Tyler Lockett was already on my radar before the Senior Bowl game and practices. Because of his great week of practices, I decided to watch six more of his games to get a better feel of what he can do. After reviewing his games against Oklahoma (both 2013 and 2014), Texas Tech, Iowa State, Baylor, and TCU, I feel he could exceed expectations in the NFL and on your fantasy teams. Many draftniks have him outside of their top 20 rookie wide outs, but I consider him a top 15 receiver option.
WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State 5′ 11″ 175 lbs.
Cons: The young receiver has a significant size and power disadvantage at 5’ 11” 175 lbs., when he plays against bigger, physical corners that knock him around. There were a few times Lockett got caught fighting back aka shoving his coverage away. He is an intense player with a lot of fire and attitude, which can work for or against him/his team depending on the situation. The wide out had a few concentration lapses in his junior year, but recovers quickly in tight games.
Pros: Lockett has enough lateral agility/foot speed to get off the line of scrimmage whether he lines up in the slot or on the outside. The playmaker adjusts well to the ball in the air, getting to full speed in a few steps, and can sky above his coverage coming down with a difficult reception. This makes him scary because he stretches the field so well. I love how he attacks the ball with his hands as too many receivers wait for the ball to come to them, Lockett makes the pigskin his. The fluid receiver runs crisp routes, sells moves on top of double moves, catches the ball in stride, has great balance, and starts/stops effortlessly. He also has a knack for finding a soft spot in the zone and making the defense pay.
He is especially dangerous on bubble screens, because Lockett is able to make the first defender miss. Then the receiver can weave around would-be tacklers, following his blockers down the field using the sidelines as an extra blocker. His weapons of choice to gain separation are jukes, stiff-arms, jump cuts, and hurdling over defenders. Lockett shields the ball from defensive backs, fights for the ball, and has a great catch radius. Due to his limited size, the wide out specializes in worm burner receptions that no one else can reach.
Bonus features: Lockett is a willing blocker in the running game, showing a lot of enthusiasm. His motor is constantly running and the receiver will do whatever he can to help his team win. Lockett worries defenders on reverses and designed sweeps. He always seems to fall forward and fight for extra yardage. At Kansas State, the wide out got used as a kickoff and punt returner. He excels in the open field as Lockett follows blockers well using good field vision with his natural burst and agility to churn out chunks of yardage.
Overall thoughts: Despite Lockett being undersized, he has a chip on his shoulder to be a successful, impact player at the next level. It might take him some time to break into the starting lineup, but he could contribute day one on special teams. In a best case scenario, I see him playing a lot like Washington’s DeSean Jackson (stretching the field and being a borderline WR1/WR2) and in a worst case situation he could be similar to the Rams speedster Tavon Austin (special teams ace and situational player).
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