Tyler Lockett’s K-State playing career concluded this past weekend as the program’s all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns competed in the 2015 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
The game, which honors high-profile senior athletes for their time in college, also serves as a showcase for NFL scouts and writers across the country.
Lockett, who finished his senior campaign at K-State this past season with 1515 yards and 11 touchdowns at wide receiver (764 yards and two touchdowns returning kicks and punts), caught the eyes of many in the football world at the event while also boosting his draft stock.
“One player who improved his stock was Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett,” ESPN’s James Walker wrote. “The 5-foot-11 speedster did well in the slot and was hard to cover. He is also expected to return kicks in Saturday’s game.”
Lockett hauled in three receptions for 48 yards in Saturday’s game for team South, including a 23-yard pickup on 3rd and 14 in the third quarter. He also had one kick return go for 22 yards.
But it was Lockett’s abilities during the week’s practices, mixed in with the help of social media and Vine, that stood out and generated buzz.
“While many throughout Chiefs Kingdom were already aware of Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett, the rest of the country will be hearing his name when analysts talk about top performers through the first couple of days of the Senior Bowl here in Mobile, Alabama,” Kansas City Chiefs Reporter BJ Kissel wrote. “During Wednesday’s practice, Lockett once again made several fantastic plays. On three consecutive plays in one-on-one drills, Lockett beat his defender off press coverage and made plays down the field.”
Lockett will now prepare for April’s NFL Draft. As it stands, Lockett is projected as a second-round pick on many draft expert’s big boards. However, his showcase at the Senior Bowl could see his stock rise as high as a late first-round pickup.
“He’s got a nice skill set, and the way the league is going with more three and four wide receivers and getting out in space, he fits that profile,” Senior Bowl Director Phil Savage told the Kansas City Star.
Lockett’s size at 5-foot-9-inch, 181 pounds will keep some teams away, but with his intangibles on and off the field, the now former-Wildcat will be welcomed somewhere at the next level with open arms.
“He’s got quickness off the ball, he’s got extremely strong hands — he uses them pretty well for a college player — and he plays with effort,” Savage told the Star. “Those are traits and tools that are going to make a head coach say, ‘I can work with him.'”
