Looking at some the numbers, A.J. Brown has been pretty remarkable – and not just with the Eagles last year. He was also a butt-kicker with the Titans.
Consider yards per target. That is, not yards gained on catches, but average yards gained on pass plays (including incompletions). In that category, Brown has the highest career average of anyone in the 32-team era.
The numbers below include all players who’ve appeared in an NFL game in the last 20 years. You’re looking at their career receiving numbers, including Games played, targets, receptions, receiving yards and yards per target.
To avoid dumping a monstrously long list on you, I’m showing on the players who’ve averaged at least 9 yards per pass play (so when you see Terry McLaurin down at 28th, he’s not last – there are a bunch of other lousy receivers I’m not listing).
Brown, up at 10.2 yards per pass play, checks in at No. 1 on this list, just ahead of All-World Justin Jefferson.
I can’t promise Brown will even be the best wide receiver on his own team this year. (DeVonta Smith is also really good.) But he’s definitely a talent. And he’ll deservedly be one of the first dozen receivers picked in drafts.
CAREER YARDS PER TARGET (300 tgt min) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Seasons | G | Tgt | Rec | Yards | Yd/Tgt |
A.J. Brown | 2019-2022 | 60 | 440 | 273 | 4,491 | 10.2 |
Justin Jefferson | 2020-2022 | 50 | 476 | 324 | 4,825 | 10.1 |
Devery Henderson | 2004-2012 | 124 | 442 | 245 | 4,377 | 9.9 |
DeSean Jackson | 2008-2022 | 183 | 1,144 | 641 | 11,263 | 9.8 |
Malcom Floyd | 2004-2015 | 121 | 570 | 321 | 5,550 | 9.7 |
Rob Gronkowski | 2010-2021 | 143 | 960 | 621 | 9,286 | 9.7 |
Julio Jones | 2011-2022 | 155 | 1,411 | 903 | 13,629 | 9.7 |
George Kittle | 2017-2022 | 82 | 549 | 395 | 5,254 | 9.6 |
Tyler Lockett | 2015-2022 | 127 | 742 | 533 | 7,100 | 9.6 |
Deebo Samuel | 2019-2022 | 51 | 340 | 223 | 3,230 | 9.5 |
Tyreek Hill | 2016-2022 | 108 | 878 | 598 | 8,340 | 9.5 |
Mike Williams | 2017-2022 | 85 | 486 | 290 | 4,557 | 9.4 |
Patrick Crayton | 2004-2011 | 105 | 392 | 247 | 3,650 | 9.3 |
Jordy Nelson | 2008-2018 | 151 | 924 | 613 | 8,587 | 9.3 |
Tee Higgins | 2020-2022 | 46 | 327 | 215 | 3,028 | 9.3 |
Will Fuller | 2016-2021 | 55 | 341 | 213 | 3,136 | 9.2 |
Cooper Kupp | 2017-2022 | 80 | 696 | 508 | 6,329 | 9.1 |
Doug Baldwin | 2011-2018 | 123 | 722 | 493 | 6,563 | 9.1 |
Chris Godwin | 2017-2022 | 87 | 624 | 446 | 5,666 | 9.1 |
Kenny Stills | 2013-2021 | 130 | 543 | 316 | 4,911 | 9.0 |
T.Y. Hilton | 2012-2022 | 146 | 1,086 | 638 | 9,812 | 9.0 |
Travis Kelce | 2013-2022 | 144 | 1,146 | 814 | 10,344 | 9.0 |
Michael Thomas | 2016-2022 | 73 | 679 | 526 | 6,121 | 9.0 |
Terrance Williams | 2013-2018 | 83 | 375 | 232 | 3,377 | 9.0 |
Kenny Golladay | 2017-2022 | 73 | 408 | 226 | 3,670 | 9.0 |
Josh Gordon | 2012-2022 | 77 | 477 | 252 | 4,284 | 9.0 |
Terry McLaurin | 2019-2022 | 63 | 477 | 299 | 4,281 | 9.0 |
—Ian Allan