Levi Edwards
On Monday, the Las Vegas Raiderssigned veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
Lockett last played with the Tennessee Titans, having signed with the team this offseason. He wasreleased from the Titans last Wednesdayafter catching 10 passes for 70 yards. Now in the Silver and Black, he's hoping to replicate the Pro Bowl production he had with the Seattle Seahawks where he played for 10 seasons.
Here are a few things to know about the Raiders' latest acquisition, on and off the field.
An explosive start
As a three star prospect playing receiver and cornerback in high school, Lockett committed to Kansas State where he soon became known as one of the fastest players in the nation.
He was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2011 as he led the FBS in yards per kickoff return (35.2). In his junior and senior seasons with the Wildcats, he combined for 2,777 receiving yards and 22 touchdown catches all while still averaging 23.3 yards per kickoff return in that span.
Lockett was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and First-Team All-Big 12 both of those seasons and was also named a consensus All-American following his senior season. He was inducted into the Kansas State Ring of Honor in 2022.
Reuniting with Carroll
Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks drafted Lockett with the 69th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Initially, Lockett made his impact on special teams. He was named a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro as a return specialist after his rookie season in which he averaged nearly 26 yards a kick return and 10 yards a punt return. Two seasons later, he led the league in kickoff yardage (949) while racking up two Second-Team All-Pro selections in 2016 and 2017.
He saw an uptick in snaps as a receiver in 2018, accumulating 965 receiving yards and a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns. He then proceeded to record over 1,000 receiving yards for four consecutive seasons. He was awarded the franchise's Steve Largent Award three times, voted on by players and awarded to a player or coach who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and integrity of the Seahawks.
"He's been a marvelous pro, and he makes difficult plays look routine," Carrollsaidpreviously about Lockett.
Smith to Lockett
Lockett not only reunites with his head coach in Seattle, but his quarterback as well.
Geno Smith became the Seahawks starting quarterback in 2022, and Lockett played a huge part in the QB's career resurgence. In three seasons together with Smith at the helm, Lockett recorded 2,527 yards, 212 receptions and 16 touchdowns.
"We'd be here all day talking about Tyler Lockett. He means so much to me," Smithhas previously saidabout Lockett. "Just to see an NFL player of his caliber to have the humble demeanor that he has and the selflessness that he has and just the way thata thousand-yard receiver consistently, the consistency that he's shown and the leadership that he's given ... it doesn't go unnoticed. He's one of my best friends."
A renaissance man
The new Raiders receiver is a man of many interests outside of football.
Throughout his NFL career, he's dabbled in film, literature and even real estate.
In 2019,he published a book of his own poetryentitled "Reflection." Within the book, Lockett uses his personal experiences to help others navigate through mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. "I found out that the best way to be able to help somebody is to talk about yourself," Lockettsaidafter the release of the book.
He's also an Sports Emmy Award winner for narrating and producing "Through The Ashes: The Story of Black Wall Street." The NFL 360 feature story brought Lockett back to his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to explore the boom of the Black operated economy of Greenwood that was tragically ended by the Tulsa Massacre of 1921.
And in 2023, Lockett began carving out a"second career"after football by venturing into commercial real estate in Washington. He's represented several NFL players since getting his license.
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