Pick #69, Tyler Lockett, WR/KR/Gunner, KSU

[mikeak]

love it.

Video Highlight: Lockett at Senior Bowl vs. Imoan Claiborne
https://vine.co/v/OIp2mjaEMwJ

OK, you're an opposing defensive coordinator. You have a punishing weapon like Beast Mode who's already giving you nightmares trying to figure out ways to put in check ... coupled with trying to defend against the threat of Russell Wilson (who can beat you with both his arm and his legs).

Now you add to that mix Jimmy Graham (future Hall of Fame TE) ...

... and then put the cherry on top with a guy who can do this? Not fair. Not freaking fair -- and I love it as well.

I'd say that Seattle took the experience of getting abused by jitter bug Julian Edelman in the Super Bowl to heart and decided that they needed some of that in this offense as well.

That move + flea flicker = TD

 

[mikeak]

Four picks for a return man . . . interesting.

He's a WR, KR and gunner.

It was only three picks. We swapped thirds and gave them three low picks. And from what I've seen, this guy has a ton of upside as a receiver, as well as being the versatile WR/KR/Gunner we needed badly all last year.

4 picks were used to pick up Lockett. Also I disagree with your comment that they were "low" picks --it was a 4th, 5th and 6th rounder ---That's a KJ Wright, Cam Chancellor/Sherman, Maxwell. Of course chances are low we could have picked up Pro Bowl, or best in the NFL at their position type talent AGAIN with 4th, 5th, 6th round picks. But i wish they took the opportunity to try.

The move cost us 3 picks

We gave four picks for one

The cost was 3 technically yes we gave four picks for one which is using 4 picks for Lockett. Normally peoe don't say we gave up one pick for let's say Clark. It is a given that you use a pick but you are right four picks were used but added cost was 3

 

[Spin Doctor]

Actually I think we drafted him because more teams are going big CB, they don't have the FS to do what we do but are doing what they can to emulate a lot of what we do, in fact I heard a lot of people say that some CB's drafted are Safety Converts for that coverage reason deep.

Having said all that, Pete knows our weakness, he also knows that having a Lockette to exploit it on other teams will be a boon for us. Lockette may not have outside size but he can run it as well as Richardson and get deep on the Bigger CB's with a Jimmy taking the double off and doing the seam or crossing pattern.

Tyler Lockett is not the type of guy that does well against physical DBs, and bigger guys. In college he struggled with defenders that got physical against him. In the NFL he's going to struggle going against some of the more physical DBs in the game. A major weakness of his is going against press coverage. This is one of the reasons why I believe that he is more suited to playing the slot position, and why I don't think he's going to take Kearse's job on the outside any time soon.

We drafted Lockett because he is good at many different things. He is a special team ace that can return punts, and he is also a very good gunner. Not only that but he also gives us a boost in the short passing game. He's very adept at using his blockers to set up defenders. This means we can probably expect him on screens and pick plays. The Seahawks tried running these plays near the end of the season with mixed results. I also expect us to experiment with him as a deep threat, though I think this will be met with mixed results. Essentially he will free up three to four roster spaces assuming that Lockette doesn't make the team. Think about it, he will be a wide receiver, gunner, punt returner, and possibly even kick returner.

The reason why I'm not necessarily fired up about this pick is because his skillset is redundant in our offense. Doug Baldwin excels at many of the same things that Lockett does, and he is already one of the best slot receivers in the league. Richardson also has a similar skillset, albeit I think Lockett is more refined than Richardson is as a receiver. What Seattle is missing is a wide receiver that can play on the perimeter. Baldwin can, he just is not the best at it, and Kearse is probably our most inconsistent receiver on this team. He can either come up big or ruin the momentum of the offense. We do not have one player that consistently demands the opposing defenses respect. (One other negative that I will have to mention is his hands are not the best in the world. He's dropped some very easy passes in college, he also does not have a big catching radius.)

We do have Graham, but he was used in a unique fashion in New Orleans, and he wasn't necessarily a big time deep threat. He was more of a possession receiver, and red zone threat that could be moved around anywhere on the field. He's certainly going to help, but I believe we also need someone else to tip the field. I really hope that we do not use him like an expensive decoy, and I also hope that he doesn't get the Zach Miller status. Zach Miller was considered one of the best TEs in the league when leaving Oakland, yet in our offense he was rarely used in the correct manner.

Ultimately I think we could use Lockett in a Percy Harvin role, an auxiliary player. I think he will excel at slants, hooks, and crossing routes, giving us a player that is reliable when we are going for 5 yards. He will also excel at screens, and end arounds, Lockett sets up his blockers well.

I'm not saying all of this just because he is a small receiver. There are great small receivers that demand double coverage, and respect. Golden Tate was a good example of this, he was around 5'11, yet he is very physical. He knows how to beat press coverage, he is very adept at going over DB's and hi pointing the ball, and he is very good at using his body to box out defenders. The skillset is the main thing I look at --- Lockett does not particularly physical, he is not that great at going over DB's and high pointing the ball or using his body to block out defenders. He struggles with press coverage sometimes, and he has the tendency to drop easy passes at times. I think he will a contributor, and I love the fact that he can fulfill multiple roles, but ultimately I think Lockett auxiliary receiver much like Percy Harvin was, though used in a slightly different role.

That is fine, but I don't think he will solve our biggest woes on offense.

 

[theincrediblesok]

Actually I think we drafted him because more teams are going big CB, they don't have the FS to do what we do but are doing what they can to emulate a lot of what we do, in fact I heard a lot of people say that some CB's drafted are Safety Converts for that coverage reason deep.

Having said all that, Pete knows our weakness, he also knows that having a Lockette to exploit it on other teams will be a boon for us. Lockette may not have outside size but he can run it as well as Richardson and get deep on the Bigger CB's with a Jimmy taking the double off and doing the seam or crossing pattern.

Tyler Lockett is not the type of guy that does well against physical DBs, and bigger guys. In college he struggled with defenders that got physical against him. In the NFL he's going to struggle going against some of the more physical DBs in the game. A major weakness of his is going against press coverage. This is one of the reasons why I believe that he is more suited to playing the slot position, and why I don't think he's going to take Kearse's job on the outside any time soon.

We drafted Lockett because he is good at many different things. He is a special team ace that can return punts, and he is also a very good gunner. Not only that but he also gives us a boost in the short passing game. He's very adept at using his blockers to set up defenders. This means we can probably expect him on screens and pick plays. The Seahawks tried running these plays near the end of the season with mixed results. I also expect us to experiment with him as a deep threat, though I think this will be met with mixed results. Essentially he will free up three to four roster spaces assuming that Lockette doesn't make the team. Think about it, he will be a wide receiver, gunner, punt returner, and possibly even kick returner.

The reason why I'm not necessarily fired up about this pick is because his skillset is redundant in our offense. Doug Baldwin excels at many of the same things that Lockett does, and he is already one of the best slot receivers in the league. Richardson also has a similar skillset, albeit I think Lockett is more refined than Richardson is as a receiver. What Seattle is missing is a wide receiver that can play on the perimeter. Baldwin can, he just is not the best at it, and Kearse is probably our most inconsistent receiver on this team. He can either come up big or ruin the momentum of the offense. We do not have one player that consistently demands the opposing defenses respect. (One other negative that I will have to mention is his hands are not the best in the world. He's dropped some very easy passes in college, he also does not have a big catching radius.)

We do have Graham, but he was used in a unique fashion in New Orleans, and he wasn't necessarily a big time deep threat. He was more of a possession receiver, and red zone threat that could be moved around anywhere on the field. He's certainly going to help, but I believe we also need someone else to tip the field. I really hope that we do not use him like an expensive decoy, and I also hope that he doesn't get the Zach Miller status. Zach Miller was considered one of the best TEs in the league when leaving Oakland, yet in our offense he was rarely used in the correct manner.

Ultimately I think we could use Lockett in a Percy Harvin role, an auxiliary player. I think he will excel at slants, hooks, and crossing routes, giving us a player that is reliable when we are going for 5 yards. He will also excel at screens, and end arounds, Lockett sets up his blockers well.

I'm not saying all of this just because he is a small receiver. There are great small receivers that demand double coverage, and respect. Golden Tate was a good example of this, he was around 5'11, yet he is very physical. He knows how to beat press coverage, he is very adept at going over DB's and hi pointing the ball, and he is very good at using his body to box out defenders. The skillset is the main thing I look at --- Lockett does not particularly physical, he is not that great at going over DB's and high pointing the ball or using his body to block out defenders. He struggles with press coverage sometimes, and he has the tendency to drop easy passes at times. I think he will a contributor, and I love the fact that he can fulfill multiple roles, but ultimately I think Lockett auxiliary receiver much like Percy Harvin was, though used in a slightly different role.

That is fine, but I don't think he will solve our biggest woes on offense.

Antonio Brown had the same weaknesses on his draft profile, the differences is that Tyler is faster and better at route running. Brown played at a smaller school, while Tyler had to play against the big boys. So if Brown can do it I don't see why Tyler can't do the same.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

The biggest knock I see repeated by Hawks fans, is that we have a lot of receivers who struggle to get open.

Lockett is extremely gifted at getting open. Does he let a lot of balls get into his body? Yes. But his hip flexibility is outstanding and he utilizes that gift exquisitely. And for a guy who is inconsistent about allowing balls to get to him -- he does a very good job of still securing those passes.

More than that though, he is incredibly good at using a variety of techniques to get open. He is a player who is clearly mastering his craft. I kind of likened him to Sherman in that respect. Smart and able to improve his technique. Clearly a byproduct of football IQ and extreme dedication to his craft. Which does lead me to the expectation that Lockett will work on extending to the ball and add that to his toolbox.

Playing for Seattle, I expect Lockett to rapidly develop his skills opposite our secondary in practice. He should be light years ahead of where he shows in college due to that exposure and environment. His ability to add skills and apply them is clearly apparent. He should thrive and develop here -- and I'd expect very soon he'll begin to start making LOB members better on his own merit.

He is quick and flexible. Can stick his foot in the ground and create instant separation. Should improve rapidly at the NFL level. While he is similar in size profile to both Baldwin and Richardson -- the pairing of those two didn't prove redundant as much as complementary.

Long term, I would see Lockett coexisting quite easily with whomever he's grouped with. Should Richardson not recover fully from this latest injury -- then we've successfully reloaded. Lockett can clearly play the outside receiver -- his quickness and technical skills should leave him well equipped to handle man or zone coverage.

Lockett gets open. On tape, he is alarmingly consistent at getting open. And does so with a very wide variety of skills and moves. I actually think from just a skills perspective, he's top of the class. I would not be surprised in the least if his ability to get open is the best of our WR corps after just one training camp.

His return ability is merely bonus to his potential as a receiver. And it's a MASSIVE bonus.

I see Lockett as a player who should easily be worth a second contract. With the ability to be a player who could price himself out of our cap model.

 

[chris98251]

To beat the press you flood the zone using double and triple formations, this will be a deadly combination with Graham, Lockette and say Richardson in a trips combo on one side, speed, seam and quickness. Add the Lynch backside screen once cleared and a defense could have serious problems. Thats just one formation I can think of, legal Pick plays as well with his ability to cut on a dime.

Those only work if Bevell thinks creativly though.

 

[MB12]

[youtube]MJEdWZuXo6Q[/youtube]
Lockett makes some interesting comments here, including about Richard Sherman

 

[theincrediblesok]

Interesting thing. Both Wilson and Lockett drafted in the 3rd round, people said they are both small to play certain position because they don't measure up to their standards. All both did was broke records in college. Both also wore the number 16 in college. Wilson wore number 11 in high school, Lockett wore number 12 in high school. Both played multiple sports, Wilson (football, baseball, basketball), Lockette (football, basketball, track). Both had dad's that taught them the game. Both love to watch and diagnose film.

 

[McGruff]

Lockett isn't relegated to the slot just beccause he struggles with press. Play him at Z where he lines up off the LOS and he won't have to deal with the press as much.

 

[mikeak]

To beat the press you flood the zone using double and triple formations, this will be a deadly combination with Graham, Lockette and say Richardson in a trips combo on one side, speed, seam and quickness. Add the Lynch backside screen once cleared and a defense could have serious problems. Thats just one formation I can think of, legal Pick plays as well with his ability to cut on a dime.

Those only work if Bevell thinks creativly though.

Dang it -- I got really excited until I read the last sentence

 

[theincrediblesok]

Lockett isn't relegated to the slot just beccause he struggles with press. Play him at Z where he lines up off the LOS and he won't have to deal with the press as much.

Yup the games I've watched those DB's give him an extra 5 yards of cushion because they respect his speed and in doing so he burn them quickly to be able to come back to the ball and get it. Lockett is also great at scrambling drills, his QB did alot of that and guess who was always at the end of those....Lockett.

 

[onanygivensunday]

This kid is going to be something special in a Hawks uniform.

Go compare some of his numbers at the combine.

At essentially the same size, he's quicker than Antonio Brown in the shuttles... both the 20 yd. and the 60 yd.

4.07 sec. vs 4.18... and 11.14 sec. vs 11.30

He's got amazing feet and body control.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Lockett isn't relegated to the slot just beccause he struggles with press. Play him at Z where he lines up off the LOS and he won't have to deal with the press as much.

Yup the games I've watched those DB's give him an extra 5 yards of cushion because they respect his speed and in doing so he burn them quickly to be able to come back to the ball and get it. Lockett is also great at scrambling drills, his QB did alot of that and guess who was always at the end of those....Lockett.

The NFL and college football are two different things. The DBs that play in college may not even end up playing football, and they are for more savvy and athletic. Many of the DBs Lockett played will not end up even playing in the NFL. He will not enjoy some of the advantages he had in college. Another thing I noticed is he is easy to knock off of his routes, this is also another thing he is going to need to learn, I just don't think he's cut out to play on the outside.

People keep comparing him to Antonio Brown and Golden Tate, but I think that is wishful thinking. Antonio Brown, and Golden Tate are both far more physical than Lockett, and both of them are more dynamic in the open field. Antonio Brown is very hard to knock off of his routes, and his hands are also much better than Lockett's. He is very hard to press, and Antonio Brown is very good at improvising.

It's not so much the size that matters, it's the skillset that does. I don't see enough in Lockett to become Brown, or Tate, I think he'll be a good auxiliary/role player-- but I don't think he will be special in the passing game like Brown and Tate.

 

[onanygivensunday]

People keep comparing him to Antonio Brown and Golden Tate, but I think that is wishful thinking. Antonio Brown, and Golden Tate are both far more physical than Lockett, and both of them are more dynamic in the open field. Antonio Brown is very hard to knock off of his routes, and his hands are also much better than Lockett's. He is very hard to press, and Antonio Brown is very good at improvising.

It's not so much the size that matters, it's the skillset that does. I don't see enough in Lockett to become Brown, or Tate, I think he'll be a good auxiliary/role player-- but I don't think he will be special in the passing game like Brown and Tate.

Well, I think that you're wrong.

I see a young man that's determined to excel... and I believe that he will.

 

[theincrediblesok]

Lockett isn't relegated to the slot just beccause he struggles with press. Play him at Z where he lines up off the LOS and he won't have to deal with the press as much.

Yup the games I've watched those DB's give him an extra 5 yards of cushion because they respect his speed and in doing so he burn them quickly to be able to come back to the ball and get it. Lockett is also great at scrambling drills, his QB did alot of that and guess who was always at the end of those....Lockett.

The NFL and college football are two different things. The DBs that play in college may not even end up playing football, and they are for more savvy and athletic. Many of the DBs Lockett played will not end up even playing in the NFL. He will not enjoy some of the advantages he had in college. Another thing I noticed is he is easy to knock off of his routes, this is also another thing he is going to need to learn, I just don't think he's cut out to play on the outside.

People keep comparing him to Antonio Brown and Golden Tate, but I think that is wishful thinking. Antonio Brown, and Golden Tate are both far more physical than Lockett, and both of them are more dynamic in the open field. Antonio Brown is very hard to knock off of his routes, and his hands are also much better than Lockett's. He is very hard to press, and Antonio Brown is very good at improvising.

It's not so much the size that matters, it's the skillset that does. I don't see enough in Lockett to become Brown, or Tate, I think he'll be a good auxiliary/role player-- but I don't think he will be special in the passing game like Brown and Tate.

An article about Lockett

"I saw it every game in college. Out of 70, 80 plays in a game, 95 percent of them I saw press man," Lockett said. "Because teams understood that if they just let me run off the ball, they weren't going to stop me."

They didn't stop him in press coverage, either.

Lockett pulled in 106 passes for the Wildcats for 1,515 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career highs. He was just as dynamic as a punt returner, averaging 19.1 yards on 21 returns.

This week, Lockett has shown a strong ability to get open on shorter routes with his quickness, something a talented cast of Senior Bowl wide receivers hasn't been able to show across the board. He's used to operating in close quarters. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks was impressed with Lockett's opening practice Tuesday.

"I was impressed with his stop-start quickness and burst getting out of his breaks," Brooks wrote. "He has a knack for setting defenders up with a little wiggle at the top of routes, and his strong hands stood out when he plucked the ball effortlessly out of the air in drills."

Lockett emphasized that dealing with press coverage is nothing new for him.

"If you look at my film, they press me and play a safety over the top, or they press me and play cover two, they doubled me, they did all that type of stuff. When we played against Auburn, their guy pressed me every play with a safety over the top. When they play off me, that's what's new."

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... enior-bowl

Also Lockett has a 35.5 vertical jump, Golden Tate had a 35 vertical jump just to compare

 

[theincrediblesok]

The NFL and college football are two different things. The DBs that play in college may not even end up playing football, and they are for more savvy and athletic. Many of the DBs Lockett played will not end up even playing in the NFL. He will not enjoy some of the advantages he had in college.

You mean like last year where rookie WRs on pass happy teams were getting 1k yards like it was water against NFL caliber DBs.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Lockett isn't relegated to the slot just beccause he struggles with press. Play him at Z where he lines up off the LOS and he won't have to deal with the press as much.

Yup the games I've watched those DB's give him an extra 5 yards of cushion because they respect his speed and in doing so he burn them quickly to be able to come back to the ball and get it. Lockett is also great at scrambling drills, his QB did alot of that and guess who was always at the end of those....Lockett.

The NFL and college football are two different things. The DBs that play in college may not even end up playing football, and they are for more savvy and athletic. Many of the DBs Lockett played will not end up even playing in the NFL. He will not enjoy some of the advantages he had in college. Another thing I noticed is he is easy to knock off of his routes, this is also another thing he is going to need to learn, I just don't think he's cut out to play on the outside.

People keep comparing him to Antonio Brown and Golden Tate, but I think that is wishful thinking. Antonio Brown, and Golden Tate are both far more physical than Lockett, and both of them are more dynamic in the open field. Antonio Brown is very hard to knock off of his routes, and his hands are also much better than Lockett's. He is very hard to press, and Antonio Brown is very good at improvising.

It's not so much the size that matters, it's the skillset that does. I don't see enough in Lockett to become Brown, or Tate, I think he'll be a good auxiliary/role player-- but I don't think he will be special in the passing game like Brown and Tate.

An article about Lockett

"I saw it every game in college. Out of 70, 80 plays in a game, 95 percent of them I saw press man," Lockett said. "Because teams understood that if they just let me run off the ball, they weren't going to stop me."

They didn't stop him in press coverage, either.

Lockett pulled in 106 passes for the Wildcats for 1,515 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career highs. He was just as dynamic as a punt returner, averaging 19.1 yards on 21 returns.

This week, Lockett has shown a strong ability to get open on shorter routes with his quickness, something a talented cast of Senior Bowl wide receivers hasn't been able to show across the board. He's used to operating in close quarters. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks was impressed with Lockett's opening practice Tuesday.

"I was impressed with his stop-start quickness and burst getting out of his breaks," Brooks wrote. "He has a knack for setting defenders up with a little wiggle at the top of routes, and his strong hands stood out when he plucked the ball effortlessly out of the air in drills."

Lockett emphasized that dealing with press coverage is nothing new for him.

"If you look at my film, they press me and play a safety over the top, or they press me and play cover two, they doubled me, they did all that type of stuff. When we played against Auburn, their guy pressed me every play with a safety over the top. When they play off me, that's what's new."

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... enior-bowl

Also Lockett has a 35.5 vertical jump, Golden Tate had a 35 vertical jump just to compare

Again... Golden Tate and Lockett are completely different animals. I don't care if about their verticals or 40 times, I care about WHAT I see on the field. Golden Tate's timing, and physicality when he goes for the ball is impressive, even when you compare it to larger receivers. I think Golden Tate was actually better at going up for jump passes, and catching passes in traffic, and out muscling DBs than Sidney Rice was. I just don't see Lockett ever being a force on jump balls like Golden Tate was. Vertical matters for sure, but what matters even more so is how you use your leaping abilities. Lockett may have a better vertical, but I don't see him being the same force that Tate was in this regard. Timing, physicality, boxing out DB's with your body, and body control are all key here, I just don't see that from Lockett when it comes to going up for the ball.

 

[HawkRiderFan]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that 1997 is so long ago that a guy drafted then can have his kid drafted now. Sigh, I'm getting old.

 

[theincrediblesok]

Again... Golden Tate and Lockett are completely different animals. I don't care if about their verticals or 40 times, I care about WHAT I see on the field. Golden Tate's timing, and physicality when he goes for the ball is impressive, even when you compare it to larger receivers. I think Golden Tate was actually better at going up for jump passes, and catching passes in traffic, and out muscling DBs than Sidney Rice was. I just don't see Lockett ever being a force on jump balls like Golden Tate was. Vertical matters for sure, but what matters even more so is how you use your leaping abilities. Lockett may have a better vertical, but I don't see him being the same force that Tate was in this regard. Timing, physicality, boxing out DB's with your body, and body control are all key here, I just don't see that from Lockett when it comes to going up for the ball.

I know Tate was better at the highpoint, I was just using it for reference point. I love Tate and his physicality wished we still had him. Both are different but I believe Lockett can play on the outside as well. Where Tate out-muscles a DB, Lockett would make that DB spin around and not know where he's at. I'm with you that he can be a utility type player and his first few years I think they will ease him in slowly unless something happens and he takes on more responsibility.

 

[Spin Doctor]

The NFL and college football are two different things. The DBs that play in college may not even end up playing football, and they are for more savvy and athletic. Many of the DBs Lockett played will not end up even playing in the NFL. He will not enjoy some of the advantages he had in college.

You mean like last year where rookie WRs on pass happy teams were getting 1k yards like it was water against NFL caliber DBs.

Again, each situation is different --- you cannot make broad statements like that and apply it to every rookie. It is a fact that the NFL, and college games are different, and the level of competition is much higher in the NFL. Scheme also plays a huge part. Despite last year many rookie wide receivers do not do very well their first year, or they just have mediocre careers. What really needs to be evaluated is the particular player in questions skillset, and how it transitions to the NFL. I think Lockett will have a good career, but I never think he will become a 1000 yard receiver, nor do I think he'll be an elite receiving threat. He will be a specialist wide receiver that has the potential for big play ability. He is also convenient because he will potentially fill four different roster spots as kick returner, punt returner, gunner and wide receiver.

If he becomes a receiving threat then I will happily eat crow, but I don't think he will be much of a force on offense this year. I also do not think he will ever be anything more than a good slot receiver in the NFL.