For years, Kenny Britt was billed as the receiver set to take the next step. There was sound logic behind the reasoning, which never seemed to come to fruition. Britt’s size and strength measures exhibited at the 2009 NFL combine brought on favorable comparables to Marques Colston and Braylon Edwards, having measured in the 75th percentile or above in the broad jump and bench press categories, as well as in arm length and weight. Basically, Britt had the prototypical body of a number-one receiver.
Britt’s first two seasons in the league, under the tutelage of Jeff Fisher, were very encouraging.
| Year | Rec | Targets | Reception NEP | Reception NEP per Target | Reception NEP per Target Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 42 | 75 | 55.91 | 0.75 | 23 of 95 |
| 2010 | 42 | 73 | 73.40 | 1.01 | 2 of 95 |
| 2011 | 17 | 26 | 24.67 | 0.95 | N/A |
| 2012 | 45 | 90 | 42.43 | 0.47 | 83 of 92 |
| 2013 | 11 | 35 | 6.05 | 0.17 | N/A |
| 2014 | 48 | 84 | 64.17 | 0.76 | 25 of 89 |
Britt’s penchant for the deep ball allowed him to post way above-average efficiency among qualifying receivers in his rookie season, and he was second in the league in Reception NEP per target in his sophomore season. But an injury shortened 2011 followed by disappointing campaigns in 2012 and 2013 put Britt in forgotten territory.
Britt’s 2014, back under a Fisher-coached team in St. Louis, brought him back to his rookie year form; that is, a respectable if not tremendous workload, and a top-third overall efficiency rating according to his Reception NEP per target.
The Rams have clearly prioritized running the ball and having a stout defense as their primary plan for franchise redemption. But they also dealt away the oft-injured Sam Bradford, who Britt never got to play with, for Nick Foles, with whom Britt reportedly developed a nice chemistry in OTA's. Either way, Foles ought to provide more and better chances for Britt to make explosive players than the Rams' second-and-third-string quarterbacks, Shaun Hill and Austin Davis, provided in 2014. It's also still possible that Brian Quick may not be ready to go on week one, leaving more opportunities for Britt to make an early-season splash.
Don’t count on the early-career Britt hype to come to fruition and expect to get a number-one fantasy receiver with no risk. But with Britt currently going undrafted in 10-team leagues, and signs of a resurgent efficiency that may warrant him at least a steady diet of targets moving forward, Britt offers high-ceiling potential without the worries of drafting a high-priced flop.