Antonio Brown leads Top-10 No. 1 WRs in separation

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Antonio Brown leads Top-10 No. 1 WRs in separation Published: Jan 19, 2017 at 08:23 AM Matt Harmon The wide receiver position is more jam-packed with talent than at any other point in NFL history. So many teams have their cupboard stocked with wideouts who are difference makers and many who approach the position in different ways than their peers on the roster. One of the primary tasks of the wide receiver position is to run clean routes and get open from the defender covering them in order to present a reliable target to the quarterback throwing them the ball. The NFL's Next Gen Stats tracking is able to objectively determine who the best receivers are at getting open in an unparalleled fashion from anything we've never seen before. Next Gen Stats' "separation at target" metric measures how much separation a receiver earned from the defender covering them when their quarterback threw them the ball. Other separation metrics to measure getting open on a per route basis could be coming down the line, but this is the method, for now. In this Top-10 ranking, we will examine the separation ability of the NFL's No. 1 receivers. For this post, we will define a No. 1 receiver as a player who saw at least 100 target when lined up out wide, which came out to 15 receivers in total, though we'll also look at some notes of who would have hit that total if not for injuries. The term No. 1 receiver is indicative of a special wideout who dictates outside coverage and can carry their team's pa sing game, not just the top receiver on a depth chart. Not every squad has one. In future posts we will look at slot, No. 2 and supporting receivers. 1) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (2.92 separation at target) Out wide separation:2.9 (88 percent of plays)Slot separation:2.69 (21 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 11.2 Arguably the NFL's best wide receiver, just wrapped up his fourth-straight season with 100-plus catches and 1,200-plus receiving yards. He's scored 43 touchdowns over that span, as well. Thus, it is no surprise to see him atop this ranking of No. 1 receivers. The fact that the Brown leads a metric measuring separation is fitting, as it is emblematic of what makes the wide receiver so great. Brown was a sixth-round pick from Central Michigan. He stood at just 5-foot-10, weighed 186 pounds and had nothing remarkable in his measured athletic profile that would have indicated a future NFL star. Yet, Brown snagged a spot early in the wide receiver rotation because he was a great route-runner, and rose up the ranks of the NFL's pantheon of elite wide receivers because he mastered the art of separation. Brown checks in here with2.92 yards of separation on his targets this season. His score was a full 0.15 yards higher than the wideout ranked at No. 2. There is no wide receiver in the NFL better at getting open than . 2) Odell Beckham, New York Giants (2.77 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.72 (85 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.82 (13 percent of plays)Air yards per target:11.3 If there's anyone who can challenge for the title of "best route-runner in the NFL" it is . He came into the league already polished beyond his years, as the best route-runner in the historic 2014 wide receiver draft cla s. It's continued on to the pro-level, as Beckham ama sed 288 catches, 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns in his first 43 career games. Frankly, if the height of Beckham's exploits is news to you, it's hard to imagine how you even found your way to a football website. The All-Pro receiver averaged 2.77 yards of separation on his targets this season. On an offense that ranked 26th in scoring, Beckham still managed to star and often won them games individually with his patented big plays on slant routes. On other occasions, Beckham as the shiny to single-handedly win the games. New York has a true legendary caliber offensive player on their hands here, that's plain to see, but they need to explore adding more playmakers and find ways to improve their quarterback play. 3) Terrelle Pryor, Cleveland Browns (2.76 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.78 (83 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.62 (10 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 15.1 (from McCown, Ke sler and Griffin) Perhaps it's because of the team that he plays on or the winding path he took to get here, but the story of 's development into a true star wide receiver went under-discu sed as it unfolded this season. At this point two years ago, was insistent in his four-plus-year stance that he would not switch positions in the NFL, one he finally softened in June. He spent his first true year as a wide receiver in 2015 and registered just one catch in his lone game action. You wouldn't know that was his backstory had you just NHL St Louis Blues Jersey watched him this year. Darrelle Revis vs. Terrelle Pryor: 49 Pa s plays 13 Targets 6 Receptions 101 Yards Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Pryor averaged 2.78 yards of separation on his targets. He showed an ability to get open at all levels of the field and a surprising knack for getting open. Despite the drafting of along with multiple other rookie receivers, it was Pryor who emerged as the team's clear No. 1 receiver right away. Pryor owned a 41.5 percent share of the combined air yards distributed by , and . For context, led the NFL with 43 percent of 's air yards, and was second with 38.7 percent, among receivers who played the majority of the season with one quarterback. is a free agent this offseason and the team should make every move to a sure he stays. For what it's worth, NFL Network's that the viewed Pryor as the only "absolutely untouchable" a set on their roster prior to the NFL trade deadline mid-season. 4) Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (2.71 separation at target) Out wide separation:2.42 (86 percent of plays)Slot separation:3.21 (13 percent of plays)Air yards per target:10.3 (from Carr) It was a strange second season for . He had a number of explosive outings with six games of 70-plus yards and three of 130-plus. Yet, he also finished with le s than 50 yards in six games, four of which came in the last month and half of the regular season. His involvement in the offense seemed to come and go in waves, without any true explanation. The good news is that his best skill, running pristine routes and separating from coverage, remained intact. Cooper averaged 2.71 yards of separation on his targets overall, and a whopping 3.21 yards on his looks from the slot. It remains to be seen if Cooper's usage changes next season, but his ability to get open is not in question. 5) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers (2.68 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.54 (73 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.97 (26 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 12.8 's season was one of two halves. In the first 11 games of the season, Nelson averaged just 2.3 yards of separation. The lowest point was a Week 7 win over the where he averaged 0.9 yards of separation and caught just one pa s. Nelson started to get going after that and then from Weeks 12 through 17, the Pro Bowler averaged 3.3 yards of separation. One of the biggest differences was the began to move Nelson around more, which was also made nece sary by an injury to . Nelson saw 48 targets when lined up in the slot, more than any other receiver who also saw 100 or more targets out-wide. Jordy Nelson's route chart from Week 8. Note the big play out of the slot, his longest catch of the year. Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Receivers beginning to alter their role to adjust to their changing skill set as they age is e sential to extending their viability. provided a good example of this in Arizona over the last three years. It appears Nelson may be on the same path, though he certainly regained much of his old form as the year went along. One way or another, Nelson was yet again one of the best receivers at earning separation this season. 6) Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos (2.63 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.55 (74 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.95 (24 percent of plays)Air yards per targets: 14.1 (from Siemian and Lynch) did not lose much off of his pace in his first season since 2013 without Peyton Manning. He cro sed the 1,000-yard mark and caught more pa ses in 2016 than he did in 2015, despite playing just one more game. Sanders has had an interesting career in the NFL. He never met expectations in Pittsburgh largely because his precise style didn't fit the backyard-style of football played at the time. However, his ability to using technique and time in his routes was a perfect fit in Denver with the way Manning approaches the position. Sanders' 2.63 yards of separation at target reflects that skill to perfection. One interesting note that developed during the season was 's clear preference for Sanders over . The former owned a 45.2 percent share of the rookie's intended air yards to just 27.1 percent for Thomas. 7) Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (2.38 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.41 (87 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.19 (13 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 8.4 The rookie receiver hit the ground running for his profe sional career, as caught 92 pa ses in 15 games to lead all rookie receivers by a wide margin. While Thomas was the big wide receiver was lacking with Marques Colston's prime in the rearview mirror, what made him such a tremendous fit with the team was his ability to separate from coverage on short and intermediate routes with precise technique for a collegiate player. Coming into the season, the thought was that he would take Colston's place as the big slot player, but Thomas was more effective as an outside receiver, averaging 2.41 yards of separation lined up wide to 2.19 inside. One way or another, he earned Brees' trust right away and led the team in targets, letting 2014 first-rounder operate in a role he's well-suited for as a splash player in the deep game rather than a full-time No. 1. Given that Thomas also popped up as one of the 10 best receivers at , it's clear this is a player with a complete skill set. Thomas is a ready-made star wideout and he's already well on his way there. 8) Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders (2.27 separation at target) Out wide separation:1.93 (71 percent of plays)Slot separation: 3.04 (26 percent of plays)Air yards per target:11.3 (from Carr) is a lucky man, as he gets the benefit of having two No. 1 caliber wide receivers at his disposal. In Beau Bennett Jersey addition to the drafting of at fourth overall, the brought in prior to the 2015 season. The veteran wide receiver revived his career in Oakland after it began fizzling out following the 2012 season in San Francisco. Crabtree has always been one of the best route-runners in the NFL, and his skills have only become more refined as he's aged. That made it apparent that going to a timing-based quarterback in was going to breathe life into Crabtree's career that was wilting under the complete opposite in . Last 3 weeks...Michael Crabtree: 31 targets, 38.9% share of intended air yardsAmari Cooper: 16 targets, 15.9% share chart Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) Crabtree's proficiency as a route-runner isexemplified in his separation scores, especially in the slot where the move him to get him in position to be a reliable target for Carr. His overall reliability as a separator is clearly something the young quarterback appreciates, as 2016 was the second year in which he led the in targets over . 9) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans (2.25 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.14 (83 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.60 (15 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 12.6 (from Osweiler and Savage) It was a tough season for , who saw 151 targets but failed to crack 1,000 yards while playing with a quarterback who completely held the offense hostage. He finds himself inside the Top-10 but on the lower end with 2.25 yards of separation on his targets. Hopkins is a fantastic player, one who is a strong craftsman in the nuanced areas of route running. However, he's not a player who will overwhelm with his size, speed or overall quickne s. As such, he's never going to be an elite separator but has maximized every inch of his physical gifts to round into form as one of the NFL's better No. 1 receivers. The real i sue that occurred this year is that was unable to make use of Hopkins' best skill, which is contorting to make tough catches in a wide radius deep along the sidelines. Osweiler was unwilling to ever take downfield shots outside the numbers, thus rendering his No. 1 receiver's premier trait usele s. 10) Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (2.25 separation at target) Out wide separation: 2.26 (78 percent of plays)Slot separation: 2.21 (21 percent of plays)Air yards per target: 14.3 was not quite the sole locomotive of the offense that he was in 2015. He averaged 9.2 targets per game this season compared to a whopping 12.7 last season. His decrease in the involvement in the offense was not a reflection of any decline in his skills, however. Jones is a ma sive 6-foot-3, 220-plus pound receiver who is still one of the fastest in the game. Even when his technique isn't as refined as some of the others on this list he's a chore to cover. Given that he also checked in as the at catching the ball in tight coverage, you see why he's a complete a set as a No. 1 receiver. Julio Jones' route chart from Saturday against the Seahawks Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) One benefit that Jones saw from not being pummeled with targets this year is that his looks came farther down the field than in previous years. Jones' 14.3 air yards per target was higher than other traditional elite No. 1 receivers on this Wade Megan Men Jersey list. Four bonus notes: averaged 2.13 yards of separation at target. Getting open isn't always the most important ability to being a wide receiver, especially when you have the trump card of elite size and ability in contested situations. Both a sets helped Evans to an All-Pro season even if he isn't one of the game's elite separators. averaged 1.93 yards of separation at target. That ranked 15th out of 15 receivers with 100-plus targets out wide. The entire Jacksonville offense was broken this year, not just the quarterback position. Now fully-installed head coach that 's big Week 16 game after he took over for Gus Bradley came as a result of moving the No. 1 receiver around. Much of that was about making sure he wasn't running extremely low-percentage, high-degree of difficulty routes on a routine basis, something that happened far too often this season. averaged 2.05 yards of separation at target, 0.58 le s than his fellow receiver. He is the bigger name and the player with the higher pedigree. However, there's good reason to a sert that Sanders is the superior of the two receivers. Three injured No. 1 receivers performed quite differently in limited looks. averaged 1.85 yards of separation at target. He ranked 54th out of 55 receivers to see 50 or more targets out wide. Bryant has always been the master of 50-50 balls in tight coverage. He and improved in their as the year progre sed. averaged 2.48 yards of separation at target. All that holds Watkins back from joining the group of the NFL's top receivers is health. His separation ability is his best, especially down the field as he averaged 15.6 air yards per target from . averaged 2.39 yards of separation at target this year. That score would have put him squarely inside the Top-10 and we already noted in the that he doesn't just win those pa ses, but some of the most difficult ones of any receiver in the NFL. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. 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