I have a 7th gen, so rooting is not an option.
However, I did find a solution that works for me. There are a couple side effects, so it may not work for everyone. But, if anyone is looking to get rid of the lockscreen, check out this link. Read post 1 and post 28. Change the “device_provisioned” = 0 setting that is discussed in post 28. This got rid of my lock screen and solved my problem.
More on ADB if anyone needs it.