The NFL’s “Next Gen Stats” division tabulates a variety of special stats, using tracking chips embedded in the players’ shoulder pads. Some are more useful than others.
For wide receivers, “cushion” seems to be of no real value. I glance at the numbers every year, but I never see anything that I find to be useful.
Instead, it seems like the leaders in this category are simply the guys who line up inside more often. For whatever reason, slot-type players tend to have more league-measured cushion than those lining up outside. Likely because they more often line up off the line of scrimmage.
In the methodology for this stat, the league looks at the data at the time of the snap for each player, defining “cushion” as the distance to the closest defender.
For the 2025 season, the five wide receivers with at least 100 targets and at least 6.5 yards of cushion (on average) all lined up in the slot a bunch – Chris Olave, Michael Pittman, Wan’Dale Robinson, Troy Franklin and Zay Flowers. The five finishing under 5.7 were all outside guys – Nico Collins, Davante Adams, George Pickens, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
| AVERAGE CUSHION FOR WIDE RECEIVERS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Cush | Tar | No | Yards | Avg | TD |
| Chris Olave, N.O. | 6.8 | 156 | 100 | 1,163 | 11.6 | 9 |
| Michael Pittman, Ind. | 6.8 | 111 | 80 | 793 | 9.9 | 7 |
| Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG | 6.7 | 140 | 92 | 1,014 | 11.0 | 4 |
| Troy Franklin, Den. | 6.7 | 104 | 65 | 709 | 10.9 | 6 |
| Zay Flowers, Balt. | 6.5 | 118 | 86 | 1,211 | 14.1 | 5 |
| DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 6.4 | 113 | 77 | 1,008 | 13.1 | 4 |
| Jakobi Meyers, 2TM | 6.4 | 110 | 75 | 835 | 11.1 | 3 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 6.3 | 163 | 119 | 1,793 | 15.1 | 10 |
| Emeka Egbuka, T.B. | 6.2 | 127 | 63 | 938 | 14.9 | 6 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 6.2 | 122 | 81 | 777 | 9.6 | 4 |
| Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 6.2 | 100 | 64 | 910 | 14.2 | 6 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 6.1 | 172 | 117 | 1,401 | 12.0 | 11 |
| CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 6.1 | 117 | 75 | 1,077 | 14.4 | 3 |
| Jameson Williams, Det. | 6.1 | 102 | 65 | 1,109 | 17.1 | 7 |
| Puka Nacua, LAR | 6.0 | 166 | 129 | 1,715 | 13.3 | 10 |
| Michael Wilson, Ari. | 6.0 | 126 | 78 | 1,006 | 12.9 | 7 |
| Justin Jefferson, Min. | 5.8 | 141 | 84 | 1,048 | 12.5 | 2 |
| Drake London, Atl. | 5.8 | 112 | 68 | 919 | 13.5 | 7 |
| Ladd McConkey, LAC | 5.8 | 106 | 66 | 789 | 12.0 | 6 |
| Stefon Diggs, N.E. | 5.8 | 102 | 85 | 1,013 | 11.9 | 4 |
| Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 5.7 | 185 | 125 | 1,412 | 11.3 | 8 |
| Tetairoa McMillan, Car. | 5.7 | 122 | 70 | 1,013 | 14.5 | 7 |
| A.J. Brown, Phil. | 5.7 | 121 | 78 | 1,003 | 12.9 | 7 |
| Jerry Jeudy, Cle. | 5.6 | 106 | 50 | 602 | 12.0 | 2 |
| Courtland Sutton, Den. | 5.3 | 124 | 74 | 1,017 | 13.7 | 7 |
| George Pickens, Dall. | 5.2 | 137 | 93 | 1,429 | 15.4 | 9 |
| Davante Adams, LAR | 5.2 | 114 | 60 | 789 | 13.2 | 14 |
| Nico Collins, Hou. | 4.9 | 120 | 71 | 1,117 | 15.7 | 6 |
It’s impressive that the league is able to calculate this kind of thing, but I don’t find this stat to be useful – or even interesting. The “cushion” doesn’t seem to have any real value in identifying possible breakout players, or collecting meaningful information on how defenses are defending players.
—Ian Allan
