When the Buffalo Bills traded a haul of draft picks, including a 2020 first round selection for Stefon Diggs back in March, they immediately upgraded the offense with one of the best wide receivers in the game.
Over the last four seasons, Diggs has the 11th most receptions in the NFL (313), 14th most yards (3,903), and 10th most receiving touchdowns (26). He’s also regarded as one of the best route runners in the league.
Now, another metric places him as the third best overall pass-catcher in the league in 2019.
Diggs wound up No. 3 overall on the list, behind only New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
"In what turned out to be his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, Diggs caught just 63 passes but outgained Lockett in receiving yards, riding a yards-per-reception rate of 17.9 to 1,130 total yards (compared to Lockett's 1,057)," Shook wrote of Diggs. "His catch percentage wasn't nearly as high as Thomas' or Lockett's, but he made the most of his opportunities, posting a +10.7 percent catch-rate difference -- and he did so by winning press challenges. Diggs was pressed on 42% of routes run, enjoying just 2.5 yards of separation on average, yet his targets came with an air-yards average of 14.9. Most of his success was earned in single coverage, a testament to Adam Thielen's presence (despite Thielen's injuries) and a multi-level Vikings offense that didn't focus too heavily on Diggs."
