This Strength of Lions' Receivers Is Near Tops in NFL
Not many aspects of the game went right for the Lions last season.
One of the few bright spots was the impressive play of their wide receivers and pass catchers as a whole.
Even going into 2020, one of the strongest position groups the Lions have on their roster is wideout.
An interesting stat provided by Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com was the percent of drops the Lions had a year ago.
Only 3.6 percent of catchable passes were dropped in 2019 -- fourth-best in the NFL.
Twentyman also had this to say:
“Detroit pass catchers dropped just 13 balls all season. One of the real attributes for Detroit's top three receivers – Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola – is their ability to make difficult catches and catches in a crowd.
Only Atlanta (1.5 percent), Los Angeles Rams (2.5) and Arizona (3.5) pass catchers had a lower drop percentage than the Lions last season.”
Also mentioned was the penchant for Golladay and Jones to bring in the tough catches.
Neither might be great at creating separation, but they don’t need much considering their ability to haul in passes while well-covered.
According to Pro Football Focus, Golladay ranks fifth in the total number of contested catches since 2017 with 49, while Jones’ 42 contested catches ranks eighth in the NFL.
Going solely off contested-catch rates, both landed in the top 10 in that category as well.
In order for the Lions to make some real noise in the NFC North this year, their wide receivers are once again going to be heavily relied upon to make big plays.
Unlike some other position groups on the team, the Lions can feel confident about their receiving corps headed into 2020.
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