Former NFL wide receiver Julian Edelman drew much criticism when he named Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen in his list of the current top players at the position.
In his recent appearance in the I Am Athlete podcast, the Super Bowl LIII Most Valuable Player cited Allen’s ability to create separation as his main reason for his selection.
Over the last four seasons, Pro Football Focus has him ranked in the top five of that category.
It’s that release that helped Allen rack up 106 receptions for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns last year.
Those numbers marked his third consecutive season of at least 100 receptions and 1,000 yards.
Allen also had at least six touchdown catches in each season since 2017.
Despite substantial proof to back his claim, Edelman is still drawing some flak for his list and Allen responded with this tweet.
But if those statistics are not enough, here’s former NFL receiver Chad Johnson giving props to the former Cal standout.
Johnson tweeted, “Been like that & we need more recognition like this for my dawg.”
He said this while quoting a post from NFL on CBS sharing how Allen has the most receptions through his first 100 games.
His 624 catches are two more than Antonio Brown and five better than Julio Jones.
Anquan Boldin and Marvin Harrison complete the top five.
This is an important statistic because receivers see different coverages in every snap.
There are times when Allen might even draw attention from two defensive backs.
Still, he gets the job done regardless of how the defense plays him.
Allen Is Key To The Chargers’ Success
Aside from Allen, they also have Mike Wallace who had a superb 2021 season.
There’s also Austin Ekeler who is equally dangerous in both the pass and run games.
With Justin Herbert leading the way, the Chargers can become one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league in 2022.
More importantly, they now have an upgraded defensive unit that can help shut down their opponents.
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