Five Most Valuable Seahawks for 2017 (besides Russell Wilson)

5. Tyler Lockett

Lockett is becoming a very good receiver. He just needs to work on his consistency. Field Gulls’ Mookie Alexander has a good article on how Lockett got passed over for less productive receivers. The place where Lockett adds the most value, though, is as a kick and punt returner. As a rookie in 2015, Lockett made the Pro Bowl for those skills alone.

When Lockett has missed time over the last couple of years, the Seahawks had no real answer to Lockett’s talent for returning punts, specifically. Lockett is a threat to return a punt for a touchdown. Even more consistently, though, he is able to change field position with a single return (Superman-style). The players who have had to take Lockett’s spot when he has been hurt, like Richard Sherman, are simply there to watch the ball get kicked to them, put their hand up in the air and wave it and then catch the ball for a fair catch. Punt returns should be so much more than this.

Devin Hester did admirably filling in for Lockett last season after Lockett broke his leg against the Arizona Cardinals, but Hester does not have the speed he once did. Hester had swaths of green in front of him against the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs. He was able to get a lot of yards on his returns, but if Lockett had been playing Lockett could have easily scored twice. With two touchdowns from returns in that game, 12s could have been looking at a different score.