Seahawks Offseason Profile: Tyler Lockett
Following Tyler Lockett’s Pro Bowl-worthy performance in 2018, the Seahawks were expecting even bigger things from their speedy receiver during this past season.
With long-time fan favorite Doug Baldwin retiring and having his contract terminated by Seattle last May, Lockett took the next step in his development, emerging as the new No. 1 target for Russell Wilson. The duo formed one of the NFC's most explosive pairings, helping guide the team to 11 wins and a playoff victory.
Let’s revisit some of the good and the bad from Lockett’s fifth NFL season, along with a prediction of how next season may play out for him as he enters the second year of his three-year, $31.8 million contract.
What Went Right
Despite Seattle’s run-first mentality on offense, Lockett performed on par with other elite NFL receivers in 2019.
In total, the Kansas State star produced 82 receptions (14th-most among receivers), 1,057 receiving yards (20th-most), and eight touchdown receptions. He also posted 74.5 percent catch rate (fourth-highest among qualified receivers), according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Along with these impressive results during the regular season, the 27-year old receiver bounced back from a shin injury to produce gaudy numbers in two postseason games.
During two playoff games, Lockett caught 13 of his 18 targets (72.2 percent catch rate) for 198 yards and he registered his first touchdown reception during postseason play since way back in his rookie season.
Furthermore, the 5-foot-10 receiver’s success should be credited towards his stellar quickness and outstanding ability to create separation against defenders in coverage.
Among all qualified receivers, Lockett tied for the 10th-most average yards of separation (3.2) and tied for the 19th-most average yards of cushion (6.3), according to Next-Gen-Stats.com.
What Went Wrong
During the 2018 campaign, Lockett didn’t have a single football drop through his hands throughout the entire season and Wilson posted a perfect passer rating throwing to him. However, the fifth-year pro failed to replicate this efficiency in 2019.
Among 110 targets Wilson threw in Lockett's direction, he couldn’t reel in two passes deemed "catchable." While this isn’t a concerning amount, it’ll likely something he'll be aiming to improve upon next season.
Along with his occasional catching miscues, Seattle’s primary receiver suffered a serious shin bruise in Week 10 and he battled flu symptoms for consecutive weeks during the second half of the season. As a result of those issues, his production declined in the final two months.
In total, Lockett surpassed at least 50 receiving yards in eight of the first nine games of the season. Following his injury and illness, the former third-round selection only surged beyond that total in two of the remaining seven games in the regular season.
Along with declining production as a receiver, Lockett's performance on special teams also suffered after he was hospitalized with his shin injury following Seattle’s Week 10 victory over San Francisco.
Through the first 10 games of the season, the speedy receiver returned 13 punts for 66 yards and returned 12 kickoffs for 244 yards. After suffering the injury, the Seahawks decided to limit his playing time on special teams for the rest of the regular season.
As a result, Lockett only returned two kickoffs for 35 yards in the last seven games. Even during the postseason, his role on special teams was limited to an extent as he returned just three kickoffs for 60 yards.
2020 Outlook
Heading into the 2020 campaign, Lockett will resume his role as Wilson’s favorite target in the passing game across from DK Metcalf and there's a chance he could still have a prominent role on special teams in some capacity.
In comparison to Lockett's first five seasons in the league, there have been just 19 receivers to produce at least 3,800 receiving yards, 27 touchdown receptions along with a 60 percent catch rate through their five seasons in the NFL.
Of the 19 players shown above, 14 of them generated a catch rate of at least 60.0 percent and 12 of them produced at least 1,000 receiving yards during their respective sixth seasons in the league.
Lockett has recorded a catch rate of at least 62.1 percent every season of his career. Teaming up with Wilson once again, he should easily be able to produce a catch rate of least 60.0 percent, if not higher, in 2020.
Based on these past indicators, the ascending Lockett should also have a really good chance to record his second 1,000-yard performance next season as long as he can stay healthy. With such a showing, there's a great chance he could make the Pro Bowl for a second time after being snubbed in 2019.
