Ranking the top wide receivers by open-target rate from 2023

• Kalif Raymond was open on nearly all of his targets in 2023: Raymond has enjoyed the best years of his NFL career in Detroit, and he was open on 42 of his 43 targets this past season.

• Three rookies make the cut: Rashee Rice, Zay Flowers and Josh Downs all generated top-10 separation rates on their targets in 2023.

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1. Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions

Raymond gained separation on all but one of his 43 targets in 2023. He finished third on the team in target rate (22.2%) and receiving yards (489) while leading the way in yards after the catch (6.7). Raymond gained 20 first downs, had nine catches of 20-plus yards and generated a team-best 121.8 passer rating when targeted.

2. Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants

Robinson tied for a team-high 76 targets in 2023 at a 26.9% clip. He led the team in catches (60) and missed tackles forced (13) while recording seven gains of 20-plus yards. In all, Robinson finished with 525 receiving yards receiving and 29 first downs. He has the second-highest separation rate for the Giants in his first two NFL seasons (93.4%), as well as the second-highest target rate (27.5%).

3. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills

The former fifth-round pick vaulted up the Bills’ depth chart in 2023, securing 45 of his 56 targets and generating a team-high 141.5 passer rating when targeted. Shakir gained 746 receiving yards, caught four touchdowns, forced six missed tackles and had 10 gains of 20-plus yards.

Shakir heads into training camp projected as Buffalo’s No. 1 receiver in an overhauled unit. Of the 11 receivers currently on the roster, only Shakir (393 receiving snaps), Curtis Samuel (402 receiving snaps) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (569 receiving snaps) saw significant playing time in 2023.

4. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Rice was the only Chiefs receiver to see more than 100 targets last season, and he gained separation on all but nine of them. Rice led the team in target rate (29.7%), recording 1,200 yards with 14 catches of 20-plus yards. He finished in the top 15 among all receivers in touchdowns (eight) and first downs (59), and he averaged 2.21 yards per route run.

5. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Zay Flowers led the Ravens’ receiving group in touches (96) and generated a 111.7 passer rating when targeted. The rookie wideout was the only Raven to record a 1,000-yard season. He moved the chains 48 times and tied for a team-high six touchdown catches. Flowers also led the team with 444 yards after the catch, forced 25 missed tackles and had 14 plays of 20-plus yards.

6. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Injuries have hampered Cooper Kupp over the past two seasons, but he still gained separation on 87 targets in 2023. The 31-year-old ranked second on the Rams in targets (100), target rate (27.2%) and gains of 20-plus yards (10). Kupp leads the Rams’ receiving corps in open-target rate over the past three seasons (86.8%) and ranks eighth in receiving yards (4,001) over that span.

7. Nelson Agholor, Baltimore Ravens

The second Raven to appear on this list, Agholor generated a career-best 121.6 passer rating when targeted in 2023. He was targeted at a 17.9% clip and caught 38 passes for 432 yards. He hauled in five touchdown passes, produced 4.5 yards after the catch on average and recorded 1.10 yards per route run.

T-8. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos

Jeudy tied with Courtland Sutton in target rate in 2023 (24.3%), catching 54 passes for 758 yards. Jeudy led the Broncos in missed tackles forced (14), yards after the catch (317) and yards after contact (136) while averaging 13.6 depth yards per target.

Jeudy, now with the Cleveland Browns, led all Broncos receivers in target rate (25.8%), catches (212) and receiving yards (3,068) since coming into the league in 2020.

T-8. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Jennings ranked fifth on the 49ers in target rate (16.8%), catching 29 passes for 376 yards. He stepped up in the postseason, gaining eight first downs on 10 catches while leading the team in passer rating when targeted (133.0). The fifth-year receiver enters training camp set to battle rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing for slot duties in 2024.

T-10. Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns

Moore enjoyed a career year in 2023, finishing third on the team in catches (61) and receiving yards (652). He gained 29 first downs and had 13 explosive receptions of 15-plus yards but averaged only 3.4 yards after the catch and 1.07 yards per route run.

Moore is set to compete for targets in 2024 with new arrival Jerry Jeudy, rookie Jamari Thrash and incumbents Cedric Tillman and David Bell.

T-10. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

Downs finished second among Colts receivers in touches (68) and target rate (24.5%) in his rookie season. The former Tar Heel recorded 771 receiving yards and generated a team-best 99.2 passer rating when targeted. Downs gained 30 first downs and had 10 receptions of 20-plus yards. He also led the team in missed tackles forced (nine) and average yards after the catch (5.5).

Downs could face competition from rookie Adonai Mitchell for targets next season but should be entrenched as the primary slot receiver moving forward.