Using Rookie Year Efficiency to Predict Second Year Wide Receiver Production
by Ron Stewart, May 13, 2020Hunter Renfrow was second in the 2019 rookie wide receiver class in Yards Per Pass Route only to A.J. Brown. In addition to his efficiency, he earned 71 targets. From day one, he earned opportunities and was efficient on the field. There’s not much more we can ask. The Raiders did add talent to their receiving corps with Henry Ruggs, Lynn Bowden, and Bryan Edwards, but Renfrow will still see his share of the targets in year two.
Andy Isabella’s 3.1 Yards Per Pass Route looks much less impressive in the context of his 13 rookie season targets. The Cardinals ran 4-5 wide receiver sets a league-high 31.9-percent of the time and he still couldn’t earn looks in a weak receiver room, seeing fewer targets than the likes of Damiere Byrd, KeeSean Johnson, and Pharoh Cooper. In the context of the data, he becomes an easy fade despite the hype around his prospect profile.