Apples to apples, Largent caught 37 TDs in 74 games in his first 5 years. Metcalf has caught 37 TDs in 71 games. So his pace is ever so slightly higher.
Largent's first 5 seasons were:
- on an expansion club. The initial roster was made up of players who were at best the 30th best player on their team (teams were allowed to protect 29 players in the expansion draft and the Seahawks/Bucs got to draft from the remainder)
- different defensive rules. Largent caught his TDs despite being legally manhandled by DBs, most of whom physically outmatched him
- his QB those years was an undrafted free agent who didn't stick with his first team. Much as many of us admire Zorn, the terms "MVP" and "Hall of Fame" are generally not mentioned in the same sentence.
- I'd be willing to bet that Largent had zero personal fouls in those 5 years. If he had any penalties they would probably have been false starts.
Metcalf's first 5 seasons:
- on a perennial playoff team. Maybe they were one and done in the playoffs but they were making it.
- he's physically outmatched by pretty much no one in the NFL. If there are any DBs that are faster and bigger than him, I'm unaware of them. The number of DBs that are bigger OR faster is probably in the low single digits. DBs are much more limited in the 2020s the way they're allowed to play against receivers.
- His QB the first three years is someone who was in the MVP conversation (despite zero votes) for at least part of all three of those years, and was on a Hall of Fame trajectory (at the time at least). The fourth year, his QB went to the Pro Bowl as a starter (not an alternate).
Also, DK's stats are going down. He caught 6 TDs last year and is on pace for around that this year, after catching 10 and 12 in the previous years.
I mean, grats to DK and all that. He already has the best rookie season in the Seahawk record books. I'm thrilled we have him. I just think he could be SO MUCH BETTER than he is. I think he could be a dominant receiver and in the conversation for best in the league. I hope he gets there.