Around the NFL

April 07, 2022

Stefon Diggs

Bills give wideout big money

The Bills made Stefon Diggs the latest high-paid wideout yesterday; he joins Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill in getting a big-money contract, helping pave the way for other top wideouts coming up on new deals. It's interesting only in that Diggs' best year was 2020; last year wasn't quite as good.

It's relative of course; Diggs still caught over 100 passes and 10 TDs as Buffalo's No. 1 wide receiver. But considering he had almost exactly the same number of passes thrown his way last year as the year before, he was considerably better the previous season.

Two years in a row, Diggs has seen 164-166 targets in Buffalo's offense. In 2020 he caught over 76 percent of those, which is the 4th-highest among all wideouts with at least 110 targets the last two seasons -- behind only Adams in 2020. He had 127 receptions for 1,535 yards and 8 TDs.

Contrast that to last year, when he caught 24 fewer passes for 310 fewer yards, though 2 more TDs. His catch rate of under 63 percent was one of the 12 lowest figures among those 110-target wideouts.

WR CATCH RATES, 110-PLUS TARGETS, 2020-2021
Year	Player	Tgt	No	Yds	TD	Catch
2021	Hunter Renfrow, L.V.	128	103	1038	9	80.5%
2020	Davante Adams, G.B.	149	115	1374	18	77.2%
2021	Chris Godwin, T.B.	127	98	1103	5	77.2%
2020	Stefon Diggs, Buff.	166	127	1535	8	76.5%
2021	Cooper Kupp, LAR	191	145	1947	16	75.9%
2020	JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.	128	97	831	9	75.8%
2020	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	132	100	1054	10	75.8%
2021	Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det.	119	90	912	5	75.6%
2021	Jaylen Waddle, Mia.	140	104	1015	6	74.3%
2020	Cooper Kupp, LAR	124	92	974	3	74.2%
2021	Cole Beasley, Buff.	112	82	693	1	73.2%
2021	Davante Adams, G.B.	169	123	1553	11	72.8%
2020	DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz.	160	115	1407	6	71.9%
2020	Tyler Boyd, Cin.	110	79	841	4	71.8%
2020	Amari Cooper, Dall.	130	92	1114	5	70.8%
2020	Justin Jefferson, Min.	125	88	1400	7	70.4%
2020	Robby Anderson, Car.	136	95	1096	3	69.9%
2021	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	159	111	1239	9	69.8%
2020	Robert Woods, LAR	129	90	936	6	69.8%
2021	Michael Pittman, Ind.	129	88	1082	6	68.2%
2020	Brandin Cooks, Hou.	119	81	1150	6	68.1%
2020	Keenan Allen, LAC	147	100	992	8	68.0%
2020	Allen Robinson, Chi.	151	102	1250	6	67.5%
2021	Keenan Allen, LAC	157	106	1138	6	67.5%
2021	Tee Higgins, Cin.	110	74	1091	6	67.3%
2021	Brandin Cooks, Hou.	134	90	1037	6	67.2%
2020	CeeDee Lamb, Dall.	111	74	935	5	66.7%
2020	Marvin Jones, Det.	115	76	978	9	66.1%
2021	Jakobi Meyers, N.E.	126	83	866	2	65.9%
2021	CeeDee Lamb, Dall.	120	79	1102	6	65.8%
2020	Terry McLaurin, Was.	134	87	1118	4	64.9%
2021	Mike Evans, T.B.	114	74	1035	14	64.9%
2021	Justin Jefferson, Min.	167	108	1616	10	64.7%
2020	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	135	87	1276	15	64.4%
2020	DK Metcalf, Sea.	129	83	1303	10	64.3%
2021	Deebo Samuel, S.F.	121	77	1405	6	63.6%
2021	Diontae Johnson, Pitt.	169	107	1161	8	63.3%
2021	JaMarr Chase, Cin.	128	81	1455	13	63.3%
2020	Calvin Ridley, Atl.	143	90	1374	9	62.9%
2021	Stefon Diggs, Buff.	164	103	1225	10	62.8%
2021	Marquise Brown, Balt.	146	91	1008	6	62.3%
2020	Diontae Johnson, Pitt.	144	88	923	7	61.1%
2021	Marvin Jones, Jac.	120	73	832	4	60.8%
2021	Terry McLaurin, Was.	130	77	1053	5	59.2%
2021	Mike Williams, LAC	129	76	1146	9	58.9%
2021	DK Metcalf, Sea.	129	75	967	12	58.1%
2021	Darnell Mooney, Chi.	140	81	1055	4	57.9%
2021	DJ Moore, Car.	163	93	1157	4	57.1%
2020	DJ Moore, Car.	118	66	1193	4	55.9%
2021	Robby Anderson, Car.	110	53	519	5	48.2%
2020	Jerry Jeudy, Den.	113	52	856	3	46.0%

Not necessarily a big deal, since Diggs was great either way. But if I'm drafting Diggs this year, I'm looking at his 2021 numbers and expecting that kind of season, rather than 2020, when he led the league in both receptions and yards.

Other notable elements from the above table: Carolina wideouts. DJ Moore (twice) and Robby Anderson both make the list, combining for three of the four worst catch rates among these heavily targeted wide receivers the last two years. That's what a couple of years of working with Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold can do for you. Carolina is absolutely drafting a quarterback in the first round of the draft, and it will be surprising if that player doesn't start quickly.

--Andy Richardson

Stefon Diggs DJ Moore

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