Separation is the distance in yards between a receiver and the nearest defender at the moment the ball arrives. Next Gen Stats measures it from player tracking on every target. A receiver averaging 3.5 yards of separation is getting open; one averaging 2.0 is winning contested catches or not winning at all. It is the closest thing to a direct measure of route running.
Updated Sept. 16, 2026.
Through Week 1, among receivers and tight ends with 8+ targets, Dalton Schultz (Houston Texans) averages 4.4 yards of separation at the catch point, more than 95.9% of every qualifying start through the same week since 2016. Nico Collins (Houston Texans) has the least at 1.1.
Separation is the distance in yards between the receiver and the nearest defender when the ball arrives, from Next Gen Stats' player tracking.
| # | Player | Team | Separation (yds) | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton Schultz | Houston Texans | 4.4 | 8 |
| 2 | Sam LaPorta | Detroit Lions | 4.0 | 8 |
| 3 | Kalif Raymond | Chicago Bears | 3.7 | 9 |
| 4 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit Lions | 3.6 | 14 |
| 5 | Kendrick Bourne | Arizona Cardinals | 3.4 | 8 |
| 6 | Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints | 3.3 | 13 |
| 7 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks | 3.1 | 11 |
| 8 | Devaughn Vele | New Orleans Saints | 3.0 | 9 |
| 9 | CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys | 3.0 | 8 |
| 10 | Isaiah Likely | New York Giants | 3.0 | 8 |
| 11 | Noah Fant | New Orleans Saints | 3.0 | 8 |
| 12 | Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings | 3.0 | 9 |
| 13 | Malik Washington | Miami Dolphins | 3.0 | 8 |
| 14 | Malik Nabers | New York Giants | 2.8 | 9 |
| 15 | Tetairoa McMillan | Carolina Panthers | 2.8 | 8 |
Getting open is the job, and until player tracking there was no public number for it. Separation is that number: at the catch point, how far away was the closest defender? It is averaged over a receiver's targets and published weekly.
The number needs context. Deep targets come with less separation because the defender has had longer to close, so a deep threat averaging 2.5 yards may be doing more than a slot receiver averaging 3.5. Coverage type matters too: zone coverage produces more separation than man. That is why the stat is usually read next to average depth of target and, where available, the man-versus-zone split.
Separation is a receiver skill that survives quarterback changes and scheme changes, which makes it valuable for dynasty and trade models. A receiver who creates separation and is not producing has a quarterback problem, not a talent problem.
Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams have run near the top of the separation table for years despite opposite profiles: Hill wins with speed on deep routes, Adams with releases and breaks on intermediate ones. Both average above 3 yards at the catch point, which is why both have produced with several different quarterbacks.
Separation = yards between the targeted receiver and the nearest defender when the ball arrives, averaged over targets. Next Gen Stats also publishes cushion (the distance at the snap) and, on the defensive side, the same number for the defender in coverage.
League average for a wide receiver is about 2.8 yards. Above 3.3 is excellent; below 2.3 means the receiver is being covered tightly, which is either a contested-catch specialist or a problem. Tight ends and slot receivers run higher because they face more zone coverage.
Modestly. It predicts targets and catch rate, which predict production, but a receiver with a bad quarterback can create separation all day and not be thrown to. It is best used to explain a gap between how open a receiver is and how much he produces.
They measure different things. YPRR is the output; separation is one of the inputs. A receiver high in both is an elite talent in a good situation; high separation and low YPRR is a talent in a bad situation, and the reverse is a receiver being fed by a great quarterback.
Category: Stats & Analytics. Part of the StickToTheModel NFL Encyclopedia.