ESPN places Antonio Brown outside top 25 NFL players, predicts he will have worst numbers since becoming full time starter

Just under a month ago the NFL Network put out their top 100 which is compiled based on votes among their piers. Antonio Brown came in at number 7 as the top wide receiver in the NFL. Well, it appears ESPN disagrees with that. Or at least they don’t see that talent translating to his on-field numbers this season.

Today ESPN put out their Top 100 player predictions for this season and Antonio Brown’s prediction is not what you’d expect from a player who’s arguably the best at his position in the NFL.

Brown lands at number 27, so not even in the NFL’s top 25. ESPN projects his numbers at 99 catches for 1,218 yards and 8 touchdowns. While that may seem like a pretty good season — at least compared to Raiders receivers in recent years — but for Brown standards that is his lowest numbers since he became in fulltime starter seven years ago. That’s across the board too. That’s the fewest catches, yards, and tied for the fewest touchdowns

The fewest yards per game Brown has put up in the past six seasons was 85.6 in 2016. He had 106 catches for 1284 yards and 12 TD that season. His fewest catches in a season was 101 in 2017. He had 1533 yards and 9 touchdowns. And last season he led the NFL with a career high 15 touchdowns.

I guess they are seeing it as the effect of changing teams? Derek Carr vs Ben Roethlisberger. His age (31)? The feet thing? Who knows.