Top 3 NFL wide receivers by route: Michael Thomas reigns

Weve already provided a metrics based breakdown of the best players at key positions this summer but the geniuses at Next Gen Stats dont rest on their laurels

The data wizards are back again with another new way to break down some of the games top weapons We know the Saints Michael Thomas and Seahawks Tyler Lockett are great receivers but how do they perform on a per route basis

Weve split up the route tree and looked at all of the advanced receiver metrics available to us including target percentage reception percentage yards per route run and separation to examine who excelled in 2019

Below well reveal the top three receivers for eight different routes and tell you why the No 1 ranked player for each was the best running that particular route

NOTE The two players ranked below who changed teams this offseason Bills WR Stefon Diggs and Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins are listed with the teams they played for last season since these rankings are based on their performance in 2019

CROSSING ROUTE

Rank1

Michael ThomasNew Orleans Saints WR

Get used to seeing his name Thomas is the top ranked player in half of these categories

He was historically productive in 2019 in large part because he is excellent in the short game on routes like the cross aka the drag He led the league lead in catch rate above expectation actual catch percentage compared to expected catch percentage but among the top 25 wide receivers in that category minimum 50 targets hes the only one who averaged fewer than 10 air yards per target 81

Among those top 25 receivers no receiver was pressed at a higher rate at the line than Thomas 42 and only one was pressed as much Stefon Diggs How can a pass catcher win vs press By running away from the pressing defender not through him A receiver can win with inside leverage against an outside corner who is trying to keep him from going deep leaving the defender in the dust as he runs across the field at a shallow depth This creates chances for catch and run opportunities Thomas was pressed 49 of the time on crossing routes yet he posted a catch rate that was 249 above expectation on 29 targets Thomas air yards per target average was higher on crosses than his aforementioned overall average 96 to 81 and his catch rate above expectation was second to only Lockett among those with at least 20 targets on crosses Thomas wins the yardage battle between the two 382 to 318 helping us find some separation between a couple of receivers that are incredibly dangerous when running shallow routes over the middleRank2

Tyler LockettSeattle Seahawks WRRank3

Cooper KuppLos Angeles Rams WR

GO ROUTE

Rank1

DeVante ParkerMiami Dolphins WR

This route is a little easier to explain primarily because of one infallible truth Everyone loves the long ball

Parker went deep plenty in 2019 running 155 go routes and seeing 36 targets on those routes However he finds himself atop this list because of his league leading 396 receiving yards and five touchdowns on go routes which came as a result of 13 receptions and a 46 percent catch rate above expectation on such routes His reception total was also the most in the NFL on go routes minimum 75 total targets regardless of route Simply put no one was more prolific on the go route than ParkerRank2

DJ CharkJacksonville Jaguars WRRank3

Stefon DiggsMinnesota Vikings WRjavascriptfalseTop 100 Players of 2020 Stefon Diggs | No 54https0b9b3590409dceecf4c71e6bea519a08safeframegooglesyndicationcomsafeframe1 0 37htmlcontainerhtml

POST ROUTE

Rank1

Stefon DiggsMinnesota Vikings WR

Stefon Diggs can make the seemingly impossible a reality

No were not talking about the Minneapolis Miracle Were referring to his productivity on post routes in 2019 Diggs led the league in catch rate above expectation minimum five targets on post routes last season at +399 percent turning unlikely plays into big gains His 207 yards gained on post routes ranked sixth in the league and he was one of only two receivers to break 200 yards on less than 10 receptions on post routes in 2019 the other was DeVante Parker who ranks second in this grouping The most important stat for us in relation to Diggs post route productivity touchdowns Only Terry McLaurin was as productive in the scoring department on post routes as Diggs three TDs apiece which is why the Washington receiver makes the top three in this group You cant go wrong with any of these guys when throwing deep over the middleRank2

DeVante ParkerMiami Dolphins WRRank3

Terry McLaurinWashington Football Team WR

OUT ROUTE

Rank1

Michael ThomasNew Orleans Saints WR

Were back to the short routes which means were again seeing Thomas at the top of the list

The Saints WR1 gained 326 yards while running outs the most in the NFL He also posted a catch rate above expectation of +147 percent on those routes These were somewhat shorter outs averaging just 83 air yards per target but Thomas still found a way to make the most of them gaining an average of 272 yards after the catch on routes that are typically assigned to finish near the sideline

The numbers that propelled Thomas to the top here were his yards of course but also his efficiency Thomas caught 879 percent of his targets landing in the top five in that category In fact if we instituted a minimum of say 15 receptions on out routes only DeAndre Hopkins 864 and Calvin Ridley 80 even come close to Thomas catch rate

An interesting note is how close a call it was between Thomas and Ridley for the top spot in the rankings which should excite Falcons fans about the potential of the former Alabama star He was close to unseating Thomas and very well could take the next major step in his third NFL seasonRank2

Calvin RidleyAtlanta Falcons WRRank3

Julian EdelmanNew England Patriots WRhttps0b9b3590409dceecf4c71e6bea519a08safeframegooglesyndicationcomsafeframe1 0 37htmlcontainerhtml

CORNER ROUTE

Rank1

Allen RobinsonChicago Bears WR

Robinsons 206 yards gained on corner routes led all receivers minimum 75 total targets regardless of route and a lot of those yards were gained on catches he wasnt expected to make per NGS Three receivers who met the 75 target minimum were targeted at least 10 times on corner routes Robinson Keenan Allen and Robby Anderson who each saw 12 targets on such routes While Allen and Anderson finished below catch rate expectation Robinson shattered his posting a mark of +379 percent and making it pretty easy to see who was best in this departmentRank2

Tyler LockettSeattle Seahawks WRRank3

Courtland SuttonDenver Broncos WRjavascriptfalse

IN ROUTE

Rank1

AJ BrownTennessee Titans WR

As soon as I saw AJ Brown streak across the field at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland in Week 1 last season I knew he was going to be a problem for defenses in this league

At 6 feet 226 pounds Brown wins with size speed and power Hes no DK Metcalf his 6 4 229 pound former Ole Miss teammate but that actually works to his advantage as his 226 pounds are well packed into his frame to allow him to box out defenders catch the ball and then outrun them to the end zone with a stiff arm packed in as a complimentary parting gift

The aforementioned play from last years season opener came on a deep in route by Brown It wasnt his frame but his footwork a fake outside an adjustment upfield and a sharp cut at the top of the route that created the space necessary for a 51 yard catch and run on that play

Those types of opportunities vaulted Brown up this list Of his 301 total yards on in routes 181 were gained after the catch The next closest players in that category were the Rams Cooper Kupp 99 and the Browns Jarvis Landry 96 Browns two touchdowns on in routes also tied for the most in the NFL and while his catch rate above expectation wasnt the best +128 ranking 11th among receivers who were targeted at least five times on in routes his league leading yards per reception on such routes 274 cements his status as the top player in this categoryRank2

Michael GallupDallas Cowboys WRhttps0b9b3590409dceecf4c71e6bea519a08safeframegooglesyndicationcomsafeframe1 0 37htmlcontainerhtmlRank3

DJ MooreCarolina Panthers WR

SLANT ROUTE

Rank1

Michael ThomasNew Orleans Saints WR

Tired of Thomas yet His opponents surely are but you cant say they werent warned Thomas makes it clear with his Twitter handle that he cant be guarded

Seriously though it cant be much of a surprise to see these three players at the top for this route An offense is going to try to do whatever it can to get the ball in the hands of its best players and Thomas fits the bill as do DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper Nos 2 and 3 on this list To do this successfully it takes a receiver who can win off the line cut inside at an angle and catch a bullet from the quarterback for a solid gain For the best in the game these plays will occasionally pop for huge gains because of their elite speed and run after catch ability Of Thomas league leading 299 yards gained on slants 162 came after the catch For Hopkins 125 of his 257 came after the catch

However Thomas is ranked atop this group because of his three touchdowns scored on slants and his catch rate of 879 percent is also best among any receiver with 10 or more targets in the NFL Its pretty simple Thomas wins in the short game and will make you pay if you dont stop himRank2

DeAndre HopkinsHouston Texans WRRank3

Amari CooperDallas Cowboys WR

HITCH ROUTE

Rank1

Michael ThomasNew Orleans Saints WR

Look there he is again Weve discussed Thomas ability until were nearly blue in the face although cardio while masked seems to have improved this writers lung capacity but were tasked with justifying one final appearance atop a list of excellent route runners

Lets see Thomas led all wide receivers in yards gained on hitches His YAC on hitches was second best in the NFL trailing only Keenan Allen Thomas did this while fighting through press coverage on 34 percent of his targets too Seems like he has a strong case even without a touchdown scored on a hitch

John Brown also has a compelling case here but he was edged out by Thomas in a close battle Brown trails in yards 306 to 282 but posted a better catch rate above expectation +225 to +79 although he saw 14 fewer targets than Thomas

While he didnt make the top three one of my favorite receivers to watch run a hitch route is Odell Beckham Jr because of how pronounced yet quick he is in his breakdown at the top of the route With hitches theres some uncertainty for cornerbacks Is their man running a hitch or is it going to be a go or fade route They wont know its a hitch until its a hitch if the route is run well Receivers like Thomas and Beckham run them well and to great successRank2

John BrownBuffalo Bills WRhttps0b9b3590409dceecf4c71e6bea519a08safeframegooglesyndicationcomsafeframe1 0 37htmlcontainerhtmlRank3

Allen RobinsonChicago Bears WR