5 NFC West players 49ers would love to steal for 2022 playoff push
By Peter Panacy
49ers NFC West Player to Steal No. 4: WR Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
The dream player San Francisco would love to steal out of the NFC West for its wide receiver needs would be Arizona Cardinals wideout DeAndre Hopkins, for sure.
But with Hopkins on injured reserve with a knee injury, one which likely keeps him out for the rest of the season, the 49ers would have to look elsewhere to find someone who’d pair nicely with current receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
A three-way pass-catching trio of Samuel, Aiyuk and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett would be explosive. Samuel, the dual-purpose offensive weapon, is already pairing nicely with Aiyuk, the Niners’ best man-coverage option. What’s needed, though, is a true field-stretching threat who also excels at finding holes in zone coverage.
That’s been Lockett’s pedigree for years.
Despite all the problems Seattle has had this season, Lockett has nevertheless been productive, recording his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign this year and leading the Seahawks in both receptions (65) and yards per game (75.2).
San Francisco hasn’t exactly benefited from high-quality depth behind Samuel and Aiyuk, so a player like Lockett would truly make the receiver room that much more potent.