Open For Business! Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett NFL Best At Creating Separation
NFL receivers possess a wide range of skillsets, with some relying on their speed to fly past defenders and others using their size to create mismatches.
Ultimately, though, the goal remains the same for every receiver: get open enough to make the catch. Contested catches make for great highlights, but if a receiver is able to consistently create separation, it makes life so much easier for the entire offense.
In that sense, the Seattle Seahawks have arguably the best receiver in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett had the highest open-target rate in the league last season at 67.5 percent. He was the leader by a wide margin too, as Parris Campbell, who played last season with the Indianapolis Colts but is now with the New York Giants, had the second-highest rate at 62.4 percent.
Lockett has been a model of consistency for Seattle, and that held true in 2022. The veteran receiver caught 84 passes for 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns, marking his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. With Geno Smith taking over the starting quarterback role last season after the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson, having Lockett be open as often as he was surely helped the offense thrive.
Additionally, PFF took a look at the other side of the coin, cornerbacks who allowed the lowest open-target rate. Another Seahawk placed highly on this list, with rookie sensation Tariq Woolen placing No. 9 with an open-target rate of 31.3 percent.
"Speaking of Tariq Woolen, among players on this list, nobody played more press coverage than his 333 such snaps. . . Having the ninth-lowest open-target rate against while lining up in so much press coverage makes the UTSA fifth-rounder’s rookie year all the more special," PFF writes. "With the addition of fifth overall pick Devon Witherspoon in 2023, the Seahawks may be forming a new Legion of Boom in their secondary."
The receiver corps and secondary were already positions of strength for the Seahawks, and they made huge additions to both groups at the draft. After drafting Witherspoon, Seattle selected Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20 overall to form a deadly receiving trio with Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
Needless to say, the Seahawks are in good hands on both sides of the ball.
You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News
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