• Flowers was a weapon on screen passes: Flowers caught 20 of 24 targets on plays designed behind the line of scrimmage, gaining 168 yards. He gained six first downs, forced seven missed tackles and averaged 11.6 yards after the catch per reception.

• George Pickens and D.K. Metcalf thrived as deep threats: Pickens saw 31 deep targets last season, the third-most in the NFL, and he led the league with 17 deep catches for 577 yards. Metcalf edged Pickens with 32 deep targets, tied for the league lead, and caught 16 of his deep targets for 489 yards and five touchdowns.

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Where receivers win on the field isn’t just a detail — it’s one of the most important dynamics in any offense. Short-area specialists keep the chains moving and give quarterbacks easy outlets. Intermediate threats attack the heart of zone coverages, where precision and toughness often lead to big chunk gains. And deep threats stretch defenses vertically, forcing safeties to stay honest and creating opportunities for explosive plays. Together, these skill sets shape how teams move the ball and how defenses are forced to respond.

For fantasy players and bettors, this is important and actionable information. Targets in the intermediate range (10-plus air yards downfield) are often tied to higher fantasy upside, thanks to their difficulty and yards-after-catch potential. And players who excel deep are the ones most likely to break a single big play that puts them over their receiving line in one snap.

With PFF Premium Stats, you can pinpoint which receivers are thriving at every level of the field and make smarter decisions — whether you’re setting lineups, placing bets or just trying to understand the game at a deeper level.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PFF RECEIVING DEPTH REPORT

Behind the Line of Scrimmage

1. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (93.8)

2. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (93.7)

3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (93.6)

Last season, Flowers caught 20 of 24 targets on plays designed behind the line of scrimmage, gaining 168 yards. He gained six first downs, forced seven missed tackles and averaged 11.6 yards after the catch per reception, all of which ranked top-10 at the position.

Short (1-9 yards downfield)

1. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (97.1)

2. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (96.6)

3. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (96.6)

Brown was targeted 57 times in the short area of the field, accounting for 48.3% of his targets on the season. He caught 45 passes for 492 yards (fifth in the league) and three touchdowns. Brown averaged 5.3 yards after the catch per reception and ranked sixth in yards per route run at 8.63. He secured six of 10 contested targets and finished in the top five in both missed tackles forced (12) and first downs (31). Nearly half of his first-down gains in 2024 (63) came on short-area targets.

Intermediate (10-19 yards downfield)

1. Nico Collins, Houston Texans (99.9)

2. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (99.8)

3. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers (99.2)

3. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (99.2)

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (99.2)

Collins saw 45 intermediate targets last season, the 10th-most in the league, and they accounted for 39.1% of his total targets. He caught 32 of those for 562 yards and scored four touchdowns. Collins also forced five missed tackles and secured eight of 12 contested targets while posting a 133.8 intermediate target rating, ninth-best in the NFL.

Deep (20-plus yards downfield)

Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers (99.9)

Reed caught 12 of his 15 deep targets last season, including all five of his contested catches, for 478 yards and a touchdown. He generated a 141.0 passer rating on those targets, fourth-best in the league. Reed also averaged 8.3 yards after the catch per reception, and more than half of his total receiving yards (52.9%) came via deep receptions.

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (99.9)

Samuel caught five of his nine deep targets for 224 yards and a touchdown during an injury-plagued season. He averaged 18.2 yards after the catch per reception, second-best in the league, and generated a 137.5 passer rating, tied for seventh. Deep receptions accounted for 33.4% of his 670 total receiving yards.

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers (99.9)

Pickens saw 31 deep targets last season, the third-most in the NFL, and he led the league with 17 deep catches for 577 yards. Two of his four touchdowns came on deep passes, and he averaged 4.5 yards after the catch per reception while posting a 107.9 passer rating when targeted. Deep receptions accounted for 58.4% of his 987 total receiving yards in 2024.

D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks (99.9)

Metcalf edged Pickens with 32 deep targets, tied for the league lead, and rivaled his production as he steps in to replace him in Pittsburgh this season. Metcalf caught 16 of his deep targets for 489 yards and five touchdowns, all ranking top-five at the position. He secured six of 14 contested targets and averaged 5.4 yards after the catch per reception while posting a 109.4 passer rating when targeted. Deep receptions accounted for 49.2% of his 992 total receiving yards in 2024, and all five of his touchdowns came on deep passes.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (99.9)

McLaurin was the only receiver in this group to post a 1,000-yard season in 2024, finishing with 96 catches for 1,323 yards. Though he was used less often as a deep threat than Metcalf or Pickens, he was equally dangerous, securing 16 deep receptions for 474 yards, which ranked seventh among receivers. McLaurin tied Metcalf with 32 deep targets and five touchdowns, hauled in six of 12 contested targets, ranked fifth in total yards after the catch with 100 and matched Jayden Reed with 8.3 yards after the catch per reception.