After a prolonged period of struggles, the Las Vegas Raiders are aiming to usher in a new era of success in the upcoming NFL season. Having made only two playoff appearances since 2002, the team has brought in experienced leadership in head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 and 2023.
While the Raiders possess a talented tight end in Brock Bowers and a reliable receiver in Jakobi Meyers, they lack a proven, elite wide receiver.
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To address this need, the Raiders could turn to free agent Tyler Lockett, a Pro Bowl veteran who has prior experience playing with both Smith and Carroll. USA TODAY For The Win writer Cory Woodroof suggests Lockett would be a perfect fit for the Raiders.
“Lockett can rejoin coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith in Las Vegas, as both know how dangerous Lockett can be, even at this point in his career,” Woodroof wrote.
Lockett’s NFL career began with a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2015, during Carroll’s “Legion of Boom” era with the Seattle Seahawks. That year, he recorded 51 receptions for 664 yards and six touchdowns, along with significant contributions in punt and kick returns. He led the NFL in kick return yards in 2017 and achieved four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2019 to 2022.
In the 2024 season, Lockett’s production dipped to 600 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 49 catches, as he has seen his role in the Seahawks’ offense diminish due to the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With the Seahawks’ recent roster changes, including the trade of D.K. Metcalf, the acquisition of Cooper Kupp, and the signing of Sam Darnold, the team may be ready to part ways with Lockett.