• Harrison Smith is essentially the most dependable defensive again within the NFL proper now: Smith has had 13 interception alternatives since 2020, and he is dropped simply one among them.
• Darious Williams leads the NFL in dropped interceptions: Williams has dropped 15 interceptions since 2020. The excellent news is that his final drop got here in Week 8 of the 2023 season.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full entry to all our in-season fantasy instruments, together with weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and extra. Sign up now!
Estimated studying time: 3 minutes
It’s by no means too early to start out getting ready for subsequent season, and for PFF, which means taking a look at methods to enhance PFF Premium Stats. One approach we’re seeking to improve the expertise is by introducing extra knowledge into the combo.
Over the final a number of weeks, we have launched all kinds of potential new metrics, starting from separation proportion and lockdown proportion to pass-blocking win price and fourth-down aggressiveness.
This week, we’re introducing “Defensive Back Catch Rate,” which measures how dependable defensive backs are at securing interceptions when errant passes come their approach.
What is the Defensive Back Catch Rate?
There’s an previous adage that goes, “If defensive backs might catch, they’d be receivers.” While that is nothing greater than a tongue-in-cheek generalization, it highlights a essential facet of defensive play: the flexibility to safe interceptions and keep away from dropping potential game-changing passes.
Defensive Back Catch Rate measures the reliability of defensive backs in these conditions, quantifying how usually they efficiently catch interceptions in comparison with the variety of alternatives they get.
Defensive Back Catch Rate (2020-2024; postseason included)