The Greatness of Tyreek Hill
The Miami wide receiver is on pace for over 2,000 receiving yards
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 in 2012. Johnson was one of the most unique players the NFL has ever seen. Nicknamed “Megatron,” Calvin Johnson was 6’5” 237 pounds. He ran a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash and he possessed unparalleled strength and leaping ability that set him apart from any other wide receiver before or since. He’s one of only two NFL players to ever record 1,900 receiving yards in a season. The other was Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp in 2021 when he logged 1,947 receiving yards.
No NFL player has ever gained 2,000 receiving yards in a season. Before this season, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill stated that his goal was to crack the 2,000-yard mark. Through 12 games, Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with 1,481 receiving yards. That means he only needs 519 receiving yards over the next five games to reach 2,000. Hill’s current yardage total puts him on pace for 2,098 receiving yards, which would shatter Calvin Johnson’s record of 1,964. It’s worth noting that the NFL season is 17 games now instead of 16, but the feat remains impressive. In this article, I’ll break down the NFL’s best receiver and go over what makes him great and some of the otherworldly statistics he’s put up this season.
The Player
As far as body types go, Tyreek Hill couldn’t be more different from Detroit’s Calvin Johnson. Hill is listed at 5’10” and 191 pounds. He’s more in the mold of former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (5’10” 185 pounds) than Calvin Johnson (6’5” 237) or even the Rams’ Cooper Kupp (6’2” 208). What he lacks in size, Tyreek Hill makes up for in speed. His nickname is the Cheetah, and for good reason. Hill ran a 4.29 in the 40-yard dash at his college pro day, but he seems to play even faster than that. Hill is so fast that he frequently blows past NFL players, who are by their very nature incredibly speedy athletes. This season, of the 20 plays with the highest speeds reached by a ball-carrier, Tyreek Hill made the list 5 times. No other player had more than 3 appearances on the list.
But to call Tyreek Hill simply a burner would be unfair and inaccurate. The West Alabama alum does have elite straight line and top-end speed. But lots of NFL players have that. Tyreek Hill is great because of his short area burst and shiftiness both with the ball and while running routes. Hill is third in the NFL this season with 12 broken tackles after receptions. Not bad for a little guy. Hill also has five return touchdowns in his career, and if that was his sole job, he would likely be the best return man in the league.
But Tyreek Hill’s best attribute is his ability to create explosive plays in the passing game. He’s terrific at beating his defender off of the line, getting behind the defense, and tracking the deep ball all the way into his hands. He showed he could do this in his team’s 45-15 road blowout win over Washington on Sunday. On Tyreek Hill’s 60-yard touchdown catch, he turned over his inside shoulder to look for the ball. While running full speed, Hill took his eye off the ball, turned over his outside shoulder, tracked the ball, made the catch on the run, and beat multiple Commanders to the end zone. Hill leads the NFL with 24 receptions of 20+ yards this season, and his ability to adjust to and track the deep ball is a big reason why.
The Numbers
I’ve covered how Tyreek Hill makes plays, now I’ll go over some of his eye-popping statistics that he’s racked up this year. Hill leads the NFL with 1,481 receiving yards this season. The Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb is second in the league in receiving yards with 1,182 this year. That means Tyreek Hill leads the league by 299 yards. That’s nearly the same as the gap between Lamb and Indy’s Michael Pittman Jr. who ranks 14th in the NFL with 889 receiving yards this year.
Hill is second in the league in receptions with 93 this season and leads the NFL with 12 touchdown catches in 2023. What’s more, Tyreek Hill also leads the NFL in receiving yards per game with 123.4 this season. Only the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is even close, as he’s averaged 114.2 receiving yards per game over five contests this season. On a per-catch basis, Hill is having a great season as well. Among players with at least 70 targets, Hill ranks seventh in the NFL with 15.9 yards per catch.
According to Pro Football Reference, Tyreek Hill leads the NFL in first downs gained by receiving with 66. He also leads the league in quarterback rating when targeted (133.3) among players with at least 70 targets this season. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Tyreek Hill’s 64-yard reception against the Giants in Week 5 was the fourth-best run after the catch according to YAC-over expected this season. On the play, Hill caught a receiver screen near the sideline, ran straight for five yards, made one juke move to the inside, then cut all the way back to the inside. He then turned on the jets and blew through the New York defense on a diagonal line for 60 yards before being ultimately pushed out at the 16-yard line.
Tyreek Hill’s Case for MVP
Tyreek Hill is (in my opinion) the best receiver in the NFL because of his speed and his versatility. He is as dangerous on deep in routes and wide receiver screens as he is running a fly pattern a post, or a post-corner route. Former Vikings and Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss was famous for refusing to go over the middle. He still had a Hall of Fame career while neglecting the most vulnerable area of the field for most defenses. Hill is tremendous at using the threat of the deep ball to give him space when he breaks off his routes to the middle of the field. With that being said, the deep ball is still Tyreek Hill’s best asset. Hill leads the NFL in total yards a pass has traveled before being caught (YBC) with 877 yards this year. The next highest total is the Chargers’ Kenan Allen with 794 yards before the catch. Tyreek Hill’s MVP odds are currently set at +1500 on FanDuel. That ranks seventh in the NFL. Because of how Hill’s play has elevated his team, I think Tyreek Hill should be much higher on that list.
Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa is third in the NFL with 3,457 passing yards this season and second in passing yards per attempt with 8.6 this year. He’s having a career year in 2023. Miami’s offense ranks first in the NFL in yards per play (6.9), first in points per play (0.513), fourth in yards per point (13.4), first in offensive touchdowns per game (3.9), and second in points per game (32.0).
Some of that explosiveness is due to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, the development of Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa, and running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. But the best player on Miami’s offense is their blazing-fast wide receiver Tyreek Hill. And if he eclipses the 2,000-yard mark in receiving yards this year, he should be in serious consideration for the NFL MVP. In a year where the top three MVP contenders are Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, and Jalen Hurts, I think it makes more sense to give the award to the most dynamic player on the league’s best offense. And in 2023, that’s Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
As always, thanks for reading, and please consider supporting my work and becoming a paid subscriber if you aren’t one already.