Tyler Lockett 40 time: How fast did they run the 40-yard dash?

Where would the Seattle Seahawks have turned out without Tyler Lockett in the last half-decade? He was taken to be a returner with the hopes that he would become a decent wide receiver, but no one could have known that, statistically, he would be the second-best wideout in franchise history in terms of receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Seattle knew he was fast coming into the NFL, but few could have guessed what a reliable player he would be overall.

General manager John Schneider and former head coach Pete Carroll could see his speed on film, of course. They could also tell from his 4.40 40 time at the 2015 NFL combine that he was quick as well. He had the speed and ability to cut to be a great returner, and he was just that in his rookie season as he earned First-Team All-Pro honors as a returner.

This isn't really about Lockett's great career, though. This is about how fast he was at the combine and how he has done compared to others in his class and near his speed. (Here is a hint: Lockett is the best of his class as far as the fast guys.)

Tyler Lockett background and early career

Lockett grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he wasn't just a good football player but excelled at track and basketball as well. In fact, in his senior year, his basketball team won the Oklahoma 5A championship and Lockett was named to the Second-Team All-Tournament team. In track, he finished third in both the 100 meters (he ran a 10.95) and 200 meters (21.90) at the state finals.

The player who would become one of the best wide receivers in the history of the Seahawks also was not rated as highly out of high school as a receiver as he was a cornerback. Scout.com had him rated as the 115th-best cornerback in his class while ESPN had him rated as the 170th-best receiver. For Seattle's sake, 12s can be thankful once he got to Kansas State (which Lockett chose over Kansas) that the Wildcats did not force him to play defense.

Lockett was a prolific receiver in college and had better than 1,200-yard seasons in his last two years, including 1,515 in his final year as well as 106 catches. He really excelled as a kick and punt returner, though, and this was the biggest reason the Seahawks chose him in the third round of the 2015 draft. His senior season. Lockett returned 21 punts with an average of 19.1 yards per return and two touchdowns.

Analyzing Tyler Lockett's 40-yard dash performance

Lockett's 40 time was certainly fast, especially for 2015. The odd thing is that players suddenly appear generally faster at the NFL combine and pro days now. For instance, while Lockett's 40 times was sixth among wide receivers at the combine in his draft year, his time would have ranked 10th among wide receivers in 2024.

His time in 2015 versus the general field was 10th fastest. Had he run the same speed this year, he would have ranked 21st. Was the 2015 class simply slower than normal, at least in comparison to the years around it? No. So players and their coaches appear to know how to prepare for the combine and pro days better now.

Interestingly, in the 20-yard shuttle in 2015, Lockett did decently well and ran a 4.07 - 16th fastest. Another player the Seahawks would take in the same draft ran it faster but unexpectedly quickly based on his position. Defensive end Frank Clark ran the shuttle in 4.05 - 14th fastest.

In other words, while people can say that Lockett was really quick, the number suggests that, oddly, Frank Clark was quicker. Clark never caught a pass in the NFL, however.

Where did Lockett's 40 time rank among wide receivers in the 2015 NFL draft

Fastest 40 times in NFL history

Key moments in Tyler Lockett's NFL career attributed to his speed

Lockett is fast, for sure, but he also combines that with short-burst quickness to allow him to get open. He isn't quite Doug Baldwin-level in terms of using elite footwork to create separation on the line of scrimmage. Lockett did not need to, however. Once down the field, he could outrun his defender. That and Lockett has some of the best hands in the league.

One of the best players in Lockett's career occurred in 2019 against the Los Angeles Rams. While quarterback Russell Wilson pulled off some extreme magic on the play, it was Lockett's ability to beat his defender with speed and then keep two feet in for a touchdown that changed the course of the game. Lockett ran a crossing pattern and then beat a Rams defender in the corner of the end zone.

On a career night against the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 when Lockett would finish with 175 yards receiving, he ran a corner post that Wilson threw perfectly but it was Lockett's speed that allowed him to get past his man and give Wilson the space to complete the pass. The route technique and quickness worked to perfection.

Following a 2021 game against the Houston Texans when the Seahawks won 33-13 and Lockett had five catches for 142 yards including a 55-yard touchdown pass, Pete Carroll said succinctly what Lockett has proven to be over his career: "He’s just an amazing player." Thank goodness Seattle didn't take the fastest wide receiver in the 2015 NFL draft, just the sixth-fastest.

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