Kayshon Boutte (WR, NE) led the NFL in yards per target in 2025 at 11.98. 155 players with 40+ targets qualified.
Yards per target is what a team got back every time it threw at a player, whether or not he caught it. Because the denominator is targets rather than catches, drops and contested misses count against him, which is exactly what you want when judging efficiency.
| Rank | Player | Pos | Team | Yards Per Target | Targets | Receptions | Rec Yards | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kayshon Boutte | WR | NE | 11.98 | 46 | 33 | 551 | 14 |
| 2 | Alec Pierce | WR | IND | 11.94 | 84 | 47 | 1,003 | 15 |
| 3 | Dalton Kincaid | TE | BUF | 11.65 | 49 | 39 | 571 | 12 |
| 4 | Christian Watson | WR | GB | 11.11 | 55 | 35 | 611 | 10 |
| 5 | Tucker Kraft | TE | GB | 11.11 | 44 | 32 | 489 | 8 |
| 6 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | SEA | 11.00 | 163 | 119 | 1,793 | 17 |
| 7 | Jameson Williams | WR | DET | 10.95 | 102 | 65 | 1,117 | 17 |
| 8 | Luther Burden III | WR | CHI | 10.87 | 60 | 47 | 652 | 15 |
| 9 | George Pickens | WR | DAL | 10.43 | 137 | 93 | 1,429 | 17 |
| 10 | Kendrick Bourne | WR | SF | 10.40 | 53 | 37 | 551 | 14 |
| 11 | Puka Nacua | WR | LA | 10.33 | 166 | 129 | 1,715 | 16 |
| 12 | Zay Flowers | WR | BAL | 10.26 | 118 | 86 | 1,211 | 17 |
| 13 | Sam LaPorta | TE | DET | 9.98 | 49 | 40 | 489 | 9 |
| 14 | Ricky Pearsall | WR | SF | 9.96 | 53 | 36 | 528 | 9 |
| 15 | Stefon Diggs | WR | NE | 9.93 | 102 | 85 | 1,013 | 17 |
| 16 | DeMario Douglas | WR | NE | 9.72 | 46 | 31 | 447 | 16 |
| 17 | Terry McLaurin | WR | WAS | 9.70 | 60 | 38 | 582 | 10 |
| 18 | Oronde Gadsden II | TE | LAC | 9.62 | 69 | 49 | 664 | 15 |
| 19 | Nico Collins | WR | HOU | 9.31 | 120 | 71 | 1,117 | 15 |
| 20 | CeeDee Lamb | WR | DAL | 9.21 | 117 | 75 | 1,077 | 13 |
| 21 | Jalen Coker | WR | CAR | 9.16 | 43 | 33 | 394 | 11 |
| 22 | George Kittle | TE | SF | 9.10 | 69 | 57 | 628 | 11 |
| 23 | Jaylen Waddle | WR | MIA | 9.10 | 100 | 64 | 910 | 16 |
| 24 | Brenton Strange | TE | JAX | 9.00 | 60 | 46 | 540 | 12 |
| 25 | Pat Freiermuth | TE | PIT | 9.00 | 54 | 41 | 486 | 15 |
| 26 | DeVonta Smith | WR | PHI | 8.92 | 113 | 77 | 1,008 | 17 |
| 27 | Parker Washington | WR | JAX | 8.92 | 95 | 58 | 847 | 16 |
| 28 | Hunter Henry | TE | NE | 8.83 | 87 | 60 | 768 | 17 |
| 29 | Quentin Johnston | WR | LAC | 8.75 | 84 | 51 | 735 | 13 |
| 30 | Juwan Johnson | TE | NO | 8.72 | 102 | 77 | 889 | 17 |
| 31 | Colston Loveland | TE | CHI | 8.70 | 82 | 58 | 713 | 16 |
| 32 | Tee Higgins | WR | CIN | 8.63 | 98 | 59 | 846 | 15 |
| 33 | DK Metcalf | WR | PIT | 8.59 | 99 | 59 | 850 | 15 |
| 34 | Darius Slayton | WR | NYG | 8.54 | 63 | 37 | 538 | 14 |
| 35 | Romeo Doubs | WR | GB | 8.52 | 85 | 55 | 724 | 16 |
| 36 | Dawson Knox | TE | BUF | 8.51 | 49 | 36 | 417 | 16 |
| 37 | Ryan Flournoy | WR | DAL | 8.48 | 56 | 40 | 475 | 15 |
| 38 | Cooper Kupp | WR | SEA | 8.47 | 70 | 47 | 593 | 16 |
| 39 | Darnell Washington | TE | PIT | 8.47 | 43 | 31 | 364 | 13 |
| 40 | Mack Hollins | WR | NE | 8.46 | 65 | 46 | 550 | 14 |
| 41 | Jalen Nailor | WR | MIN | 8.38 | 53 | 29 | 444 | 17 |
| 42 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | ARI | 8.33 | 73 | 41 | 608 | 12 |
| 43 | Tetairoa McMillan | WR | CAR | 8.31 | 122 | 70 | 1,014 | 17 |
| 44 | A.J. Brown | WR | PHI | 8.29 | 121 | 78 | 1,003 | 15 |
| 45 | Drake London | WR | ATL | 8.21 | 112 | 68 | 919 | 12 |
| 46 | Courtland Sutton | WR | DEN | 8.20 | 124 | 74 | 1,017 | 17 |
| 47 | Matthew Golden | WR | GB | 8.20 | 44 | 29 | 361 | 14 |
| 48 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | DET | 8.15 | 172 | 117 | 1,401 | 17 |
| 49 | DJ Moore | WR | CHI | 8.02 | 85 | 50 | 682 | 17 |
| 50 | Michael Wilson | WR | ARI | 7.98 | 126 | 78 | 1,006 | 17 |
Showing the top 50 of 155 qualified players. Narrow it down by position: wide receivers · tight ends · running backs.
Yards Per Target by position: wide receivers · tight ends · running backs
More 2025 leaderboards: Receiving EPA leaders · Rushing EPA leaders · Receiving Yards leaders · Rushing Yards leaders · all NFL stats
Kayshon Boutte (WR, NE) led the NFL in yards per target in 2025 at 11.98. Alec Pierce (WR, IND) was next at 11.94.
Yards per target is what a team got back every time it threw at a player, whether or not he caught it. Because the denominator is targets rather than catches, drops and contested misses count against him, which is exactly what you want when judging efficiency.
155 players with 40+ targets qualified for the 2025 yards per target leaderboard. The table above lists the top 50.
Stats as of July 28, 2026. Data from nflverse (nflverse-data), licensed CC BY 4.0. Source: nflverse-data. License: CC-BY-4.0.