Predicting the 2017 NFL Stats Leaders

When it comes to stats in the NFL it's all about yards and touchdowns and players are heavily  judged on these numbers (and rightly so).  Be it through the air or on the ground, individuals strive to be the best and having the numbers in your favour is always a help.  But who will be the cream of the crop in each department in 2017 and what will their numbers be?

Passing Yards

1.  Drew Brees: 5,096 yards
Brees has led the league in passing yards five of the last six seasons and the year he didn't he finished second and still threw for over 5,000 yards.  I'm confident he'll top the list once again in 2017.

2.  Tom Brady: 4,903 yards
Brady is always there or thereabouts when it comes to passing yards and with all the new additions to the offence, I think he can get close to a 5,000 yard season.

3.  Phillip Rivers: 4,875 yards
There's no question that Rivers has great talent and this season his surrounding cast is probably the best he's had in a while.  With a deep receiver group, two top tight ends, a strong run game and an improved offensive line I can see him being one of the top quarterbacks in the league this year. 

Passing Touchdowns

1.  Tom Brady: 41 touchdowns
​With so many versatile targets in the Patriots offence, barring injury, Brady is a guarantee to get 40+ touchdowns this year.

2.  Andrew Luck: 38 touchdowns
The last time Luck played all 16 games of a season was 2014 and that year he threw for more touchdowns than any other player in league.  In 2017, I see him finishing near the top of list and pushing Brady for the top spot.

3.  Aaron Rodgers: 37 touchdowns
I have a feeling that last year's passing touchdown leader will regress very slightly this year, but he'll still be near then top of the pile come January.

Rushing Yards

1.  Ezekiel Elliott: 1,523 yards
Zeke blitzed the field in this category last year and, despite actually achieving less yards, I still see him as the man to beat in 2017 due to volume of carries and the elite offensive line the Cowboys possess.

2.  Le'Veon Bell: 1,437 yards
Despite missing four games last year due to suspension, Bell finished 5th in rushing yards as he averaged over 100 yards a game on the ground.  If he can stay on the field, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Bell challenging Zeke for the rushing title.

3.  Jay Ajayi: 1,328 yards
Ajayi impressively ran for over 200 yards three times last season but only rushed for over 75 yards in 6 of the 16 games he played in.  Consistency is key for the Jay Train in 2017 and I feel the large volume of carries he'll receive will see him move up the rushing list into the top three.

Rushing Touchdowns

1.  LeSean McCoy: 15 touchdowns
McCoy is by far the most talented offensive player on the roster in Buffalo and I think the Bills realise that.  My prediction is that Shady is going to touch the ball a lot, especially in the red zone, leading him to the top of the rushing touchdown list.

2.  Ezekiel Elliott: 14 touchdowns
Much like with McCoy, Elliott is likely to have a lot of opportunity in the red zone and, just like he did in 2016, I'm sure he'll find himself in the end zone almost every game.

3.  David Johnson: 12 touchdowns
David Johnson is pretty much the whole Cardinals offence, so consequently he'll get loads of touchdowns, it's as simple as that.

Receiving Yards

1.  Antonio Brown: 1,603 yards
With Bryant returning to the lineup for the Steelers it's likely that he will take some defensive attention away from AB, as has happened in the past when both Brown and Bryant have been on the field simultaneously.  A combination of this and Brown's pure talent will see him return to the top of the tree after two years away.

2.  Julio Jones: 1,578 yards
Julio has been in the top three in receiving yards for three years in a row and I can't see that changing in 2017, despite the Falcons losing Kyle Shanahan.

3.  Mike Evans: 1,495 yards
Although new addition DeSean Jackson is likely to take targets away from Evans, he'll also take away attention leaving Mike in even more one on one situations in man coverage.  Evans is a stud and will be there or thereabouts this year.

Receiving Touchdowns

1.  Mike Evans: 15 touchdowns
Try covering Mike Evans in the red zone.

2.  Antonio Brown: 13 touchdowns
AB has a nose for the end zone and Big Ben is fully aware of that and will get the ball in his hands when ever he can. 

3.  Jordan Reed: 12 touchdowns
If Reed can stay healthy for the whole season I can see him putting up ridiculous numbers this year.  Reed is the ultimate mismatch and will be causing havoc all year long.