Bumpus: Where Tyler Lockett ranks among NFL WRs, all-time Seahawks WRs

When you’ve done something that only Hall of Fame Seahawks receiver Steve Largent has done, you know you’re on the right track.

Pete Carroll: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett doing ‘Steve Largent stuff’

That’s the case for current Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett who, after racking up 142 receiving yards in a 33-13 win over the Texans, surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold for the third season in a row. He’s only the second Seahawks player to have over 1,000 receiving yards three seasons in a row, the other being Largent.

Lockett had three pretty solid years as a receiver in his first three NFL seasons, but he became more of a focal point offensively in 2018 when he had over 900 receiving yards along with 10 touchdowns. Then-No. 1 receiver Doug Baldwin retired after the 2018 season and Lockett became even more of a go-to option for quarterback Russell Wilson starting in 2019 and he’s had over 1,000 yards in each season since along with 23 receiving touchdowns in that span.

So what makes Lockett so special? And why doesn’t he get the credit or respect he deserves league-wide? Who better than 710 ESPN Seattle’s resident wide receiver Michael Bumpus to break it down? He discussed Lockett’s elite play with Bob Stelton on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Wyman and Bob on Monday.

“Tyler Lockett is a special kind of dude,” Bumpus said. “I think he doesn’t get the love he deserves because of one, his personality. He’s not your typical receiver, that ‘look at me’ type of dude. That’s just not who he is.”

Lockett is known as a pretty soft-spoken person, which isn’t always the case for star wide receivers, who are often known for their loud personalities.

Bumpus also thinks Lockett being a smaller receiver at 5 foot 10 and 180 pounds may cause him to be overlooked.

“When you go to Madden and you’re building your receiver, you’re never gonna say, ‘Let’s make my receiver 5 foot 10 about 180 (pounds),'” Bumpus said. “He has great hands and good routes, but you started with your size. I think the size kind of makes people kind of push him to the side for these other guys.”

But despite being a smaller guy who doesn’t have the biggest personality, Lockett is still among the league’s best receivers year in and year out. What makes him so great?

“What makes him special, Bob, is his understanding of the game and how to affect people with his route running,” Bumpus told Stelton. “Even when he’s running a route that he’s going to run five to six times a game, which is that that deep cross, he still understands where he’s supposed to be and how these other routes are affecting them. I’ve seen them slow down his deep cross before and I’ve seen them speed it up. I’ve seen him attack a safety, attack a MIKE linebacker who’s dropping … it’s just little subtle things that he’s great at.”

On top of the route running, Lockett also excels at making difficult catches, especially along the sidelines or in the end zone.

“And then you add on all the other things like the body control and hand-eye coordination,” Bumpus said.

Bumpus didn’t mince words with where Lockett will likely end up ranking among all-time Seahawks receivers.

“This guy is legit. Statistically, he can go down as the No. 1 or No. 2 as far as greatest Seahawks receivers of all time if he keeps this up, behind Largent,” he said. “The third season in a row at 1,000 yards and the only other person to do that is Steve Largent. He’s like a unicorn, man. You don’t find them like Lockett out there.”

Lockett is obviously an incredible part of what the Seahawks have been able to do offensively over the last few seasons, but how does he compare to other top receivers in the NFL?

“He’s definitely a top-10 type of receiver and the production doesn’t lie,” Bumpus said. “It’s not like he’s ranked 15th to 20 statistically and we’re vying for him to get in the top 10. You just pull up the stats and look at the receiving yards and he’s automatically top 10. But then if you watch the games and see the plays that he makes, he might bump up a bit for you.”

Listen to the full discussion at this link or in the player below.

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