Seahawks predicted to cut loose massive draft bust

The Seattle Seahawks used their second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Dee Eskridge out of Western Michigan. He was coming off a solid senior season and looked like a strong option to be the team's No. 3 receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. It's safe to say it hasn't worked out.

Eskridge has a total of 122 receiving yards and one touchdown in 24 games played in his three NFL seasons. The touchdown and more than half of those yards came in his rookie season. It's only been downhill since.

Eskridge appeared in just four games for the Seahawks in 2023 and was on the field for 18 offensive snaps. He received just one target which he did not complete. He stuck around through Seattle's offseason coaching change, but it sounds like his roster spot is on very thin ice.

Seahawks could look to cut massive draft bust

David Kenyon of Bleacher Report predicted the best player from each NFL team who could be cut at some point in the 2024 offseason. His choice for Seattle was Eskridge, and he had good reason for it.

"Honesty is appreciated. General manager John Schneider basically said the team kept Dee Eskridge only because of the coaching change. The second-round pick in 2021 has turned 373 career snaps into just 17 catches and 122 yards. He's no higher than the fifth receiver right now."

Seahawks GM John Schneider said that Eskridge has only lasted this long because he wanted to let the new coaching staff decide his fate. It makes sense that Schneider is going through this last-ditch effort to give one of his biggest draft busts another shake, but it sounds as if the decision is out of his hands. If the coaching staff doesn't see a need for him on the roster, he could be gone before the season kicks off.

When looking at Seattle's wide receiver depth chart, it's hard to see exactly where Eskridge would fit in. Their top three receivers are solidified with Metcalf, Lockett, and former first-round pick Jackson Smith-Njigba. Guys like Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jake Bobo likely slot in ahead of Eskridge as well.

Is it really worth keeping a WR6 on the active roster who'd never see the field outside of maybe returning some kicks? The answer presumably will be no barring an impressive performance in training camp. Cutting a player taken in the second round before he finishes up his rookie deal would be a tough pill to swallow, but that's where Seattle might be headed with Eskridge.