Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. had his finest season as a professional in 2017. Jones finished the year with 61 catches for 1,101 yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns.
Jones' receiving totals included a career single-season high 15 catches of 25-plus yards, which tied for the third most in the NFL. His average of 18.0 yards per catch ranked second in the league.
Thanks to the help of the Next Gen Stats data collected via the chips in every player's shoulder pads, Jones was also recently identified as one of the top tight-window receivers in the league. He came in second to Minnesota wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Next Gen Stats defines a "tight window" as a throw where the intended receiver has less than a yard of separation from the defender, per NFL.com.
Jones saw 40.2 percent of his targets this past season come in tight windows, more than any other qualifying wideout.
He averaged 26.5 yards per reception in tight windows. Only Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham (seven) scored more tight-window touchdowns than Jones (five).
Considering Jones' big-play ability, plus his ability to make catches in tough windows, he was one of the more quarterback-friendly receivers in the NFL this past season.
It's no surprise then that quarterback Matthew Stafford led all qualifying quarterbacks in yards per attempt on his tight-window throws (7.41), and had a passer rating of 80.8 (ranked second) on those throws, per Next Gen Stats.
Jones said after the season he plans to work with Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss again this offseason. Jones credited those workouts last offseason as one of the reasons for his improved play in 2017.
This offseason, Jones hopes his workouts with Moss will help add even more to his game, especially some improvement in yards after the catch.
Imagine the kind of season Jones could have in 2018, if he continues to be dangerous down the field and in tight windows, and also becomes more dangerous as a runner after the catch.
