- Nico Collins and Puka Nacua were nightmares for defenses in 2024: The star receivers each placed among the five highest-graded players against man and zone coverage this past season.
- Mike Evans isn't slowing down: The soon-to-be 32-year-old was the NFL's best pass catcher against man coverage in 2024, boasting an elite 92.8 PFF receiving grade.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
We're diving into last season's top NFL wide receivers by PFF receiving grade against man and zone coverages.
The Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua and the Houston Texans' Nico Collins headline both categories, while the always consistent Mike Evans dominated against man coverage.
Man Coverage
1. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (92.5)
Evans caught 33 of 43 single-coverage targets for 401 yards, moving the chains on all but five of his receptions (28). His 76.7% catch rate against man coverage ranked first among players on this list. Evans also caught five touchdown passes, secured seven of 10 contested targets and produced a 134.0 passer rating when targeted.
Mike Evans' Career PFF Grades
2. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (92.4)
Brown ranked fifth in PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2023 (90.4) and recorded a league-best 510 receiving yards.
He led the league in that mark again in 2024, catching 35 single-target passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns (tied third most). Brown also paced the NFL with 11 missed tackles forced on man-coverage catches while finishing in the top three in first downs gained (26), yards after the catch (189) and yards per route run (3.99). He ranked fifth in passer rating when targeted against man coverage (142.4).
3. Nico Collins, Houston Texans (92.0)
Collins recorded the second-best PFF receiving grade against man-coverage looks in 2023 (92.1), averaging 6.7 yards after the catch and leading the league in yards per route run (4.43).
That production continued in 2024, as he earned a near-identical 92.0 PFF receiving grade and again averaged 6.7 yards after the catch. Collins secured 19 of 29 single-coverage targets for 345 yards and a touchdown. He gained 17 first downs and ranked first in yards per route run (4.01) despite missing five games.
4. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (90.9)
Nacua missed five games in 2024 but still led the league in target rate against man coverage (40%) and yards after the catch (211). He caught 29 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns against such coverages, in addition to moving the chains 18 times. Nacua was the only receiver outside of A.J. Brown to force double-digit missed tackles (10) on man-coverage targets.
5. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (90.4)
London caught 31 passes for 393 yards and 23 first downs (tied fifth most) against man coverage in 2024. He placed in the top 10 in touchdowns, receiving yards, yards per route run and target rate, all while generating an impressive 130.1 passer rating when targeted on such plays.
Zone Coverage
1. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (92.3)
Nacua earned a 90.4 zone PFF receiving grade in his rookie 2023 season and followed that up with a 92.3 mark in 2024. He saw 71 zone targets at a rate of 36%, the highest in the league, and caught 55 passes for 706 yards and a touchdown. Nacua averaged 5.8 yards after the catch and finished in the top 10 in missed tackles forced (10) and first downs (32) on zone targets.
2. Nico Collins, Houston Texans (90.5)
Like Nacua, Collins recorded 90.0-plus PFF receiving grades against man and zone coverage in 2024, making them the only two receivers to accomplish the feat. Collins caught 50 zone targets for 726 yards (ninth most) and a touchdown. He gained 252 yards after the catch, averaged 5.0 additional yards per reception and ranked fourth in yards per route run (2.75). He also secured nine of 12 contested targets, forced seven missed tackles and gained 32 first downs against zone.
3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (87.7)
Jefferson ranked fourth in PFF receiving grade against zone coverage in 2023 (90.6) after recording 43 catches for 641 yards and placing third in yards per route run (3.00).
This past season, he was one of two receivers (Amon-Ra St. Brown) to record 100 zone targets, catching 76 passes for 992 yards (third most) and five touchdowns (tied fifth most). He forced nine missed tackles and gained 40 first downs on his way to a 106.8 passer rating when targeted.
4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals (87.4)
Chase finished in the top three in zone targets (92), catches (73) and receiving yards (1,065) in 2024. He averaged 7.5 yards after the catch per reception (fifth most) while leading the position with 550 total yards gained after the catch. He logged 40 first downs, forced 10 missed tackles and averaged 2.89 yards per route run (third best). The elite wideout was one of two players (Amon-Ra St. Brown) to record more than 1,000 receiving yards against zone coverage.
Ja'Marr Chase's Career PFF Grades
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (86.6)
St. Brown placed third in PFF receiving grade against zone coverage in 2023 (91.0) and led all receivers in zone targets (112), catches (84), receiving yards (1,180) and first downs (56).
He picked up right where he left off in 2024, hauling in 91 of 107 targets for 1,048 yards (second most) and 51 first downs. St. Brown again led the league in targets, catches and first downs against zone while tying for the fourth-best zone catch rate (85.0%). He caught three touchdowns, forced 12 missed tackles and secured 12 of 17 contested targets, capping his season with a 116.0 passer rating targeted against zone.
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