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- Mar 20, 2019
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For some receivers, sliding out of the first round lays the foundation for a great career.
It happened in 2016 for Saints receiver Michael Thomas, who used the oversight as the spark for a raging fire of motivation. It happened in 2019 for Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, who nearly made it all the way to round three.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” Metcalf told reporters on Thursday regarding his ultimate selection as the last player in round two. “I wasn’t supposed to go in the first round for a reason. Probably because I wasn’t gonna work as hard if I got drafted in the first round or early in the second round. But it allowed me to come in here with a chip on my shoulder and just to realize what it felt like to be an underdog in the NFL.”
He said that he likely would have worked hard if he’d been picked in round one, but that “I probably would have taken this opportunity for granted.”
He added that “God put me in this position” to be drafted by the Seahawks. “He made me wait until the 64th pick,” Metcalf added.
Despite the obvious financial differences between being picked near the top of round one and at the bottom of round two, the free fall helped Metcalf. And it has sparked a career that, if it continues on this track, will put him among the all-time greats at the position.