Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Tyler Lockett

Though Lockett endured a bit of an up-and-down 2020 season for Seattle, his overall production was spectacular as he set a new franchise record for receptions. Could his statistics wind up being even better playing in Shane Waldron's offensive scheme?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 26, 2021 3:15 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst-case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Tyler Lockett, Receiver

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 182 pounds

2020 Stats: 100 receptions, 1,054 yards, 10 touchdowns in 16 games

Continuing to be one of the NFL's most underrated receivers, Lockett followed up the first 1,000-yard season of his career with an even better statistical campaign, setting a major franchise record in the process. Starring alongside DK Metcalf, he became the first player in Seahawks history to hit the 100-catch mark, breaking Bobby Engram's single-season record. He also reached double-digit touchdowns for the second time in three years, making him one of only six receivers with over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns during that span. But while Lockett turned in another fantastic season overall, he endured an odd season in terms of consistency. In two games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, he caught 27 passes for 290 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 100 yards and found the end zone three times in a Week 3 win over the Cowboys. Excluding those three games, he yielded 664 receiving yards and only two touchdowns in Seattle's other 13 games. He also had seven games with less than 50 receiving yards, proving to be more hit-and-miss production-wise than he was in 2019.

Best Case Scenario: Remaining Russell Wilson's security blanket and thriving in coordinator Shane Waldron's offense, Lockett again surpasses 100 receptions and 10 touchdowns while establishing a new personal record for receiving yardage, earning his first All-Pro selection as an offensive player.

Worst Case Scenario: As has been the case the past couple of seasons, Lockett endures a mid-season lull dealing with a nagging injury and the presence of rookie D'Wayne Eskridge ends up cutting into his targets, leading to a somewhat disappointing season with less than 850 receiving yards and five scores.

What to Expect in 2021: On multiple occasions, Lockett pointed out to reporters that Seattle's offensive attack became too predictable for opponents last season. The arrival of a new coordinator in Waldron who wants to emphasize a quicker passing game with tempo should benefit a player of his talents immensely. He will continue to see snaps playing outside and in the slot and he's expecting to run some different routes compared to prior seasons that should allow him to do more damage in the short-to-intermediate game. If that happens as planned, it wouldn't be surprising to see him receive more than the 132 targets he had from Wilson a year ago and even with Eskridge's arrival, he should be well-positioned to push for 90-plus receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards once again.