Who Should I Start? Tory Horton or Arian Smith

Tuesday, April 21, 6:01 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton was a fifth-round selection in 2025, and before a serious shin injury ended his rookie season after only eight games, he had shown some prowess as a downfield threat. While he and Sam Darnold were able to connect for only 13 receptions through Week 9, more than a third of those catches resulted in touchdowns, including two in his final game. With Horton out, the Seahawks sent fourth and fifth-round picks to acquire Rashid Shaheed and have since invested almost $35 million in guaranteed money to retain his services. Between Shaheed and Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle has guaranteed $154.7 million to the wide receiver position this offseason, and with a league-low four picks in the upcoming draft, it would stand to reason that their current receiver room of Horton, Shaheed, Smith-Njigba, and the soon-to-be-33 year old Cooper Kupp will look very similar to the one they take into the regular season. While the draft capital and money invested in Shaheed suggest he'll have the inside track to the boundary role opposite Smith-Njigba, he averaged only 1.5 receptions per game following the trade to Seattle. Horton showed flashes as a rookie, and he showed them early in the season, a strong indicator of success with rookie receivers historically seeing more involvement later in the year. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury will succeed by getting his best players on the field, and in a receiver room whose talent falls off quickly behind Smith-Njigba, the competition for playing time should not be stiff enough to dissuade depth-seeking dynasty managers from inquiring about RotoBaller's current WR75.