Which Receivers Played On The Most Efficient Passing Offenses (Through 2018)?

by Chase Stuart on May 11, 2019

Yesterday, inspired by Doug Baldwin leaving Seattle, I looked at the top 200 players in receiving yards and measured how pass-happy that player’s average pass offense was. For Baldwin, his teams were the 4th-most run-heavy teams of any player on that top 200 list, which obviously disadvantaged him from putting up big numbers.

One thing that helped him, of course, was playing with a great quarterback. Baldwin’s Seahawks were, on average, 0.65 ANY/A better than average. That ranks 57th among the 200 players.

Regular readers may recall that I used this methodology to grade receivers last year. So consider today’s post an update for 2018. Among players who were active in 2018, Rob Gronkowski (+1.50) and Jordy Nelson (+1.38) played on the best passing offenses, and DeAndre Hopkins (-0.39) and Larry Fitzgerald (-0.32) played on the worst passing offenses relative to league average. That isn’t going to be breaking news to anyone, but that’s not the point: yes, we know that the Patriots and Packers have had good passing offenses, and the Texans and Cardinals have not. But quantifying those terms is always helpful.

The full results, below:

RANY/A Rk	Player	Rec Yards	Yds Rk	First Yr	Last Yr	RANY/A
7	Jerry Rice	22895	1	1985	2004	1.57
177	Larry Fitzgerald	16279	2	2004	2018	-0.32
43	Terrell Owens	15934	3	1996	2010	0.82
25	Randy Moss	15292	4	1998	2012	1.18
83	Isaac Bruce	15208	5	1994	2009	0.38
69	Tony Gonzalez	15127	6	1997	2013	0.52
79	Tim Brown	14934	7	1988	2004	0.41
160	Steve Smith	14731	8	2001	2016	-0.12
9	Marvin Harrison	14580	9	1996	2008	1.51
17	Reggie Wayne	14345	10	2001	2014	1.34
117	Andre Johnson	14185	11	2003	2016	0.14
116	James Lofton	14004	12	1978	1993	0.14
68	Cris Carter	13899	13	1987	2002	0.54
138	Anquan Boldin	13779	14	2003	2016	0.03
103	Henry Ellard	13777	15	1983	1998	0.24
65	Torry Holt	13382	16	1999	2009	0.56
88	Andre Reed	13198	17	1985	2000	0.34
105	Steve Largent	13089	18	1976	1989	0.21
150	Irving Fryar	12785	19	1984	2000	-0.05
59	Art Monk	12721	20	1980	1995	0.63
58	Jason Witten	12448	21	2003	2017	0.64
149	Brandon Marshall	12351	22	2006	2018	-0.04
70	Jimmy Smith	12287	23	1995	2005	0.51
34	Charlie Joiner	12146	24	1969	1986	0.95
77	Hines Ward	12083	25	1998	2011	0.42
94	Derrick Mason	12061	26	1997	2011	0.29
42	Michael Irvin	11904	27	1988	1999	0.83
29	Antonio Gates	11841	28	2003	2018	1.11
78	Don Maynard	11834	29	1958	1973	0.42
169	Calvin Johnson	11619	30	2007	2015	-0.18
165	Muhsin Muhammad	11438	31	1996	2009	-0.15
48	Rod Smith	11389	32	1995	2006	0.77
62	Keenan McCardell	11373	33	1992	2007	0.61
52	Antonio Brown	11207	34	2010	2018	0.75
108	Chad Johnson	11059	35	2001	2011	0.19
186	Joey Galloway	10950	36	1995	2010	-0.45
84	Roddy White	10863	37	2005	2015	0.37
46	Gary Clark	10856	38	1985	1995	0.78
32	Julio Jones	10731	39	2011	2018	0.98
90	Stanley Morgan	10716	40	1977	1990	0.32
145	Keyshawn Johnson	10571	41	1996	2006	-0.02
66	Harold Jackson	10372	42	1969	1983	0.55
95	Santana Moss	10283	43	2001	2014	0.29
15	Lance Alworth	10266	44	1962	1972	1.35
56	DeSean Jackson	10261	45	2008	2018	0.66
99	Andre Rison	10205	46	1989	2000	0.27
44	Donald Driver	10137	47	1999	2012	0.81
85	Shannon Sharpe	10060	48	1990	2003	0.37
159	Eric Moulds	9995	49	1996	2007	-0.08
6	Wes Welker	9924	50	2005	2015	1.63
97	Drew Hill	9831	51	1979	1993	0.28
12	Marques Colston	9759	52	2006	2015	1.39
154	Amani Toomer	9497	53	1996	2008	-0.07
191	Rob Moore	9368	54	1990	1999	-0.57
64	Demaryius Thomas	9330	55	2010	2018	0.59
14	Raymond Berry	9275	56	1955	1967	1.36
122	Herman Moore	9174	57	1991	2001	0.1
170	Anthony Miller	9148	58	1988	1997	-0.19
23	Charley Taylor	9110	59	1964	1977	1.21
61	Vincent Jackson	9080	60	2005	2016	0.62
109	Tony Martin	9065	61	1990	2001	0.19
96	Harold Carmichael	8985	62	1971	1984	0.29
5	Mark Clayton	8974	63.5	1983	1993	1.63
20	Fred Biletnikoff	8974	63.5	1965	1978	1.27
35	Wes Chandler	8966	65	1978	1988	0.95
148	Roy Green	8965	66	1979	1992	-0.03
119	A.J. Green	8907	67	2011	2018	0.13
155	Ricky Proehl	8878	68	1990	2006	-0.07
4	Mark Duper	8869	69	1983	1992	1.74
110	Terry Glenn	8823	70	1996	2006	0.19
107	Terance Mathis	8809	71	1990	2002	0.19
197	Mark Carrier	8763	72	1987	1998	-0.87
89	Joe Horn	8744	73	1996	2007	0.32
72	John Stallworth	8723	74	1974	1987	0.46
115	Johnnie Morton	8719	75	1994	2005	0.14
63	Cliff Branch	8685	76	1972	1984	0.61
182	Laveranues Coles	8609	77	2000	2009	-0.39
13	Jordy Nelson	8587	78	2008	2018	1.38
19	Paul Warfield	8565	79	1964	1977	1.32
131	Plaxico Burress	8499	80	2000	2012	0.06
135	Billy Howton	8459	81	1952	1963	0.06
87	Tommy McDonald	8410	82	1957	1968	0.35
82	Eddie Kennison	8345	83	1996	2007	0.38
120	Wesley Walker	8306	84	1977	1989	0.12
31	Greg Jennings	8291	85	2006	2015	1
136	Carroll Dale	8277	86	1960	1973	0.05
163	Curtis Conway	8230	87	1993	2004	-0.15
91	Ernest Givins	8215	88	1986	1995	0.31
174	Jeff Graham	8172	89	1991	2001	-0.3
114	Eric Martin	8161	90	1985	1994	0.16
171	Sterling Sharpe	8134	91	1988	1994	-0.22
137	Webster Slaughter	8111	92	1986	1998	0.04
123	T.Y. Hilton	8097	93	2012	2018	0.09
190	Haven Moses	8091	94	1968	1981	-0.53
140	Mike Wallace	8072	95	2009	2017	0.02
139	Art Powell	8046	96	1960	1968	0.02
189	Bill Brooks	8001	97	1986	1996	-0.51
2	Don Hutson	7991	98	1935	1945	2.24
49	Tony Hill	7988	99	1977	1986	0.77
111	Ozzie Newsome	7980	100	1978	1990	0.19
45	Bobby Mitchell	7954	101	1958	1968	0.8
146	Jackie Smith	7918	102	1963	1977	-0.02
24	Jimmy Orr	7914	103	1958	1970	1.2
10	Rob Gronkowski	7861	104	2010	2018	1.5
102	Pierre Garcon	7854	105	2008	2018	0.25
167	Greg Olsen	7847	106	2007	2018	-0.16
11	Drew Pearson	7822	107	1973	1983	1.49
112	Bobby Engram	7751	108	1996	2009	0.19
121	Anthony Carter	7733	109	1985	1994	0.11
180	Chris Chambers	7648	110	2001	2010	-0.34
196	Brian Blades	7620	111	1988	1998	-0.86
26	Nat Moore	7546	112	1974	1986	1.16
141	Roy Jefferson	7539	113	1965	1976	0
71	Gary Garrison	7538	114	1966	1977	0.51
106	Michael Crabtree	7477	115	2009	2018	0.2
50	Dez Bryant	7459	116	2010	2017	0.76
158	Vernon Davis	7439	117	2006	2018	-0.08
183	DeAndre Hopkins	7437	118	2013	2018	-0.39
28	Jimmy Graham	7436	119	2010	2018	1.15
40	Ed McCaffrey	7422	120	1991	2003	0.86
18	Bob Hayes	7414	121	1965	1975	1.33
74	Pete Retzlaff	7412	122	1956	1966	0.45
147	Wayne Chrebet	7365	123	1995	2005	-0.02
33	Otis Taylor	7306	124	1965	1974	0.96
38	Boyd Dowler	7270	125	1959	1971	0.92
39	Antonio Freeman	7251	126	1995	2003	0.91
153	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	7237	127	2001	2011	-0.07
86	Golden Tate	7214	128	2010	2018	0.35
194	Dwayne Bowe	7208	129	2007	2015	-0.75
200	Lionel Taylor	7195	130	1960	1968	-1.27
142	Darrell Jackson	7132	131	2000	2008	0
161	Carl Pickens	7129	132	1992	2000	-0.12
192	Ken Burrough	7102	133	1970	1981	-0.68
37	Isaac Curtis	7101	134	1973	1984	0.92
125	Reggie Rucker	7065	135	1970	1981	0.09
60	John Gilliam	7056	136	1967	1977	0.62
3	Elroy Hirsch	7029	137	1946	1957	1.86
143	Emmanuel Sanders	7024	138	2010	2018	0
129	Shawn Jefferson	7023	139	1991	2003	0.07
166	Pat Tilley	7005	140	1976	1986	-0.16
67	Jake Reed	6999	141	1992	2002	0.55
185	J.T. Smith	6974	142	1979	1990	-0.44
76	Derrick Alexander	6971	143	1994	2002	0.43
162	Nate Washington	6954	144	2006	2015	-0.15
36	Marshall Faulk	6875	145	1994	2005	0.93
75	Gene Washington	6856	146	1969	1979	0.45
124	Jeremy Maclin	6835	147	2009	2017	0.09
127	Ahmad Rashad	6831	148	1972	1982	0.08
30	Charley Hennigan	6823	149	1960	1966	1.06
179	Larry Centers	6797	150	1991	2003	-0.32
16	Dwight Clark	6750	151	1979	1987	1.34
198	Frank Sanders	6749	152	1995	2003	-0.91
27	Kellen Winslow	6741	153	1979	1987	1.16
100	Frank Lewis	6724	154	1971	1983	0.27
199	Marty Booker	6703	155	1999	2009	-0.92
22	Cris Collinsworth	6698	156	1981	1988	1.21
47	Deion Branch	6644	157.5	2002	2012	0.78
54	Mel Gray	6644	157.5	1971	1982	0.74
118	Willie Gault	6635	159	1983	1993	0.13
188	Jerricho Cotchery	6623	160	2004	2015	-0.48
132	Al Toon	6605	161	1985	1992	0.06
104	Brett Perriman	6589	162	1988	1997	0.24
101	Michael Haynes	6588	163	1988	1997	0.25
53	Heath Miller	6569	164	2005	2015	0.74
57	Doug Baldwin	6563	165	2011	2018	0.65
172	Henry Marshall	6545	166	1976	1987	-0.24
1	Dante Lavelli	6488	167	1946	1956	2.97
55	Ricky Sanders	6477	168	1986	1995	0.72
41	Del Shofner	6470	169	1958	1967	0.83
184	Mike Quick	6464	170	1982	1990	-0.41
157	Quinn Early	6448	171	1988	1999	-0.08
128	Sammy White	6400	172	1976	1985	0.07
168	Ike Hilliard	6397	173	1997	2008	-0.17
152	Carlos Carson	6372	174	1980	1989	-0.06
92	Troy Brown	6366	175	1993	2006	0.31
81	Max McGee	6346	176	1954	1967	0.4
113	Stephone Paige	6341	177	1983	1991	0.17
80	Haywood Jeffires	6334	178	1987	1996	0.4
130	Steve Jordan	6307	179	1982	1994	0.07
164	Sean Dawkins	6291	180	1993	2001	-0.15
176	Alfred Jenkins	6267	181	1975	1983	-0.32
173	Darnay Scott	6193	182	1994	2002	-0.27
98	Alshon Jeffery	6181	183	2012	2018	0.27
93	Jeremy Shockey	6143	184	2002	2011	0.3
21	Eddie Brown	6134	185	1985	1991	1.25
156	Steve Watson	6112	186	1979	1987	-0.08
134	Mike Evans	6103	187	2014	2018	0.06
144	Ronnie Harmon	6076	188	1986	1997	-0.02
195	Red Phillips	6044	189	1958	1967	-0.79
8	Lenny Moore	6039	190	1956	1967	1.55
133	Santonio Holmes	6030	191	2006	2014	0.06
187	Louis Lipps	6019	192	1984	1992	-0.46
51	Jack Snow	6012	193	1965	1975	0.76
193	Lee Evans	6008	194	2004	2011	-0.72
181	Sonny Randle	5996	195	1959	1968	-0.37
178	Brandon Lloyd	5989	196	2003	2014	-0.32
126	Billy Wilson	5902	197.5	1951	1960	0.08
175	Bobby Joe Conrad	5902	197.5	1959	1969	-0.31
73	Ben Watson	5885	199	2004	2018	0.45
151	Todd Christensen	5872	200	1981	1988	-0.05

One reason I always have been such a big Steve Smith fan is by looking at the results from yesterday’s post and today’s post. Smith is the only player in the top 20 in receiving yards who played on passing offenses that were below average in both quantity and quality. Take a look:

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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