In the present day I needed to proceed the collection, taking a look at NFL WR receiving stats. The Pittsburgh Steelers added WR Ben Skowronek to the follow squad, drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, the place he spent the final three seasons.
The stats on this examine are from the 2022 season when Skowronek performed most. We’ll give attention to him and embody qualifying Steelers for comparability. The aim is to see how Skowronek stacked up in opposition to his NFL friends, and what that would imply for 2024.
Let’s dive in, beginning with on course catch proportion (whole receptions/variety of catchable targets) which highlights the standard of targets and connectivity, together with drop proportion (drops/catchable targets) to see who made essentially the most of their anticipated catch conditions:
Right here, Skowronek lands above the imply in each information factors. A 90.0 on course catch fee ranks forty fifth out of the 85 qualifying WRs (barely above-average), whereas a 2.2 drop fee was comfortably above the imply and tied for nineteenth. This factors to dependable arms on his targets compared to his friends in 2022.
Subsequent let’s have a look at yards per route run (YPRR=whole receiving yards/variety of routes run excluding RPO handoffs) and yards per goal (YPT=receiving yards per move try through which the receiver is focused, together with incompletions) to get an concept of how the gamers have been utilized:
Fairly a distinct story right here. Skowronek had simply 1.0 yards per route run, tying for 82nd. That fourth-least amongst qualifier and sheds essential context to his above common catch charges within the earlier view. 6.2 yards per goal landed a bit higher however nonetheless a low 79th rating.
Let’s additional study their utilization with common depth of goal (ADOT=common distance downfield that the focused throws traveled, excluding spikes and throwaways) and common depth of completion (ADOC) to zero in on alternatives extra within the receiver’s management:
A 7.5 common depth of goal ranked 72nd, and 5.7 common depth of catch tied for 74th, every properly below-average. At the least in 2022, when Skowronek acquired essentially the most enjoying time to this point, was a brief space but dependable goal.
Persevering with with extra essential elements, listed here are first down percentages (proportion of receptions the place the receiver achieved a primary down) together with damaged/missed tackles per reception (BMT), a enjoyable and telling information level. The aim right here is to see who offered transferring the chains performs and which gamers additionally confirmed the flexibility to make guys miss:
Contemplating the earlier info, faring properly on this view can be preferable for Skowronek. As a substitute, his 5.1 damaged/missed tackles per reception tied for 68th, and a very poor 41.0 first down fee that ranked 83rd. The latter was third-worst that season, which means he wasn’t a sequence mover and lacked creation after the catch that many others offered (together with Pittsburgh WRs).
I additionally needed to supply a complete worth view utilizing factors earned per route (The whole of a participant’s EPA accountability on routes run utilizing the overall factors system that distributes credit score amongst all gamers on the sphere for a given play. Totals are scaled as much as map to the typical factors scored or allowed on a workforce degree, with the participant’s snap rely figuring out how a lot to regulate.
For receivers, this contains accounting for offensive line play, off-target passes, dropped passes, and damaged tackles. Values are modulated utilizing a quality-of-competition multiplier primarily based on every opponent’s earlier 12 months of efficiency) and EPA per goal (the overall change within the offense’s anticipated factors that got here on passes thrown to the participant):
Beneath the imply in each information factors as soon as once more, which is sensible after every little thing we’ve realized. His 0.005 factors earned per route ranked 79th, and a -0.03 EPA per goal landed a bit higher at 73rd. Apart from dependable arms, Skowronek was properly below-average in all different facets of the examine.
He does present versatility that included vast, slot, inline TE, together with FB/RB alignments in 2022, which OC Arthur Smith values. If Skowronek earns enjoying time in Pittsburgh, and issues transpire equally, we get a way of the kind of contributions that could possibly be in retailer for the follow squad addition.
Not a needle mover, therefore his providers being out there, however a pleasant versatile participant that helps with the depth and choices on the place for Pittsburgh’s offense. Plus, particular groups matter, and Skowronek has chops there that will seemingly be a welcomed improve to a unit that was lackluster this preseason.
To shut, here’s a desk of all of the ranks:
