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Leaders in Percentage of Team Targets

On Friday, I wrote about Rob Moore’s 1997 season, when he set the still-standing record for targets in a year. Moore had 208 targets, but as alluded to in that post, he did not set the record for percentage of team targets in a season, which is simply targets divided by team pass attempts (excluding sacks).

That honor belongs to Brandon Marshall, who was targeted on 40% of all passes for the 2012 Bears, and wound up with a post-1978 record 46% of the Bears receiving yards that year.  Remarkably, Marshall saw over 30% of his team’s targets on three different teams, and saw 29% of a fourth franchise’s targets in a season (2015 Jets). The table below shows all players since 1992 with at least 30% (okay, 29.5%) of their team’s targets in a season:

RkPlayerTeamYearTarTm PassPercRANY/ARecYdTD
1Brandon MarshallCHI201219248539.6%-0.83118150811
2Sterling SharpeGNB199318952835.8%-0.76112127411
3Marvin HarrisonIND200220559134.7%0.74143172211
4Rob MooreARI199720860234.6%-0.979715848
5Roddy WhiteATL200814843434.1%1.308813827
6Herman MooreDET199520660534%1.62123168614
7Andre JohnsonHOU200616348133.9%-0.6610311475
8Marvin HarrisonIND199918454633.7%1.64115166312
9Rod SmithDEN200117251133.7%-0.48113134311
10Steve SmithCAR200515044933.4%1.05103156312
11Michael IrvinDAL199516549433.4%1.49111160310
12David BostonARI200117552633.3%0.539815988
13Randy MossMIN200218555833.2%-0.3610613477
14Randy MossMIN200317252033.1%1.92111163217
15Brandon MarshallDEN200717051533%0.5710213257
16Eric MouldsBUF200415246133%-0.688810435
17Jimmy SmithJAX200117653433%-0.1511213738
18Herman MooreDET199617854132.9%-0.6110612969
19Antonio BrownPIT201519359032.7%0.44136183410
20Julio JonesATL201520362132.7%-0.0913618718
21Laveranues ColesWAS200416851432.7%-1.60909501
22Muhsin MuhammadCHI200513641832.5%-1.90647504
23Cris CarterMIN200016149532.5%1.749612749
24Jimmy SmithJAX199917353532.3%0.6311616366
25Yancey ThigpenPIT199714946632%0.297913987
26Hines WardPIT200114545431.9%0.779410034
27Lee EvansBUF200613743131.8%-0.218212928
28Chad JohnsonCIN200417053631.7%-0.759512749
29Isaac BruceSTL199519963231.5%-0.51119178113
30Herman MooreDET199717054031.5%-0.0910412938
31Brett PerrimanDET199617054131.4%-0.619410215
32Joey GallowayTAM200515248731.2%-0.4283128710
33Isaac BruceSTL199615048131.2%-1.258413387
34Steve SmithCAR200812941431.2%1.027814216
35Laveranues ColesNYJ200615248831.1%-0.079110986
36Vincent JacksonTAM201316051431.1%-1.027812247
37Reggie WayneIND201219562831.1%-0.2910613555
38Roddy WhiteATL201017957731%0.47115138910
39DeAndre HopkinsHOU201519261931%-0.35111152111
40Marty BookerCHI200216854330.9%-0.789711896
41Anquan BoldinSFO201312941730.9%0.798511797
42Carl PickensCIN199617456330.9%0.13100118012
43Anquan BoldinARI200316553430.9%-1.1710113778
44Tony MartinATL199813142430.9%1.556611816
45Steve SmithCAR200314246030.9%0.378811107
46Larry FitzgeraldARI201017356130.8%-2.029011376
47Andre JohnsonHOU200817155530.8%0.7511515758
48Sterling SharpeGNB199216252730.7%0.30108146113
49Cris CarterMIN199519764230.7%0.67122137117
50Peerless PriceATL200314146030.7%-1.68648383
51Terrell OwensSFO200115550630.6%1.4793141216
52Andre RisonKAN199715149330.6%0.257210927
53Tim BrownOAK199716252930.6%1.0510414085
54Tony MartinSDG199516554030.6%-0.179012246
55Torry HoltSTL200318360030.5%0.06117169612
56Keyshawn JohnsonTAM200118059230.4%-0.4310612661
57Rod SmithDEN200017356930.4%1.9110016028
58Joe HornNOR200015149730.4%0.579413408
59A.J. GreenCIN201216454030.4%-0.1097135011
60A.J. GreenCIN201317858730.3%0.4598142611
61Demaryius ThomasDEN201418460730.3%1.53111161911
62Roddy WhiteATL201118059430.3%0.8510012968
63Terance MathisATL199915450930.3%0.078110166
64Torry HoltSTL200617959230.2%0.9993118810
65O.J. McDuffieMIA199816554630.2%0.199010507
66Laveranues ColesWAS200315952730.2%-0.468212046
67Hines WardPIT200410835830.2%0.808010044
68Jimmy SmithJAX199715250430.2%1.648213244
69Michael IrvinDAL199314347530.1%1.928813307
70Andre JohnsonHOU201414648530.1%0.14859363
71Hines WardPIT200511437930.1%1.276997511
72Brandon MarshallMIA201114146930.1%-0.328112146
73Eric MouldsBUF200016454630%0.629413265
74Mike EvansTAM201617357829.9%-0.1996132112
75Chris ChambersMIA200516655629.9%-0.1582111811
76Muhsin MuhammadCAR200416053629.9%0.6093140516
77Cris CarterMIN199616756129.8%0.3896116310
78Plaxico BurressNYG200516655829.7%0.287612147
79Marty BookerCHI200115752829.7%-0.3610010718
80Jimmy SmithJAX200213746229.7%0.048010277
81Terrell OwensDAL200615050629.6%0.9085118013
82Pierre GarconWAS201318161129.6%-0.8311313465
83Chad JohnsonCIN200315452029.6%0.5290135510
84Marvin HarrisonIND200016957129.6%2.01102141314
85Brett PerrimanDET199517960529.6%1.6210814889
86Antonio BrownPIT201418161229.6%1.67129169813
87Carl PickensCIN199815452129.6%0.008210235
88Jerry RiceSFO199415151129.5%2.69112149913

The target hog to appear most frequently on this list? That’s Football Perspective favorite and former Jacksonville Jaguar Jimmy Smith.  Also noteworthy: the top five players by RANY/A among the group of receivers who saw at least 30% of their team’s targets: Rice, Harrison, Moss, and Irvin are the first four of those names.  That’s arguably the top four receivers since 1992. The fifth? Rod Smith.

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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