RENTON, Wash. -- A few quick thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks' third-round draft pick.
The pick: Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
My take: Lockett (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) is a dynamic playmaker but not the big receiver most people thought the Seahawks wanted. Maybe they feel they have that in hybrid tight end Jimmy Graham. But Lockett gives the Seahawks a quality special teams player to return kickoffs and punts. He was a two-time Big 12 special team player of the year. Lockett injured his shoulder in the Senior Bowl but says he’s fine now.
A big cost: To get Lockett, the Seahawks made a trade with the Washington Redskins to move up to No. 69 overall. Seattle sent Washington No. 95 in the third round, No. 112 in the fourth round, No. 167 in the fifth round and No. 181 in Round 6.
Fill a need: It’s no secret the Seahawks were awful last year in kick and punt returns. They really missed Golden Tate, who was one of the better punt returners in the league in 2013 before signing with the Lions in 2014. If Lockett can come close to giving the Seahawks better production on returns, it might be worth all the picks they gave up to get him. Lockett is small, but he runs a legitimate 4.4 40 and can make things happen in the open field as a receiver.
