Now that the deal is (officially) done to bring wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, it’s time to look at what exactly he can do in the Cardinals offense.
We know he’s good, but where can he help the Bird Gang the most?
Here are a few stats that could help answer that question:
He plays with consistency
In 2019, Hopkins notched six 100-yard games, five of which in the regular season. The entire Cardinal receiving corps combined for that mark three times, with that occurring once after Week 2.
He can take over near the end zone
It’s not secret the Cardinals struggled to find six in the red zone last year, but Hopkins can change that. This stat comes courtesy of NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund:
The Cards scored on just 45.3 percent of red-zone drives last season, ranking 29th in the NFL. Meanwhile, over the past two seasons, Hopkins has 12 red-zone touchdown receptions, which is tied for the third-most in the league.
He can break the field open
In 2019, Hopkins caught 16 passes that resulted in a gain of 20 or more yards. The Arizona Cardinals had 49 of those plays the entire season. Additionally, 49.6% of Arizona’s completions went for 1st downs. DeAndre Hopkin’s receptions moved the sticks on 65.3% of his completions.
He shows up in tight games
It’s a game of inches in the NFL. Small plays can pay big dividends…or massive grenades. This seems especially prevalent among young teams. The Cardinals have plenty of youth, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Of Arizona’s 16 games in 2019, nine contests were decided by seven points or less.
In Hopkins’ 2018 – arguably his best season to date – Hopkins posted 82 receptions (115 total), 1,128 yards (1,572 total) and eight touchdowns (11 total) in games decided by a touchdown or less.
It may be uncertain when the Cardinals take the field for the first time in 2020, but Hopkins in the Kingsbury offense should be must-see TV.
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