Which teams have the best skill position talent around their quarterback? We stacked all 32 from worst to first.
, with episodes released once a week. Barnwell joined ESPN in 2011 as a staff writer at Grantland. Follow him on Twitter here:
I'm using each player's recent level of play and various advanced metrics to get the best sense of how they performed while attempting to adjust for the context around each of them. Aging curves matter here; we know players in their early-20s are more likely to improve than players in their 30s.
As a result, you'll see a lot of metrics that use averages as opposed to cumulative performance. Two that come up often for receivers are yards per route and target share. Yards per route is the average number of yards a receiver gained when he ran an eligible route, regardless of whether he caught the ball or was even targeted on the play. Target share is the percentage of the time a pass-catcher was targeted when he ran a route.
Conner, on the other hand, had his best season as a pro, posting a career-high 5.0 yards per carry and 211 rush yards over expectation, the latter of which ranked third behind. He also went all season without fumbling for the first time as a starter. He deserved to go to the Pro Bowl. Sure, 29 feels ancient for running backs in the modern era, but he isn't slowing down as he approaches his 30s.
There are reasons to think the expectations might be too high. Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick, is still unproven. Allen is 32, and while he was still at peak efficiency on the field with the Chargers last season, the 11-year pro has. The Bears might not throw the ball around frequently enough to get all three guys the numbers they're expecting. If two of these three wideouts live up to the hopes of fans in 2024, though, that's just fine for Chicago.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ranking 2024 NFL rosters: Best projected starting lineupsWe ranked every NFL roster for this season and then picked out strengths, weaknesses, X factors and nonstarter contributors to know.
Read more »
2024 NFL Draft: Commanders, Jayden Daniels scaring NFL teams with sky-high potentialThe Commanders drafted their quarterback of the future in Jayden Daniels in the 2024 NFL Draft, and other teams are already on notice.
Read more »
Ranking the top prospects for the 2024 NHL draftThe first round begins Friday. Which players will hear their names called? Here's our final updated rankings list.
Read more »
2024 NHL draft: Ranking 8 potential top pick targets for the FlyersWho might the Flyers draft with the No. 12 overall pick? Berkly Catton is a consensus pick.
Read more »
Ranking The Top 25 Big Ten Football Running Backs Heading Into 2024The Big Ten is loaded with running back talent, but here are the top 25 RBs heading into the 2024 season.
Read more »
KC Chiefs' Secondary Lands in Top 10 of Recent 2024 RankingLosing L'Jarius Sneed isn't keeping the KC Chiefs' secondary from receiving some major props as training camp approaches, with PFF ranking it top 10 in the NFL.
Read more »