Raiders' Opponents Ranked: WRs, No. 4
In making back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since 2000-02, the Las Vegas Raiders will navigate the NFL's fourth-hardest rated schedule, according to Pro Football Focus.
That will include facing some of the NFL's best wide receivers.
When the Raiders travel to face the Seattle Seahawks, they won't have to worry about seeing Russell Wilson.
The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback now plays for the Denver Broncos, but his former star receivers remain.
That includes wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who has been a staple of the Seahawks' offense since 2015.
The former third-round pick made an immediate impact, making his only Pro Bowl and All-Pro team as a rookie.
Lockett played more of a supporting role up until 2018 when he started double-digit games for the first time in his career.
In the span from 2018-21, Lockett ranks 10th in accumulated receiving yards among NFL wide receivers with 4,251.
That includes rattling off three straight 1,000-plus yard seasons, with a career-high 100 catches in 2020.
In two of those four seasons, Lockett had 10 touchdown catches, and he hasn't had fewer than eight since 2017.
The one surprising aspect of Lockett's game is his ability to make big plays downfield, despite his size at 5-10 and 182 pounds, as he has averaged 16.1 yards per catch last season.
Lockett's propensity to get deep has made him one of the best playmakers from the NFL slot in the last few years.
What has to be accounted for, though, is the fact that Lockett no longer has the improvisational skills of Wilson to rely on at QB.
So many times, Wilson was able to escape pressure and get outside the pocket to find Lockett for big gains.
Now this year, he will be catching balls from either Geno Smith or Drew Lock, two quarterbacks who haven't proven to be any better than backup material.
However, Lockett's skill won't just go away and even with a downgrade at quarterback, he's not a player who can be taken lightly.
The Raiders will have to approach it that way, or else they could find more trouble than they realize when they visit the Emerald City.
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