• A true screen weapon: Deebo Samuel has racked up 356 receiving yards from screen passes over the past two seasons and finished fourth in screen targets a season ago.
• Brown dominating on slant routes: A.J. Brown saw 34 targets on slants last year — 10 more than any other player at the position — and he caught 26 of them for a position-leading 386 yards.
• Jefferson playing bully ball on corner routes: Justin Jefferson was targeted 11 times on corner routes, six of which were contested by a defender at the catch point. He brought down four of those targets, including his memorable one-handed fourth-down catch against Buffalo in Week 10.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
In the modern NFL, the passing game and the role wide receivers play have become paramount to the success of the offense.
From blistering deep threats to crafty route-runners, here are the highest-graded players at each route type from the 2022 NFL regular season.
Crossing Routes (minimum 10 targets)
- Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins: 93.1
- Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams: 92.2
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys: 91.7
Waddle was targeted 19 times on crossing routes and finished with 13 catches for 310 yards, four touchdowns and seven more first downs. He led receivers in yards per route run (8.38) and yards after the catch per reception (11.5).
The Dolphins receiver generated a 150.8 passer rating when targeted on crossing routes, thanks in large part to his ability to turn his catches into big plays: Nine of his catches on crossing routes went for over 15 yards, and he averaged 23.9 yards per reception on these routes.
Wide Screens (minimum 10 targets)
- Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers: 92.2
- Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions: 86.2
- Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams: 84.3
Deebo Samuel is a mismatch weapon, and San Francisco has found a way to utilize that in the screen game.
Samuel has racked up 356 receiving yards from screen passes over the past two seasons and finished fourth in screen targets a season ago. While he didn't find the end zone on a screen pass last year, he did finish top-five in yards after the catch (188, third among receivers) and yards after contact (88, second) on screens.
He led his peers in missed tackles (9) forced and yards after the catch per reception on screen passes in 2022.
Slant routes (minimum 10 targets)
- A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles: 97.0
- Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: 93.7
- Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills: 93.2
A.J. Brown has the combination of size (6-foot-1 and 226 pounds) and speed that allows him to slip through tackles with apparent ease. The Eagles used this to their advantage by featuring Brown on slant routes last year, and he was a nightmare to cover.
The fourth-year wideout saw 34 targets on slants last year — 10 more than any other player at the position — and he caught 26 of them for a position-leading 386 yards.
In all, 19 of his slant catches went for a first down, and he turned 10 into explosive gains of 15 or more yards. He finished the year averaging 7.72 yards per route run on slants, a full yard more than the next-closest wide receiver.
Out routes (minimum 10 targets)
- Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills: 93.8
- Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals: 93.2
- Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: 92.2
Stefon Diggs was not targeted at the same rate as other receivers on out routes, but he executed his routes with near-perfect efficiency. The veteran pass-catcher caught 15 of his 16 out-route targets for 178 yards, averaging 6.14 yards per route run to rank third at the position.
In routes (minimum 10 targets)
- Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos: 93.3
- Corey Davis, New York Jets: 92.3
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings: 91.9
Sutton was targeted 10 times on in routes at an average depth of 13.4 yards. He caught eight of those passes, with five going for more than 15 yards. He averaged a league-best 9.43 yards per route run on these routes and generated a 118.8 passer rating when targeted, third at the position.
Comeback routes (minimum 3 targets)
- Elijah Moore, New York Jets: 93.2
- Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders: 89.1
- Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: 87.5
NFL wide receivers combined for just 83 comeback routes in 2022, making it one of the least-frequently run routes in the league. Still, Elijah Moore saw four targets and made the most of those opportunities, catching all four passes, converting three into a first down and turning two into an explosive gain of 15 or more yards.
He generated a 145.8 passer rating on comeback routes, second at the position.
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Hitch routes (minimum 10 targets)
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: 92.5
- Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers: 90.3
- Chris Olave, New Orleans: 90.1
Tyreek Hill was targeted 54 times on hitch routes in his final two seasons in Kansas City. He recorded 427 yards and earned an 82.5 receiving grade, fourth and seventh, respectively, at the position.
Miami adopted a similar script during Hill's first year with the team. He was nearly perfect, too, as he caught 23-of-25 targets on hitch routes for 246 yards, leading the position in yards per route run (4.73).
His playmaking ability continued to shine, as he recorded a position-leading 15 first-down conversions and five explosive plays of 15 or more yards.
Corner routes (minimum 5 targets)
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings: 94.0
- Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers: 94.0
- Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals: 93.3
Justin Jefferson’s contested-catch ability stood out on corner routes. He was targeted 11 times, six of which were contested by a defender at the catch point. He brought down four of those targets, including his memorable one-handed fourth-down catch against Buffalo in Week 10.
In all, Jefferson caught six passes for a position-best 153 yards, averaging 6.12 yards per corner route.
Mike Williams was able to stretch the field on corner routes in 2022. He saw only five targets, but he was targeted 34.4 yards down the field on average and caught three passes for 129 yards.
Post routes (minimum 5 targets)
- Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills: 99.9
- Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders: 94.7
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: 94.4
Josh Allen targeted a post route just six times in 2022, but when he did, Gabriel Davis was on the other end (5). Davis made the most of those opportunities, securing three catches for 207 yards, second at the position.
Go routes (minimum 10 targets)
- Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers: 97.1
- A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles: 96.6
- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 95.1
Terrace Marshall Jr. showcased his ability to work downfield in his second season. His 10 go-route targets led his Panthers teammates, and he caught seven of them for an eighth-ranked 202 yards. Marshall led receivers in yards per route run (14.43) and generated a 145.8 passer rating when targeted on his go routes last season.
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