Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett: Quietest Route to Hall of Fame Ever?

A route-running wizard with a knack for theatrics, Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett may be the most underappreciated star in the NFL today. As voters continue to miss wide right keeping him off All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, they're also failing to notice a Canton-worthy career in the works.

Over the past five years, both on and off the field, few receivers in the NFL have had a greater impact for their franchise than what Tyler Lockett has for the Seattle Seahawks.

A living, breathing highlight reel, Lockett shows off his Charmin-soft hands, smooth ballerina footwork, and exquisite ball-tracking skills almost every Sunday for Seattle. A master at executing toe-drag swag along the sideline and reeling in difficult passes over the shoulder like Willie Mays, only a select handful of receivers in today's game rival him in consistency and productivity between the lines.

A model citizen when he doesn't have pads on, Lockett also is a two-time Walter Payton Award nominee, an Emmy award winning documentary director, a licensed real estate agent, and a dedicated philanthropist who makes a word of a difference in the community both in Seattle and his home state of Oklahoma without desiring fanfare. As great of a player as he is, he's an even better human.

But while Lockett has publicly stated that he doesn't mind being overlooked and hovering under the radar, the failure to justly acknowledge his persistent excellence as one of the NFL's elite wideouts has become a criminal offense.

Despite being the only player in the sport with eight or more touchdown catches over the previous five years, he's never been selected to an All-Pro team or even made a single Pro Bowl squad in that span.

What makes those omissions all the more damning? While he doesn't have the accolades of other top-tier receivers in the game today and somehow can't even get voted onto a Pro Bowl roster, an argument can be made that he's quietly in the midst of a legitimate Hall-of-Fame worthy career.

From a raw stats perspective, Lockett isn't in the same vicinity as Canton. He ranks 151st all-time in receiving yards behind the likes of Wayne Chrebet and Dwayne Bowe. He's not much higher in receptions, ranking 148th all-time with Mike Wallace and Chris Chambers ahead of him. He also ranks 117th in receiving touchdowns. None of those numbers suggest he's an all-time great.

Whether fair or not, Lockett has also never surpassed 1,200 receiving yards in a season, often falling well below league leaders. That stands out to voters.

But before putting too much stock in overall career numbers, it's worth remembering that when Lockett entered the league in 2015, the Seahawks already had a No. 1 receiver in Doug Baldwin, a quality secondary target in Jermaine Kearse, and a top receiving tight end in Jimmy Graham on the roster. While he contributed as a third wideout and scored six offensive touchdowns, he cut his teeth as a dangerous return specialist, earning First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie.

During each of his first four NFL seasons, Lockett served as a complementary target rather than a featured weapon and wasn't targeted more than 71 times by quarterback Russell Wilson. With the limited opportunities, he didn't surpass 700 receiving yards in a season until 2018. But that year, he started taking the torch from Baldwin and caught 57 passes for 965 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Once Baldwin announced his retirement the following spring, even after trading up to pick DK Metcalf in the second round, Lockett became Wilson's go to receiver for the first time in his career and has flourished ever since.

Starting the extraordinary streak in 2019 while being aided by Metcalf's presence across from him, Lockett has rattled off four consecutive seasons with at least 70 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns, including doing so in 2022 with Geno Smith replacing Wilson under center. No other player, including perennial All-Pro talents Davante Adams and Travis Kelce, has accomplished that feat during the same span.

But what Lockett has achieved over the past half decade doesn't just stand out in today's NFL where passing games reign supreme. For historical context, according to Pro Football Reference, he's one of only eight players all-time to post four or more seasons with the aforementioned production, putting him in exclusive company with several of the greatest wideouts to ever play the game.

Among those on the esteemed list, Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, and Chris Carter each produced 70 catches, 1,000 yards, and eight touchdowns in at least five straight seasons. Former Steelers star Antonio Brown, ex-Rams standout Torry Holt, and legendary Lions receiver Herman Moore cap off the list with each having their own strong cases for induction to Canton.

Set to turn 31 years old in September, Lockett remains in his prime and will have a great opportunity to join Rice, Owens, Harrison, Carter, and Brown as one of only six players to fulfill such remarkable greatness over an extended period of time in NFL history. That factoid by itself would be a huge feather in his cap for getting a gold jacket someday.

Of course, Lockett will need to bolster his candidacy in other ways, including climbing up the leaderboard for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns to separate from the pack. After being criminally bypassed over the past few years, a much-deserved All-Pro or Pro Bowl would be nice to add to his resume as well. Not padding his stats and filling his award case would damage his chances.

But he's still a relatively young player, takes great care of his body, and plays in an offensive system that accentuates his strengths, which bodes well for Lockett's prospects of turning in at least a couple more dominant seasons before he begins to decline. Assuming he can reach 10,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdowns by the time he hangs up his cleats, considering his rare consistency and special teams prowess, he will be more than a deserving candidate for the Hall.

If and when that time comes down the road, as they failed to do so in recent years, hopefully voters will actually take notice.

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