Seattle Seahawks fans understand how important wide receiver Tyler Lockett is to the team’s offense and why he has easily commanded the No. 1 spot on the roster.
Lockett isn’t just appreciated in Seattle, however, and has earned the respect of analysts around the league. Ahead of the 2020 season, Doug Farrar of USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire named Lockett the best slot receiver in the NFL.
“Including the postseason, no slot receiver caught more touchdown passes than Lockett did in the 2019 campaign with six,” Farrar writes. “He also allowed Russell Wilson a 122.9 passer rating when targeting him from the slot. Not that creating supernatural efficiency for his quarterback is a new thing for Lockett — in 2018, he became the first receiver since at least 2018 to take at least 20% of his snaps and still rack up a perfect passer rating overall when targeted.”
The NFL's 11 best slot receivers https://t.co/rgv8ZqPJyl
— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) July 25, 2020
“Lockett has become a top-level receiver no matter where he lines up, but he’s a great slot target for the same reasons you’ll find for every receiver on this list – he knows how to create separation with spacing and leverage, he has an extra gear when he needs it, and in Lockett’s case, there are things he’s learned about adjusting the speeds of his routes that make things very difficult for opposing defenders,” Farrar continues.
In addition to the six slot touchdowns, Lockett also hauled in 64 inside passes on 88 targets for a league-high 901 yards last year. Not too shabby.
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