Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett Remains NFL's Best-Kept Secret Superstar

RENTON, WA - Holding on to the slimmest of leads and holding a 16-15 advantage against the Cowboys late in the second quarter, Russell Wilson scanned the field with 10 defenders in the box and a two receivers nestled in tight alignments on each side of the formation.

Coming out of a timeout with the ball on the Dallas one-yard line and only 12 seconds left before halftime, Wilson took the snap from center Ethan Pocic, made a three-step drop, and scanned the field. Seattle deployed a mesh concept with multiple receivers running crossing routes over the middle, looking to "pick off" defenders in a heavily-congested end zone.

Quickly taking an inside release from the right slot, Tyler Lockett ran a shallow crosser, somehow sneaking through without a single Cowboy picking him up in coverage. With his eyes on his top target the whole time, Wilson lofted the easiest one-yard touchdown imaginable, connecting with the sixth-year receiver for six points for the third time in the half to give the Seahawks an eight-point lead heading into the break.

"He just keeps finding a way to get open," Wilson smiled when speaking with reporters on Thursday. "So they can't cover him and he's just so good at everything he does."

Following his second 100-yard game of the season in Sunday's win, Lockett now finds himself on pace for nearly 1,400 yards. He's coming off the best season of his career - his first in which he surpassed 1,000 yards - and yet, much like the quarterback throwing to him, he keeps finding ways to improve his craft.

And somehow, as teammate DK Metcalf astutely tweeted on Thursday and Wilson has indicated numerous times over the years, Lockett remains the NFL's most criminally underrated stars featured in one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the game. When discussing top-tier elite receivers, his name is still far too often omitted.

Known for his innate ability to convert highlight reel-worthy catches with defenders draped all over him, when it comes to getting open and making opposing defenses look silly in the process, Lockett now has added a master's degree in the art of creating separation to his resume. As was on display all afternoon against a maligned Cowboys secondary, whether he's running a vertical downfield, breaking down for a quick seven-yard curl, or sneaking through traffic on a 15-yard drag route, he's as good as any NFL receiver at finding an opening for Wilson to deliver the football to him.

On his first touchdown, Lockett sped past two flat-footed safeties on a post route, sprinting under a rainbow from Wilson to help the Seahawks take the lead for the first time. Then midway through the second quarter, he sold a fake block on a play action pass at the goal line and swiftly snuck out into the flats for another easy one-yard touchdown.

Only a few short years ago, Seattle ranked among the league's worst in red zone efficiency. But now? After finishing fifth overall in red zone touchdown percentage in 2019, the Seahawks have found the end zone on 100 percent of their trips inside their opponents' 20-yard line through three games.

One of the key components of these improvements has been Lockett, who is now equally as dangerous inside the five-yard line as he is everyone else on the field.

"The best part about me is I'm kinda small, so I can wiggle my way through everybody" Lockett laughed while explaining his keys to success in such situations. "But you just gotta try to figure out how to make it work. There's a lot of people right there, everything is condensed, and based on the play calls, you just gotta wiggle through everything - it's kinda like a little maze - everyone is running around and you're just trying not to run into people."

Expanding on Seattle's incredible efficiency inside the 20, Lockett stated it's all about "staying alive and staying open" for receivers, tight ends, and even running backs with the understanding Wilson can use his legs to buy additional time and find a way to make a play. He also praised offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for his fantastic work scheming players open in those situations.

"You gotta give credit to the coaches who have been able to scheme everything up, figuring out what it is the Cowboys like to do or whoever it is we're playing so that we can try to take advantage of that when we are in those condensed yards before we're able to actually score a touchdown in the red zone."

Deflecting credit to others isn't something new for Lockett, who is the exemplary teammate. While he doesn't receive the fanfare or accolades he deserves much of the time and now to an extent finds himself overshadowed by the rising greatness of Metcalf, he's not worried about how he's perceived on an individual level.

Instead, Lockett's focus remains on team accomplishments such as winning the NFC West and a Super Bowl. And rather than speak about his status as one of the league's most underappreciated talents, he's always going to defer to Seattle's other stars as well as the brotherhood that has been established in the team's receiver room.

"It's an amazing vibe, I think. When you walk into that room, you can see that you have a bunch of people that love to have fun and we'll have fun doing anything. We go out here and walkthrough, we're going to find a way to have fun. If we're at practice, we're going to find a way to have fun. If we're in meetings, we're going to find a way to have fun. That's literally all we do and that's what makes this game so much better is that you have a group of guys you love playing with whose gonna ball out and have fun just like you."