Ryan Grubb is the new offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Connor Williams is the new starting center, while George Fant is heading for a starting spot at right tackle for the season opener, possibly Laken Tomlinson at left guard.
Almost all other aspects of the offense are holdovers from past years.
And so the ideal expectation for Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks’ longest-serving player, is nothing new, but a return to the familiar.
This year we are looking for Tyler Lockett for 2018.
DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Geno Smith, Noah Fant, Charles Cross, Kenneth Walker III and even some guys like Jake Bobo are all back from last year.
But given the excitement over what Smith’s long ball can do to the NCAA’s most interesting coordinator of the past year, I expect Lockett to take a step – not forward, but back to when he first came to prominence as a potential No. 1 receiver.
2018 was the peak of the pedestrian receiver era. Seattle won games not by the number of passes, but by the effectiveness of the pass receivers.
2018 was the perfect passer rating season, with the game between Russell Wilson and Lockett producing a season-long rating of 158.3.
Lockett accomplished all this with only 70 targets.
Answer with an underrated NFL player
Tyler Lockett has been pretty nice since 2018….
2018: 57 REC, 965 YDS, 10 TDS
2019: 82 REC, 1,057 YDS, 8 TDS
2020: 100 REC, 1,054 YDS, 10 TDS
2021: 73 REC, 1,175 YDS, 8 TDS pic.twitter.com/YDnS12unP1— . (@sheiaksndn) 27 January 2022
Lockett has shared a solid 110+ targets since this season, and in 2023, 122 targets went to Lockett, the second most of his career.
I don’t expect that to be the case this season.
It shouldn’t be that way either.
Smith-Njigba had 63 pass catches on 93 targets last year. I truly believe Shane Waldron could spend 48 hours in jail for the way he was used. His percentage should go up, as should the 20th pick.
I would argue that Lockett could significantly lower his target percentage and still be incredibly effective. There are still some things he does as well as anyone in the league.
Certain routes remain Lockett’s specialty, especially because he is a master at making last-minute substitutions.
On 4th & Goal, Russell Wilson finds Tyler Lockett on a cross route for the #Seahawks Touchdown to take the lead.
Lockett on the crossing routes this season:
➤ 32 rec (8 more than the next best)
➤ 318 meters (60 meters more than the nearest)
➤ 3 TDs (T-5.)#SEAvsSF | Supported by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/KiJ0fTFsCO— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 4, 2021
Incredible anticipation.
Tyler Lockett couldn’t even get an inch away from the end zone when Russell Wilson threw the ball. pic.twitter.com/NNtJYmTjCj
— Johnny Kinsley (@Brickwallblitz) 26 October 2020
It’s not the best angle, but the game against the Arizona Cardinals is probably my favorite Tyler game of all time. In that game, he did several times what he always does, which is get just an inch of separation at the end, because an inch was all it took.
Russell Wilson’s 34-yard pass to Tyler Lockett on the first play of the game had a 21.3% success rate. It is Wilson’s second least likely pass of the season.
➤ Air distance: 37.6 meters
➤ Receiver distance: 0.6 yards#SEAvsARI | Supported by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/gwlo9UYyik— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) 26 October 2020
He did that last year too.
Also notable in 2018: His 965 yards on just 57 completions were the highest yards per catch of his career. He also had zero drops and his yards after The catch count was the lowest of his career as a starter – until last season.
The Seahawks don’t need Lockett to be anything, which he’s never been. He’s reliable. He’s great down low, he’s great on third down. As far as I’m concerned, he can catch the ball all year long and shoot it straight down the turf.
Lockett turns 32 in Week 4, and with the two young stars playing strong, I think he will play an absolutely necessary role in this offense that may mean more oomph and less money.
