Can We Find the Next Michael Thomas in the 2023 Rookie Class?

Corbin Young
January 17, 2024

Michael Thomas immediately earned target volume as a rookie with the Saints. In Thomas’ rookie season, the Saints had three receivers with over 100 targets, including Thomas (121), Brandin Cooks (117), and Willie Snead (104). As a rookie, Thomas ranked 21st in EP/G and third in FPOE/G with a 19% target share.

After Year 1, Thomas posted three consecutive seasons with 145 or more targets. Since 2010, a receiver has earned 145-plus targets in three straight seasons only 12 times. (Larry Fitzgerald landed on that list twice.) Thomas’ rookie season ranks 13th among rookie receivers with at least 100 targets, but there’s a 2023 rookie who garnered the most opportunities by all Year 1 players since 2010. Can this rookie become the next Thomas?

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Corbin Young

Week 7 Running Back Advanced Stats: Rhamondre Stevenson’s Tackle-Breaking Dominance and the Workload Metrics That Identify League Winners

Corbin Young October 24, 2025

We’re back with the running back advanced stats for Week 7. The format of this article could evolve as the season progresses, since we will examine more than just the best and worst in various advanced metrics. After Week 6, the injuries, narratives, and performances shifted in a different direction, especially for the veteran and rookie running backs once again. We’ll utilize the Advanced Stats Explorer and…...

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Week 6 Running Back Advanced Stats: Cardinals’ Backfield and Quinshon Judkins

Corbin Young October 17, 2025

We’re back with the running back advanced stats for Week 6. The format of this article could evolve as the season progresses, since we will examine more than just the best and worst in various advanced metrics. After Week 6, the injuries, narratives, and performances shifted in a different direction, especially for the veteran and rookie running backs once again. We’ll utilize the Advanced Stats Explorer and…...

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Week 5 Running Back Advanced Stats: Is Croskey-Merritt For Real?

Corbin Young October 10, 2025

We’re back with the running back advanced stats for Week 5. The format of this article could evolve as the season progresses, since we will examine more than just the best and worst in various advanced metrics. After Week 5, the injuries, narratives, and performances shifted in a different direction, especially for the rookie running backs once again. We’ll utilize the Advanced Stats Explorer and other tools…...