Physical traits, speed, agility, explosiveness attributes of Top WRs (What's the formula?)
In all of this talk about a number 2......
The one thing that folks KEEP MISSING is how unimportant a WR (1 or 2) is to the big picture of winning football.
Case in point, again, and proven over and over....the top WRs rarely ever make the Super Bowl.
This year proves it again.....in your charts above.....you have to go to #26 to reach the first Chief (Hill) and 56 for SF (Samuel).
Last year, (NE/LA) number 21 in receptions made the SB (Cooks).....and 28 (Edelman)
The year before that (Phi/NE) .....try number 29 (Cooks) and number 37 (Algahor).
So we’ll continue to obsess over this #2, but honestly, it doesn’t matter to winning football in the playoffs.
I agree 100%. I did not start this as a discussion for a #2 WR, in fact I believe too many are getting hung up on that # as we don't employ an offense that utilizing #1, 2, 3 etc. This discussion was more about the physical attributes that could indicate success as a WR in the NFL. We currently have 3 WR who have 6 better than average attributes when compared to the top 25 WRs in receptions last season. Given Hogan's across the board above average physical attributes and his production in college, it is possible had he gone to a bigger school he would've have been drafted quite high.
SP is an offensive pioneer in the NFL and he finds players with skills and has a vision for them. This data mining has revealed a couple things to me.
1. TreQuan Smith has the physical attributes to be a productive WR in the NFL and he will have a role if not a significant role going forward. He's made strides and although injuries this season may have slowed his development, he did develop.
2. SP sees something in Hogan. Like Hill in 2017, SP signed Hogan and then quickly promoted him from the PS to the active roster where he carved out an initial role. I believe that was just to get Hogan into the game, similar to getting Hill on the field in 2017 on ST. Hogan compares almost identical to MT in all the physical attributes. He also compares very favorably to Laviska Shenault although Shenault might be slightly faster, it looks like while at Marion, Hogan was used in a similar manner that Colorado used Shenault. Hogan could be what Shenault is expected to be.
SP's offense is all about skillsets, matchups and mismatches. He needs about 4 WRs who have their own strengths, but can also be interchangeable. With that said, I don't think we are going into FA and the draft looking for a #2 like is mentioned so much on here. We are going in looking for skillsets that we don't currently have or that we need more of. I believe the days of Cooks are gone, we can't have a one trick speed WR to fill that role. It will need to be a speed WR who has the ability to break tackles and gain YAC. So although 50-60% catch rate and speed were okay in the past, my gut tells me that SP wants someone with more reliable hands, is physical, quick and fast to fill that Ginn role.
When SP can assemble the assets he needs for his offense, I believe we will see it become more balanced and MT won't have to catch 149 passes. If some of that volume from MT and AK can shift towards other WR options, the offense will be better and more in line with the winning offenses you referenced and what we were used to in the late 2000's and early 2010's.