The NFL's 10 Best Deep-Ball Wide Receivers in 2016
10. Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears
Deep Targets: 21 | Target NEP per Target: 1.08 | Success Rate: 61.90%
This isn't the first time Cameron Meredith has popped up here for having a breakout campaign. He also had drastically better overall metrics than his Chicago Bears teammates this year, meaning he may be a guy we need to take seriously going into 2017.
Meredith had a solid presence down the field with 21.65% of his targets coming at least 16 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and the results fully justified it. The Bears' conglomeration of quarterbacks completed 13 of 21 deep passes for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions when going his way.
The Bears have a decision to make with Alshon Jeffery as he's set to hit free agency, but they wouldn't be missing much from him on deep passes. Here's how Meredith compared to Jeffery on deep balls, and it really wasn't a competition.
| On Deep Targets | Targets | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Target NEP per Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Meredith | 21 | 336 | 3 | 0 | 1.08 |
| Alshon Jeffery | 32 | 370 | 0 | 3 | -0.04 |
This isn't all Jeffery's fault as he was likely seeing tighter coverage than Meredith, but the numbers do make Meredith look like a competent replacement. He'll be a big asset for whoever winds up quarterbacking the Bears going forward.
