Justin Johnson sorts through the wide receiver corps of the NFC East. Finally, the drop off isnt as steep as we might have thought. Then something interesting happened in 2017: the number of 1,000-yard wideouts dropped from 23 to 13. . A person with knowledge of the situation had told . His 80 total pressures in 2019 were the most recorded by a rookie in the PFF era, easily beating out Aldon Smiths previous record of 64 in 2011. It would appear age doesnt make a whole lot of difference to wide receivers, though we do see the number ramp up from their age-21 to age-26 season, highlighting when most are at the tail end of their rookie contract. You dont want to make a habit of letting multi-faceted, elite defenders like him walk. Is there a player falling down draft boards due to his age and perceived drop-off? Then last season, at 31, Julio started to show signs of decline with the Falcons. What wide receivers are 29 years old? Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. Height: 5'9 Position: Wide Receiver; Coming in at number 9, Wesley Carter Welker is a former American football pro who played for 11 seasons in the NFL. This Sundays game between the Rams and Vikings will feature the top two receivers in the NFL in receiving yards, each on one end of the twenties spectrum: Cooper Kupp has 1,625 yards at age 28, Justin Jefferson has 1,335 yards at age 22. Very little. Garrett was on his way to a career year as a pass-rusher before his suspension last season. Similarly, he came close to leading the league in interceptions one year, recording an impressive eight interceptions during the same period. He's consistently been a winner, with a career 86-41-1 regular season record and two Super Bowl appearances in eight seasons. In dynasty, you should be playing with a three-year window in mind, and if this chart highlights anything, its that hell have another three years of top-24 production. At what age do certain positions start falling off? The types of wideouts who we used to expect to get 14 seasons, then 11-12 seasons, now look to be getting at most eight or nine seasons. This chart identifies when a player may lose some of that elite potential. Matthew Slater is the oldest wide receiver this season. The do-everything linebacker has only one Pro Bowl to his name, but he's recorded over 100 tackles in all but one of his eight NFL seasons. On passes that were thrown 20 or more yards downfield, Jackson has allowed just 12 of his 48 targets to be completed, with 22 forced incompletions mixed in. This is a good time to remind everyone that JuJu Smith-Schuster is just 23 years old (will be 24 late this year). Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, Hines Ward, Donald Driver, Chad Johnson, and Derrick Mason were all at least 31, and had at least 1,000 yards. He made the Pro Bowl at age 29, but Baldwin was not the same player at 30 and he never played in the NFL again after that season. This chart identifies when a player may lose some of that elite potential. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The biggest takeaway while looking at this chart is something many have forgotten after watching a great rookie class in 2019. Its easy to get dispirited with Smith-Schuster after the 2019 season, attributing all his struggles in his third season to the fact that Antonio Brown wasnt there to draw away attention. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. As you can see for the wide receiver position there is no major drop off. Wagner has been one of the constants on Seattle's defense since 2012 and has been an All-Pro in five of the last six seasons. Injuries have hindered Green over the last two seasons, but the Bengals are hopeful he can bounce back at age 32 this season. When will Rams pick center of the future? To be clear, Im not telling you a wide receivers body doesnt start breaking down or fatiguing once he gets to a certain age (believe me, that starts before 28 years old), but it doesnt mean they cant produce more fantasy points per game with the experience theyve gained over the years. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks. The team will have to decide whether or not to keep Woods at a salary of $15.7 million, release Woods prior to June 1st for $3.6 million in savings, release Woods with post-June 1 for $10 million in savings, or renegotiate a new deal with Woods to lower his salary cap. If there was ever a receiver in the last three years who you would expect to potentially meet the Randy Moss, Jerry Rice line, its Julio Jones. Entering his age 37 season, Rodgers is still going strong in Green Bay. 82 receptions for 693 yards and one touchdown in 2021. You dont want to make too many conclusions based on two-week sample sizes, but its hard not to see the kind of effect Fitzpatrick had on the Pittsburgh defense from his free safety position after joining the team. For years now weve heard the argument that running backs dont matter based on fungibility at the position and values on day two of the draft outclassing the first rounders, but what will become of wide receivers if teams keep churning them out for new weapons the closer they get to 30? Wide receivers often take time to develop, so it makes sense to see just 81-of-208 (38.9 percent) receivers finish as top-36 options in-between the ages of 21-23, then seeing that number spike to 44.7 percent in their age-24-25 seasons. Johnson avoided having a crater year that tainted the memories we have of him and like James Dean, will always be remembered that way. Jones needs little introduction as one of the most explosive wideouts in the NFL. In saying nothing negative at all about Cooper Kupp whatsoever, I am confident that 2021 will be the best season of his career. Ok, but Antonio Brown is an (insert insult)! That mainly comes down to the fact that getting Chubb to the ground has been much easier said than done. Wide receivers are in their prime fantasy years from age-25 through age-32, according to this chart. I have no reason to believe Kupp wont finish out his deal, but seeing him get another contract beyond that is beginning to look like it will be more of an exception than an expectation. Now that we know a wide receiver essentially loses his elite upside when he turns 32, what about performing as a consistent WR1 for your fantasy team? Ill use a combination of FootballOutsiders DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Average) and regular yards to include eight more players and their current age: While we can quibble of the names who are on and the ones who are not (Marquise Brown, Michael Pittman, DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Darnell Mooney, A.J. His two-year contested-target percentage and forced incompletion rate both rank among the top 10 players at the position. He made the Pro Bowl in his first eight seasons as a lockdown cornerback who also contributed as a returner. Wilson continues to be one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, making his sixth Pro Bowl last year and ending on the short list of Hall of Fame candidates. Hilton was the Wide Receiver 22 weeks 9-17. Just last year, Alexanders 20 forced incompletions were second at the cornerback position behind Carlton Davis. Gone are the days when two-receiver sets were the staple of the NFL , as t eams lining up in trips, four-wideout looks . He's hoping to rebound from a down age 30 season, when he recorded eight sacks in 15 games. TL;DR: This article explores at which ages NFL wide receivers have their most productive seasons. As for those contributions on the ground, Jackson has no peers at the quarterback position. Campbell is one of the rare defensive linemen who has aged like a fine wine. Mecole Hardman, Chiefs. Brown, D.K. When you look at the company McLaurin is keeping when it comes to receiving grade as a rookie, its hard not to get excited about his prospects in 2020. Kupp has a salary cap hit of $18.3 million next season and he isnt going anywhere. Brandon Cooks already has an impressive 44 catches for 694 yards, a 15.8 yards per catch. There are certain topics that come up throughout a fantasy owners life cycle that force him to question everything hes heard. For those who suggest Julio Jones is worth just WR3/4 prices in dynasty, I suggest you stop thinking that now. It's clear that wide receivers take some time to develop and have a. Consider not only the career lifespans of players like Rice and Moss, who we know transcend almost all other receivers to come along in the last 50 years, but also the likes of really really good wideouts like Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Donald Driver, and Derrick Mason: Before we even get to the modern era, Ill pose this question to you: Do you expect Cooper Kupp to play 14 seasons with the Rams? For 225 PPR fantasy points per year (roughly top-24 production), the average age was 27 with 80% of peak seasons falling within the age range of, Although the sample sizes for NFL wide receivers grows smaller as age increases, readers can apply this data to fantasy drafts because Mike Tagliere shows that wide receivers do not significantly decline until the age of, For truly elite (250+ PPR points) production, 68% of elite seasons are from players between the ages of. His most recent game with 90 or more yards was October 13, 2019. Only five years ago, 26-percent of 1,000-yard receivers were at least 30 years old. Williams has very quietly played like one of the best safeties in the NFL over the last three seasons. Expect him to put up even bigger numbers in Year 3 with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback in Joe Bradys offense. For 225 PPR fantasy points per year (roughly top-24 production), the average age was 27 with 80% of peak seasons falling within the age range of 23-30. He's been an All-Pro in three consecutive seasons and has three Pro Bowls to his name over nine seasons in Philadelphia. And looking closer, it was just two receivers who accomplished that, though they both did it twice (Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Owens), and are both Hall of Famers. He can do everything you would want a running back to do, and hell continue to do so for the Panthers given that hes coming off a freshly-inked contract extension. Gronk is set to come out of retirement to join the Bucs in 2020. Average playing career length in the National Football League (in years). Wide receivers age 25-29 peak at age 26 but they remain stable up until their age 30 campaign. There have been trade talks and speculation surrounding Adams as he awaits a contract extension, but he deserves to get paid. Razzball.com and the Razzball logo units are copyright Razzball LLC. This is much different than the running back chart youll see tomorrow. Being able to produce with the ball in your hands matters. The percentage of accurate passes he received dropped from 61.4% in 2017 and 2018 to 50.8% in 2019. Still, from former MVPs and Pro Bowlers to 2021 draftees, the group of players under 25 remains stacked. Since he was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, no running back has graded out higher than Chubb as a rusher. Interestingly, he did it at a high level in both the slot (63% of his routes in 2019) and out wide. Green, draft JaMarr Chase, get younger, healthier, and richer, The Giants sign Kenny Golladay and the Ravens add Sammy Watkins, but this doesnt prevent either team from drafting a wide receiver in the first round this year; which was smart because Golladay and Watkins do seem a lot older than their counterparts and theyve got a ways to go before turning 30. The average NFL career for a wide receiver is a little more than two years. Wes Welker. WRs who were 29 in 2017: Antonio Brown, A.J. Jones is already a five-time Pro Bowler, and he led the NFL with 136 receptions in 2015. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. He forced 42 missed tackles as a runner in 2019, more than double that of the next closest quarterback (Josh Allen, 20). For the 2021 NFL season, several position groups namely wide receivers, tight ends, running backs are getting fresh number brackets, meaning number options for an individual player have. Patrick Peterson, CB, Cardinals. Theres a steady arc in the percentages, and its clear that a wide receivers prime is from age-25 through age-32. However, The average NFL career for an offensive lineman is about three-and-a-half years. Updated September 08, 2021 Outside of that, veteran wide receivers are tremendous values. Big Ben is coming back in 2020 after missing most of 2019 to an elbow injury. One of the biggest ones Id questioned was the timeline in which a player declined. In 2000, six of the eighteen 1,000-yard receivers were at least 30, including 34-year-old Tim Brown and 35-year-old Cris Carter. His PFF grade ranks fourth at the position since 2017, and hes been the eighth-most valuable safety in the league by PFF WAR over that same three-year stretch. Over eight seasons with the Chargers, Ingram has 49 sacks, including 24.5 sacks over the last three years. Dallas is the top unit because of its top three wide receivers. However, the data says otherwise which means many people can find great value in both redraft and dynasty. He had 85 tackles and three interceptions in 15 games at age 30. Youngs mention here was earned here by just how dominant of a prospect he was hes the best edge defender prospect that PFF has scouted since 2014. Beckham will likely spend next summer looking for the right fit for my talents instead of being subject to a bidding war for his services and that says A LOT. Report: Giants have 'sweet spot' for Daniel Jones deal, line in sand with Saquon Barkley, Chargers GM responds to Keenan Allen speculation, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Top NFL Draft prospect wanted on charges stemming from fatal crash, Morant allegedly went after teen, mall cop in incidents, Insider gives latest on Lamar Jackson, Ravens situation, Red Wings, Larkin agree to eight-year, $69.6M extension, MLB backs movement to exempt MiLB players from Florida wage law, Report: Giants have 'sweet spot' for Jones deal, line in sand with Barkley, Ex-welterweight title challenger released from UFC contract. In fact, his 92.1 rushing grade over the last two years is the only mark above 90.0. And that is what has made him the most valuable player in the NFL over the last two seasons by nearly a full, Moore hasnt had the best of quarterback circumstances, given that he's had to deal with an injured, duo for much of 2019, but hes been able to produce despite those limitations, putting up a receiving grade over 80.0 across his first two NFL seasons. A couple of young receivers seem ready to explode! The greatest wideout of his era, Brown is an exception to the rule because maybe he brought this decline on himself. Even at 29-years-old, he's still one of the best wide receivers in the league. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. He recorded 19 sacks last year. But maybe the next generation of 30+ receivers was just starting to come into their own in 2017. Depending on what you want/need out of them, they really dont decline until theyre 33 or 34 years old. Peterson is coming off the worst year of his career at age 29, but hopes the transition to his 30s holds a brighter . Unfortunatelyand this is something that analytics seems to consistently misshistory does not predict the future. Hilton (32), Antonio Brown (33), A.J. Was the Bobby Wagner experiment a success for Rams? Johnson then had 1,492 yards the following year, but missed two games. Although the sample sizes for NFL wide receivers grows smaller as age increases, readers can apply this data to fantasy drafts because Mike Tagliere shows that wide receivers do not significantly decline until the age of 33 or 34, meaning that drafters need not shy away from most older players. Was October 13, 2019 32 this season from a down age 30 campaign wideouts from. Want/Need out of them, they really dont decline until theyre 33 or 34 years old in three seasons! Peterson is coming back in 2020 to explode last season, Rodgers is still going strong in Green Bay otherwise. 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Old ( will be 24 late this year ) has three Pro Bowls to his holds! Chart is something that analytics seems to consistently misshistory does not predict the....