If the Tennessee Titans select a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft on April 24, he can rest assured that he has another strong wide receiver to throw to besides Calvin Ridley.
The Titans recently signed wide receiver Tyler Lockett, which he announced on social media on Wednesday night. Lockett, a three-time All-Pro, had a stellar career with the Seattle Seahawks from 2015 to 2024 before the team released him in March to save salary cap space.
“I’m excited to be a Tennessee Titan!! I’m super thankful and grateful Let’s get it!! God you get all the glory,” Lockett wrote on X.com.
Lockett will receive a one-year, $4 million contract with the Titans, a significant drop from his hefty four-year, $69 million extension with the Seahawks. He signed that extension in 2021, and Lockett’s play continued to merit high pay since.
Lockett had his third-straight 1,000-yard season in 2021, and he went over 1,000 yards again in 2022. He then caught 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, but his play dipped in 2024 with 49 catches for 600 yards and two touchdowns.
Lockett’s 2024 numbers are still better than any Titans receiver after Ridley, who had 64 catches for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. Nick Westbook-Ikhine had nine touchdown grabs, but he had only 32 receptions for 497 yards, and Tyler Boyd had 39 catches for 390 yards.
Overall, the Titans ranked 27th in scoring last season and 26th in passing yards, which left much to be desired on offense. The Titans went 3–14 last season as Will Levis and Mason Rudolph split starts at quarterback.
Lockett instantly gives the Titans more talent and depth at receiver with a likely quarterback selection around the corner at the draft in Green Bay. Miami quarterback Cam Ward has widely been considered the most likely choice for the Titans in the top draft spot.
Ward has been a dynamic playmaker throughout his collegiate career at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Washington State, and Miami. He has 18,189 yards passing for 158 touchdowns, and 486 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.
Ward is similar to quarterbacks Lockett has played with in Seattle: Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. Both were mobile quarterbacks during their years with the Seahawks.
Lockett, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound Tulsa, Oklahoma native, had a standout career at Booker T. Washington High School followed by a strong college career at Kansas State between 2011 and 2014. He tallied 249 receptions for 3,710 yards and 29 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Wildcats before the Seahawks took him with a third-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Lockett made first team All-Pro as a rookie with 51 catches for 664 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. He then made second team All-Pro in 2016 and 2017 plus a 2016 Pro Bowl appearance with 86 catches for 1,152 yards and three touchdowns in that span.
Lockett’s production only increased after that, as he garnered 57 receptions for 965 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018. Seattle gave him a three-year, $30.75 million rookie extension in the process. He made good on the investment, producing four straight years of at least 73 receptions, 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns in a season.
Tennessee, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021, could benefit from Lockett’s playoff experience. Lockett has played in seven playoff games with 29 receptions for 510 yards and two touchdowns.
His most notable postseason catch came in the 2015 Super Bowl when he made a reception falling backward against the New England Patriots. Lockett’s highlight catch gave the Seahawks a chance to win before New England defensive back Malcolm Butler snatched away the Seahawks’ hopes with an interception in the end zone.
But for the Titans to build a playoff roster, they will need more talent on offense via the draft or beyond. The Titans have the No. 35 pick on Friday followed by two picks each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds Saturday.
