Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best tight coverage receivers in the NFL
Jan 13, 2017, 11:16 AM | Updated: 11:35 am
(AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
If Larry Fitzgerald decides to call it a career and not return to the Arizona Cardinals this fall, the Cardinals are going to miss his ability to catch passes in tight coverage.
In fact, in 2016 the 33-year-old wide receiver was still one of the best in the NFL at catching balls with less than a yard of separation between the receiver and the defender.
Using the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, which tracks data to see which receivers caught the highest percentage of passes with a limited separation between the receiver and defender, NFL.com’s Matt Harmon came up with the top 10 best receivers in tight coverage.
In Harmon’s findings, he ranks Fitzgerald at No. 9 with a 52.5 percent catch rate.
The future Hall of Famer just keeps on chugging. Larry Fitzgerald posted a 52.5 percent catch rate on his targets (40) where he had less than a yard of separation. Fitzgerald still operates mostly in the short areas of the field as the Cardinals possession receiver and he averaged just 9.6 yards per reception on those 40 targets. With John Brown struggling through injuries and illness all year and Michael Floyd underperforming before a late-season DUI saw him hit waivers, Fitzgerald continued to shoulder the bulk of the load in the passing game. Yet, this was the third straight year he closed the regular season on a low note, recording more than 70 yards just once after Week 10. The Cardinals can still count on him as a contested catch threat next season, should he decide to return, but they’ll need better play from their younger receivers next year.
The Green Bay Packers’ Davante Adams led the league with a 69.6 percent catch rate, followed by Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears with a 60.9 percent catch rate.
Former Cardinal and current Detroit Lions receiver Anquan Boldin was sixth with a 56.7 percent catch rate.