The Bills made Stefon Diggs the latest high-paid wideout yesterday; he joins Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill in getting a big-money contract, helping pave the way for other top wideouts coming up on new deals. It's interesting only in that Diggs' best year was 2020; last year wasn't quite as good.
It's relative of course; Diggs still caught over 100 passes and 10 TDs as Buffalo's No. 1 wide receiver. But considering he had almost exactly the same number of passes thrown his way last year as the year before, he was considerably better the previous season.
Two years in a row, Diggs has seen 164-166 targets in Buffalo's offense. In 2020 he caught over 76 percent of those, which is the 4th-highest among all wideouts with at least 110 targets the last two seasons -- behind only Adams in 2020. He had 127 receptions for 1,535 yards and 8 TDs.
Contrast that to last year, when he caught 24 fewer passes for 310 fewer yards, though 2 more TDs. His catch rate of under 63 percent was one of the 12 lowest figures among those 110-target wideouts.
WR CATCH RATES, 110-PLUS TARGETS, 2020-2021 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD | Catch |
2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 128 | 103 | 1038 | 9 | 80.5% |
2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 149 | 115 | 1374 | 18 | 77.2% |
2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 127 | 98 | 1103 | 5 | 77.2% |
2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 166 | 127 | 1535 | 8 | 76.5% |
2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1947 | 16 | 75.9% |
2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 128 | 97 | 831 | 9 | 75.8% |
2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 132 | 100 | 1054 | 10 | 75.8% |
2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 119 | 90 | 912 | 5 | 75.6% |
2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 140 | 104 | 1015 | 6 | 74.3% |
2020 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 124 | 92 | 974 | 3 | 74.2% |
2021 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 112 | 82 | 693 | 1 | 73.2% |
2021 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 169 | 123 | 1553 | 11 | 72.8% |
2020 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz. | 160 | 115 | 1407 | 6 | 71.9% |
2020 | Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 110 | 79 | 841 | 4 | 71.8% |
2020 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 130 | 92 | 1114 | 5 | 70.8% |
2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 125 | 88 | 1400 | 7 | 70.4% |
2020 | Robby Anderson, Car. | 136 | 95 | 1096 | 3 | 69.9% |
2021 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 159 | 111 | 1239 | 9 | 69.8% |
2020 | Robert Woods, LAR | 129 | 90 | 936 | 6 | 69.8% |
2021 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 129 | 88 | 1082 | 6 | 68.2% |
2020 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 119 | 81 | 1150 | 6 | 68.1% |
2020 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 147 | 100 | 992 | 8 | 68.0% |
2020 | Allen Robinson, Chi. | 151 | 102 | 1250 | 6 | 67.5% |
2021 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 157 | 106 | 1138 | 6 | 67.5% |
2021 | Tee Higgins, Cin. | 110 | 74 | 1091 | 6 | 67.3% |
2021 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 134 | 90 | 1037 | 6 | 67.2% |
2020 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 111 | 74 | 935 | 5 | 66.7% |
2020 | Marvin Jones, Det. | 115 | 76 | 978 | 9 | 66.1% |
2021 | Jakobi Meyers, N.E. | 126 | 83 | 866 | 2 | 65.9% |
2021 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 120 | 79 | 1102 | 6 | 65.8% |
2020 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 134 | 87 | 1118 | 4 | 64.9% |
2021 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 114 | 74 | 1035 | 14 | 64.9% |
2021 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 167 | 108 | 1616 | 10 | 64.7% |
2020 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 135 | 87 | 1276 | 15 | 64.4% |
2020 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 83 | 1303 | 10 | 64.3% |
2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1405 | 6 | 63.6% |
2021 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 169 | 107 | 1161 | 8 | 63.3% |
2021 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1455 | 13 | 63.3% |
2020 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 143 | 90 | 1374 | 9 | 62.9% |
2021 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 164 | 103 | 1225 | 10 | 62.8% |
2021 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 146 | 91 | 1008 | 6 | 62.3% |
2020 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 144 | 88 | 923 | 7 | 61.1% |
2021 | Marvin Jones, Jac. | 120 | 73 | 832 | 4 | 60.8% |
2021 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 130 | 77 | 1053 | 5 | 59.2% |
2021 | Mike Williams, LAC | 129 | 76 | 1146 | 9 | 58.9% |
2021 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 75 | 967 | 12 | 58.1% |
2021 | Darnell Mooney, Chi. | 140 | 81 | 1055 | 4 | 57.9% |
2021 | DJ Moore, Car. | 163 | 93 | 1157 | 4 | 57.1% |
2020 | DJ Moore, Car. | 118 | 66 | 1193 | 4 | 55.9% |
2021 | Robby Anderson, Car. | 110 | 53 | 519 | 5 | 48.2% |
2020 | Jerry Jeudy, Den. | 113 | 52 | 856 | 3 | 46.0% |
Not necessarily a big deal, since Diggs was great either way. But if I'm drafting Diggs this year, I'm looking at his 2021 numbers and expecting that kind of season, rather than 2020, when he led the league in both receptions and yards.
Other notable elements from the above table: Carolina wideouts. DJ Moore (twice) and Robby Anderson both make the list, combining for three of the four worst catch rates among these heavily targeted wide receivers the last two years. That's what a couple of years of working with Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold can do for you. Carolina is absolutely drafting a quarterback in the first round of the draft, and it will be surprising if that player doesn't start quickly.
--Andy Richardson