3. MARQUISE BROWN, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Key stat: Of 75 qualifying wide receivers, Brown ranked first in passer rating when targeted (134.4) and 11th in fantasy points per route run (0.45).
Brown was the first wide receiver drafted in 2019, and he probably had the best landing spot, but he finished the season just eighth in receiving yards (584). Sure, looking at the raw numbers, Brown’s rookie season might appear underwhelming, but on a per-route or per-target basis, his numbers were among the best in the league. And, I think that’s the larger story in a season marred by injury.
Brown spent much of the offseason rehabbing from Lisfranc surgery (typically a massive disadvantage for any rookie), and then spent nine of 16 games on the injury report listed as questionable. During the regular season, Brown played on just 58% of Baltimore’s snaps when active. During the postseason, Brown appeared to be unleashed, playing on 85% of the snaps and turning 11 targets into 126 yards.
Like his most common pre-draft player comparison (DeSean Jackson), Brown may always struggle with injuries (perhaps due to his slight frame). But, he was hyper-efficient in college (by yards per route run and depth-adjusted yards per target), he was hyper-efficient in rookie season, and he’s tethered to the league’s reigning MVP for the foreseeable future. As I see it, so long as he can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit