wide receiver, quite possibly targeting the position early. There is not a consensus No. 1 receiver in this class, so it is entirely possible that the Seahawks will have their pick of the litter at No. 18 overall. Like any version of the so-called West Coast Offense, Klint Kubiak's scheme calls for receivers who can turn short passes into long gains, prioritizing the toughness, balance through contact and burst to be run-after-the-catch threats. The Seahawks might also be looking at receivers who could double as a punt or kick returner. Fortunately, this class is loaded with candidates who fit the bill, extending well into Day Three. Among my favorite Day Two and Three fits for the Seahawks include Elic Ayomanor (Stanford), Isaiah Bond (Texas), Tai Felton (Maryland), Tre Harris (Mississippi), Tory Horton (Colorado State) and Jalen Royals (Utah State).

1. Luther Burden III, Missouri, 6-0, 206, First Round

Given that his statistics plummeted in 2024 (61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games) after a breakout sophomore campaign (86-1,212-9 in 13) it is easy to understand why Burden ranks lower on some draft analysts boards than my own, but I see a player just itching for more opportunities and the best fit of this year's receiver class for the Seahawks, specifically. Boasting a power-packed frame that looks more suited to running back than receiver, Burden is a real chore to cover and tackle. His agility and balance through contact make him one of this year's top receivers after the catch, reminding me a bit of Deebo Samuel.

2. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191, First Round

The aforementioned Burden was clocked at a sizzling 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash, but Golden might have zoomed right by on him on some NFL boards after leading all participants with a 4.29 second time. Golden's speed translates well to the field. Cornerbacks can sense his speed and are forced to play on their heels, creating all sorts of space for the slants and posts key to Kubiak's passing attack. Golden isn't just a dynamic receiver, he's also a gamebreaker as a returner, taking two kickoffs back for touchdowns in 2023 while playing at Houston.

3.Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, 6-1, 202, First-Second Round

Seattle scouts might think they're seeing double with Egbuka, a Steilacoom, WA native whose frame and pro-ready game are very similar to that of their own star, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a former teammate at Ohio State. Like Smith-Njigba two years ago, Egbuka is arguably the safest of this year's wideout prospects. He is a silky-smooth route-runner who pairs light feet, body control and soft hands to be a quarterback's best friend in the short to intermediate zones. I like him best out of the slot and wonder if the Seahawks might already be happy with Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp in that role.

4. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4, 219, First-Second Round

If Seattle is looking for greater size and to play on the perimeter, "TMac" might be the perfect solution at No. 18 overall. McMillan offers rare acceleration and body control for a receiver of his massive dimensions. He was moved all over the field at Arizona, demonstrating the high football I.Q. that should translate into early production in the NFL. McMillan certainly was productive at Arizona, hauling in 26 touchdowns in just 37 games at the college level.

5. Jack Bech, TCU, 6-1, 214, Second Round

It is easy to see Bech's basketball background in the way that he boxes out cornerbacks on jump-balls and plays above the rim, snatching the ball at its highest point. Growing up in Lafayette, La., Bech was part of five state championships on the gridiron and basketball court in high school and signed with LSU as a highly regarded recruit. He led the Tigers in receptions as a true freshman but was overtaken by future first round picks Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr. in 2022 and decided to transfer to TCU, where after an injury-plagued 2023 he starred this past season, earning an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he was named MVP after scoring the game-winning touchdown.