Was Allen Robinson ranked correctly in NFL’s top-100 list?

Was Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson ranked correctly?

Sorry Muhsin Mohammad … Chicago might be “where wide receivers go to die,” but Bears wideout Allen Robinson is alive, well, and to boot, was just named to the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2020 list.

National respect hasn’t been the easiest thing to come by for Robinson. Management has left his production somewhat unrequited in contract talks, even after he churned out Chicago’s first 1,000-yard season since 2014.

And even for a player who creates separation from cornerbacks as artfully as Robinson, he hasn’t quite separated himself as an “elite” WR1 to the average fan. But, his peers gave them his fair due, ranking him as the No. 93 player in the NFL in 2020. And don’t hold your applause; this is guaranteed to be it for the Bears’ offense.

Allen Robinson fell a little short of where he should have been ranked

Unfortunately, like Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line of a Super Bowl, it feels like this ranking comes up a bit short, even objectively. In 2019, Allen Robinson had Pro Bowl receiver-type numbers. Consider this:

— Targets: 154 (No. 3 in NFL)
— Receptions: 98 (No. 7)
— Yards: 1,147 (No. 14)
— Touchdowns: 7 (T-No. 16)

Yet, Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf was ranked 12 spots earlier, despite catching 58 catches, 900 yards, and 7 TDs from superstar QB Russell Wilson.

The peers that voted for the NFL’s Top 100 probably aren’t taking into account the statistical degree of difficulty. But paired with having incompetence at the QB position, Robinson’s seen some of the NFL’s highest double-team rates since they’ve been tracked in 2016.

This was perhaps just as impressive. PFF conducted a study of where receivers are targeted most. In 2020, Robinson ranked among the top-10 in total routes run, with 630 in total. That lead to 154 targets in total, and that included elite finishes in target rate in the slot (24.3 percent, No. 6 in the NFL), from the outside (24.2 percent, No. 8), targets under pressure (21.6 percent, No. 4), and red zone (26.7, No. 7).

As Dr. Seuss might say, you can target Allen Robinson in a house, or with a mouse, in a box, or with a fox. Here, there, or anywhere. Wherever he is, Robinson’s been among the most versatile in the game.

Since entering the league, he’s been a top-20 receiver, despite catching passes from the likes of Mitch Trubisky, Chad Henne and Blake Bortles. And for that, he deserves praise. It stands as a positive milestone for a player motivated to add on to that.

In his own words — get your popcorn ready.