I’m changing how I’m handling drops. Over the weekend, I saw an article referring to one of these drafted players having dropped 8 passes in college versus 253 receptions, and I think that’s the most logical way to go.
Previously around here, I have gone with drops versus pass attempts – drops versus targets. But now that I think about it more, that doesn’t make as much sense. If a pass gets thrown 10 feet over a guy’s head, why should that have any bearing on said player’s relative drops. What I want is the number of balls the guy dropped, and the number of passes he should have caught – which is receptions plus the number of drops.
The changes are largely comestic (the best are still the best, and the worst are still the worst) but the numbers and presentation are a little different.
Revised numbers look like this.
Starting with the players who have been the best at catching the ball. I’m showing only guys who’ve caught at least 50 passes in the last two years. C.J. Spiller comes in at No. 1, and the top wide receiver is the player everyone senses has the best hands – Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has dropped only 1 of 173 catchable passes over the last two years.
| PLAYERS WITH BEST CATCH RATES (2014-15) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Drops | Rec | Pct |
| 1. | C.J. Spiller | 0 | 53 | .0% |
| 2. | Larry Fitzgerald | 1 | 172 | .6% |
| 3. | Pierre Garcon | 1 | 140 | .7% |
| 4. | Theo Riddick | 1 | 114 | .9% |
| 5. | Mark Ingram | 1 | 79 | 1.3% |
| 6. | Justin Forsett | 1 | 75 | 1.3% |
| 7. | Keenan Allen | 2 | 144 | 1.4% |
| 8. | Jason Witten | 2 | 141 | 1.4% |
| 9. | Willie Snead | 1 | 69 | 1.4% |
| 10. | Eddie Lacy | 1 | 62 | 1.6% |
| 11. | Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 60 | 1.6% |
| 12. | Emmanuel Sanders | 3 | 177 | 1.7% |
| 13. | Jordan Cameron | 1 | 59 | 1.7% |
| 14. | Brent Celek | 1 | 59 | 1.7% |
| 15. | Pierre Thomas | 1 | 54 | 1.8% |
| 16. | Danny Amendola | 2 | 92 | 2.1% |
| 17. | Jordan Reed | 3 | 137 | 2.1% |
| 18. | Brandin Cooks | 3 | 137 | 2.1% |
| 19. | Jerricho Cotchery | 2 | 87 | 2.2% |
| 20. | Jeremy Maclin | 4 | 172 | 2.3% |
| 21. | Antonio Gates | 3 | 125 | 2.3% |
| 22. | A.J. Green | 4 | 155 | 2.5% |
| 23. | Antonio Brown | 7 | 265 | 2.6% |
| 24. | Golden Tate | 5 | 189 | 2.6% |
| 25. | Jacob Tamme | 2 | 73 | 2.7% |
| 26. | Le'Veon Bell | 3 | 107 | 2.7% |
| 27. | Charles Sims | 2 | 70 | 2.8% |
| 28. | Kamar Aiken | 3 | 99 | 2.9% |
| 29. | Fred Jackson | 3 | 98 | 3.0% |
| 30. | Marvin Jones | 2 | 65 | 3.0% |
| 31. | Greg Olsen | 5 | 161 | 3.0% |
| 32. | Kendall Wright | 3 | 93 | 3.1% |
| 33. | Wes Welker | 2 | 62 | 3.1% |
| 34. | Larry Donnell | 3 | 92 | 3.2% |
| 35. | Duke Johnson Jr. | 2 | 61 | 3.2% |
| 36. | Andrew Hawkins | 3 | 90 | 3.2% |
| 37. | Cole Beasley | 3 | 89 | 3.3% |
| 38. | Jamison Crowder | 2 | 59 | 3.3% |
| 39. | Jermaine Kearse | 3 | 87 | 3.3% |
| 40. | Bilal Powell | 2 | 58 | 3.3% |
| 41. | Doug Baldwin | 5 | 144 | 3.4% |
| 42. | DeSean Jackson | 3 | 86 | 3.4% |
| 43. | Dexter McCluster | 2 | 57 | 3.4% |
| 44. | Jarvis Landry | 7 | 194 | 3.5% |
| 45. | Travaris Cadet | 2 | 55 | 3.5% |
| 46. | Malcom Floyd | 3 | 82 | 3.5% |
| 47. | Odell Beckham Jr. | 7 | 187 | 3.6% |
| 48. | DeAndre Hopkins | 7 | 187 | 3.6% |
| 49. | Stevie Johnson | 3 | 80 | 3.6% |
| 50. | Richard Rodgers | 3 | 78 | 3.7% |
For worst hands, I’m showing only players with at least 4 drops. (So if a guy had 3 passes thrown his way last year, dropped them all, but that was it, he’s not on the list).
Worst single-season number I saw go by was Garrett Graham, who had 4 drops and 4 catches last year.
Notable name near the top of this chart is Jeremy Langford. Chicago is counting on him being its starting tailback. He had major issues hanging onto the ball last year, with 7 drops versus only 22 receptions.
| PLAYERS DROPPING 10 PERCENT OF PASSES (2014-15) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Drops | Rec | Pct |
| 1. | Jacoby Jones | 4 | 9 | 30.8% |
| 2. | Andre Caldwell | 5 | 15 | 25.0% |
| 3. | Jeremy Langford | 7 | 22 | 24.1% |
| 4. | Victor Cruz | 6 | 23 | 20.7% |
| 5. | Vance McDonald | 8 | 32 | 20.0% |
| 6. | Leonard Hankerson | 6 | 26 | 18.8% |
| 7. | Garrett Graham | 5 | 22 | 18.5% |
| 8. | Quincy Enunwa | 5 | 22 | 18.5% |
| 9. | Ted Ginn Jr. | 13 | 58 | 18.3% |
| 10. | Alfred Morris | 6 | 27 | 18.2% |
| 11. | Andre Roberts | 10 | 47 | 17.5% |
| 12. | Louis Murphy Jr. | 6 | 31 | 16.2% |
| 13. | Nelson Agholor | 4 | 23 | 14.8% |
| 14. | Ryan Mathews | 5 | 29 | 14.7% |
| 15. | Josh Huff | 6 | 35 | 14.6% |
| 16. | Chris Johnson | 5 | 30 | 14.3% |
| 17. | Donald Brown | 6 | 37 | 14.0% |
| 18. | Jordan Todman | 4 | 25 | 13.8% |
| 19. | Martavis Bryant | 12 | 76 | 13.6% |
| 20. | Jace Amaro | 6 | 38 | 13.6% |
| 21. | Marqise Lee | 8 | 52 | 13.3% |
| 22. | John Carlson | 5 | 33 | 13.2% |
| 23. | Andre Holmes | 9 | 61 | 12.9% |
| 24. | Preston Parker | 6 | 41 | 12.8% |
| 25. | Ahmad Bradshaw | 7 | 48 | 12.7% |
| 26. | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | 6 | 42 | 12.5% |
| 27. | Reggie Wayne | 9 | 64 | 12.3% |
| 28. | Amari Cooper | 10 | 72 | 12.2% |
| 29. | Kelvin Benjamin | 10 | 73 | 12.0% |
| 30. | Rashad Jennings | 8 | 59 | 11.9% |
| 31. | Dwayne Allen | 6 | 45 | 11.8% |
| 32. | Frank Gore | 6 | 45 | 11.8% |
| 33. | Levine Toilolo | 5 | 38 | 11.6% |
| 34. | Devin Funchess | 4 | 31 | 11.4% |
| 35. | Damaris Johnson | 4 | 31 | 11.4% |
| 36. | Luke Willson | 5 | 39 | 11.4% |
| 37. | Nate Washington | 11 | 87 | 11.2% |
| 38. | Eric Ebron | 9 | 72 | 11.1% |
| 39. | Vernon Davis | 8 | 64 | 11.1% |
| 40. | Dorial Green-Beckham | 4 | 32 | 11.1% |
| 41. | Seth Roberts | 4 | 32 | 11.1% |
| 42. | Jeremy Hill | 5 | 42 | 10.6% |
| 43. | Reggie Bush | 5 | 44 | 10.2% |
| 44. | Denard Robinson | 5 | 44 | 10.2% |
| 45. | Matt Asiata | 7 | 63 | 10.0% |
| 46. | Dion Lewis | 4 | 36 | 10.0% |
—Ian Allan