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We came into this season with a lot of questions as to what Tyler Lockett would look like as the “number one receiver” in a Brian Schottenheimer (read: Pete Carroll) offense. Also, how he’d look without Doug Baldwin. Also how he’d look as a player more regularly in the slot than he was before.
The answer might be that Lockett is ready to put up the T.Y. Hilton and Antonio Brown-like numbers that some people thought he was capable of when the Seahawks drafted him in the third round of the 2015 draft. It may have been a matter of getting him in the right situation to put up big numbers.
So far 2019 is the right situation.
In Week 2, Lockett was targeted 12 times — a new career-high — and caught nine passes, also a career-high. He had more catches than he had targets in any game prior to last week. In Week 3’s frustrating loss to the Saints, Lockett was targeted 14 times — a new career-high — and caught 11 passes, also a career-high. That’s right, after getting just two targets in Week 1, Lockett has set career-highs in targets and receptions for back-to-back games.
His 22 catches for 277 yards puts him on pace for 117 catches and 1,477 yards.
Now, it’s only been three games, but consider that it’s only been three games. In just 12 quarters, Russell Wilson has gone at his new number one receiver 28 times. Of course, the fact that Seattle lost and was down 20 points in the fourth quarter helped Lockett’s case, but maybe that’ll be the case a few times throughout this season.
At the least it seems that a healthy Lockett will put up some healthy numbers and easily top his career-bests of 57 catches and 965 yards that he posted last season. At this pace, he’ll do that before the midway point of 2019. Additionally, it hasn’t meant that D.K. Metcalf is left in the dust.
The rookie is on pace to top 1,110 yards.
The Seahawks franchise record for receiving yards in a season is 1,287 yards set by Steve Largent in 1985. The last player to get to 1,200 yards for Seattle was Koren Robinson in 2002. The record for receptions is 94, tied between Doug Baldwin and Bobby Engram.
