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With Michael Thomas’s Offensive Player of the Year award, it’s clear that NFL observers are dazzled by catch rate. It’s odd in a way because catch rate almost always correlates closely with shorter passes, and thus has long been the province of running backs and tight ends, not elite wide receivers. But I digress.
Let’s check out catch rate in the annals of Falcons history and find the answer to this question: Among players with 50 or more receptions, who has the best catch rate ever?
The player in question might surprise you a bit, but he was a very useful pass catching option for a few years in Atlanta. Among players with more than 50 receptions in a season, his sterling 89.8% catch rate is easily the best, with Devonta Freeman’s 84.3% mark this past season the only season that comes close. This player also has a catch rate over 80% for his career, which is a testament to his skill and his depth of target.
Who is it? Bonus points if you know the year.