Tory Horton Emerging As Seahawks' WR2

Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Tory Horton enjoyed a big-time performance in Sunday's 44-13 Week 3 thrashing of the New Orleans Saints. Horton outperformed veteran wideout Cooper Kupp, who is beginning to show signs of decline. The first-year playmaker could emerge as Sam Darnold's preferred WR2 behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the season progresses.

Horton recorded three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. Kupp was less involved, registering two receptions for 31 yards. Horton saw one more target than Kupp did.

It marked Horton's second consecutive game with a touchdown catch. His end-zone visit was an outstanding rep that busted the Seahawks' lead open to 28-3 in the second quarter. Darnold quickly identified single-man coverage outside and threw a gorgeously placed ball over Horton's shoulder, who extended to make the catch after creating a sliver of separation between himself and Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.

It was actually Horton's second touchdown of the afternoon. An electric special teams returner, Horton housed a 95-yard punt, the longest in Seahawks history, and their first such score in 10 years! He joined fellow rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka on an exclusive list including only 15 other wide receivers to score three or more touchdowns in their initial three games (2000-25).

Horton weaved through traffic after fielding the ball at Seattle’s 5-yard line. Once he turned the afterburners on around the 20-yard line, it was evident he was going to score.

Horton now leads the Seahawks in receiving touchdowns (2). He's tied with running back Kenneth Walker III for the most combined touchdowns (3) on the team. He's consistently emerging as a difference-maker on offense and special teams.

Kupp saw three targets apiece in Weeks 1 and 3. A seven-catch, 90-yard showing via nine targets in Week 2 is beginning to feel like the statistical outlier. As Horton continues getting comfortable with Klint Kubiak's offensive playbook and strengthens his relationship and chemistry with Darnold, Kupp could start fading into the background.

Horton is dynamic. On his historic 95-yard punt return TD, he reached a team-high speed of 20.23 mph, according to Next Gen Stats. Horton also displayed his ability to make tough contested catches on his three receptions. He averaged a team-low 2.36 yards of separation on his targets, undeniably boosted by his contested catch score in the second quarter.

The Seahawks selected Horton in the fifth round at No. 166 overall. He was the 23rd receiver drafted. General manager John Schneider stole Horton, who recorded consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns at Colorado State in 2022 and 2023 before a knee injury in 2024 impacted his pre-draft stock.

Entering Week 3, Darnold had a stellar passer rating of 116.7 when targeting Horton, per Pro Football Focus. That number will remain impressive after Horton hauled in 3-of-4 targets for a score on Sunday. The former Colorado State Ram is also averaging a chain-moving 12.8 yards per catch, second-best on the team.

Horton enjoyed a breakout performance on Sunday. It marked his second straight appearance with a TD catch, and his first career multi-score game. Horton will be the Seahawks' long-term solution at WR2 opposite Smith-Njigba.