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Colts Josh Downs was one of the best WRs in the NFL in an important category as a rookie

   

The Indianapolis Colts drafted WR Josh Downs with the 79th pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

He had a strong rookie season, recording 68 catches for 771 yards and two touchdowns. 

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he is in an elite company in terms of getting open. 

In a recent article, PFF shared the top 10 WRs who had the highest open-target rate in 2023. Downs tied with Cleveland Browns WR Elijah Moore for 10th on the list.  Downs saw 94 targets in 2023, and he marked open for 80 of them for an 85.1% open target rate. 

Some of the other notable WRs to make the list include: 

  • Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (93.1%)
  • Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (89.7%)
  • Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (87.0%)
  • Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos (85.7)

Downs ended up having one of the better rookie seasons of any WR last season. Even though he and the rest of the Colts offense were without starting QB Anthony Richardson for most of the year. And it was pretty apparent early on that Downs, and Richardson had built strong chemistry throughout the teams 2023 rookie minicamp and Training Camp.

Both taking a step forward in their development this season would be massive for the teams' hopes of making the postseason and beyond in 2024. If Downs continues to get open at this elite rate, he will soon become a household name in the league. And plays like the ones you can see below will become something fans expect week in and week out as the duo grows together. 

 

 

 

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