Jaylen Waddle had a weird season last year. After averaging only 9.8 yards per catch as a rookie, he zoomed all the way up to 18.1 – the highest of anyone who caught at least 40 passes.
Miami had a coaching change, and the new group completely changed his role. Round-filed were the quick passes outside (hoping he could create after the catch). Instead, there was more of an effort to get him downfield. Waddle caught 29 fewer passes but finished with 341 more yards.
It was a pretty radical change, and had me looking at other turnaround seasons from the past. It’s not the biggest such season, but it’s up there.
Below see the 32 players since the merger who’ve improved their yards-per-catch average by at least 5 yards while catching at least 40 passes in back-to-back seasons. Only three have had bigger increases than Waddle. Eddie Brown (who was impressive enough in college that the Bengals selected him before smaller-school Jerry Rice). The Hoodie (James Jones). And another James who spent some time in Green Bay and Oakland (James Lofton).
None of this is super helpful for your fantasy draft, but it at least allows us to trot out names like Ted Kwalick and Ken Burrough. A bunch of players will be wearing jersey No. 0 this year. Burrough was the last to do that (only he wore “00” instead of just the solitary digit).
| IMPROVING BY 5 YARDS PER CATCH | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Previous Yr | Diff |
| 1988 | Eddie Brown, Cin. | 53 | 1273 | 24.0 | 9 | 44-608-13.8-3 | 10.2 |
| 2015 | James Jones, G.B. | 50 | 890 | 17.8 | 8 | 73-666-9.1-6 | 8.7 |
| 1987 | James Lofton, Oak. | 41 | 880 | 21.5 | 5 | 64-840-13.1-4 | 8.3 |
| 2022 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 75 | 1356 | 18.1 | 8 | 104-1015-9.8-6 | 8.3 |
| 2004 | David Terrell, Chi. | 42 | 699 | 16.6 | 1 | 43-361-8.4-1 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 63 | 1130 | 17.9 | 6 | 102-1021-10.0-9 | 7.9 |
| 2006 | Bryant Johnson, Ariz. | 40 | 740 | 18.5 | 4 | 40-432-10.8-1 | 7.7 |
| 2010 | Johnny Knox, Chi. | 51 | 960 | 18.8 | 5 | 45-527-11.7-5 | 7.1 |
| 1981 | Joe Cribbs, Buff. | 40 | 603 | 15.1 | 7 | 52-415-8.0-1 | 7.1 |
| 2008 | Steve Smith, Car. | 78 | 1421 | 18.2 | 6 | 87-1002-11.5-7 | 6.7 |
| 2008 | Bernard Berrian, Min. | 48 | 964 | 20.1 | 7 | 71-951-13.4-5 | 6.7 |
| 1976 | Cliff Branch, Oak. | 46 | 1111 | 24.2 | 12 | 51-893-17.5-9 | 6.6 |
| 1998 | Bobby Engram, Chi. | 64 | 987 | 15.4 | 5 | 45-399-8.9-2 | 6.6 |
| 2015 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 80 | 1400 | 17.5 | 14 | 48-548-11.4-2 | 6.1 |
| 2017 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 75 | 1183 | 15.8 | 7 | 61-593-9.7-6 | 6.1 |
| 1972 | Ted Kwalick, S.F. | 40 | 751 | 18.8 | 9 | 52-664-12.8-5 | 6.0 |
| 2008 | Mark Clayton, Balt. | 41 | 695 | 17.0 | 3 | 48-531-11.1-0 | 5.9 |
| 2010 | Josh Morgan, S.F. | 44 | 698 | 15.9 | 2 | 52-527-10.1-3 | 5.7 |
| 1997 | Amp Lee, St.L. | 61 | 825 | 13.5 | 3 | 54-422-7.8-2 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 68 | 1263 | 18.6 | 15 | 45-582-12.9-2 | 5.6 |
| 2011 | Steve Smith Sr., Car. | 79 | 1394 | 17.7 | 7 | 46-554-12.0-2 | 5.6 |
| 2021 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 73 | 1175 | 16.1 | 8 | 100-1054-10.5-10 | 5.6 |
| 1979 | Ken Burrough, Hou. | 40 | 752 | 18.8 | 6 | 47-624-13.3-2 | 5.5 |
| 2018 | DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 41 | 774 | 18.9 | 4 | 50-668-13.4-3 | 5.5 |
| 2008 | Michael Jenkins, Atl. | 50 | 777 | 15.5 | 3 | 53-532-10.0-4 | 5.5 |
| 1979 | Lynn Swann, Pitt. | 41 | 808 | 19.7 | 5 | 61-880-14.4-11 | 5.3 |
| 1980 | Cliff Branch, Oak. | 44 | 858 | 19.5 | 7 | 59-844-14.3-6 | 5.2 |
| 1985 | Kevin House, T.B. | 44 | 803 | 18.3 | 5 | 76-1005-13.2-5 | 5.0 |
| 1978 | Harold Carmichael, Phil. | 55 | 1072 | 19.5 | 8 | 46-665-14.5-7 | 5.0 |
| 2011 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 80 | 1411 | 17.6 | 8 | 90-1137-12.6-6 | 5.0 |
| 1993 | Mark Carrier, Cle. | 43 | 746 | 17.4 | 3 | 56-692-12.4-4 | 5.0 |
| 2019 | Mike Williams, LAC | 49 | 1001 | 20.4 | 2 | 43-664-15.4-10 | 5.0 |
| 1973 | Harold Jackson, LAR | 40 | 874 | 21.9 | 13 | 62-1048-16.9-4 | 5.0 |
—Ian Allan