Detroit Lions

Who will be Stafford's top target over the rest of the season?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Breaking down Jones, Tate, Boldin, Riddick and Ebron to see who’s getting the most looks from Stafford.

Nov 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin (80) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Andre Roberts (12) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Marvin Jones exploded onto the scene earlier this season as the NFL’s top receiver over the first 5 weeks. Since then, he has cooled off significantly and it has been Golden Tate who’s become Stafford’s go-to target. Tate was huge in Detroit’s win over Minnesota, with 11 catches and the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime. Jones still leads the team with 661 yards, but Tate has narrowed the gap with 513 yards. Eric Ebron is coming off of a career-best 92 yards in week nine and has been targeted18 times over the past two weeks. Anquan Boldin is showing it’s not about quantity, (or speed, or separation) it’s about quality, with a team-leading 5 touchdown catches but less than 300 total yards.

Theo Riddick continues to play like the best receiving halfback in the league. Although the Lions have been forced to use Riddick as more of a true runner, he’s still been productive in the passing game when you get into the numbers. Without Calvin Johnson, Stafford is spreading the ball around and it’s making the Lions tougher to defend. Let’s get into each player’s statistics –courtesy of NFL.com — to see who’s most likely to finish as Stafford’s number one weapon.

Marvin Jones

37 Catches (2nd)

64 Targets (2nd)

661 Yards (1st) & 4 TDs (T-2nd)

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones (11) runs the ball in the second half of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Golden Tate

49 Catches (1st)

74 Targets (1st)

513 Yards (2nd) & 2 TDs (4th)

Nov 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate (15) beats Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith (22) and scores a touchdown to win the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Lions won 22-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Anquan Boldin

35 Catches (T-3rd)

48 Targets (3rd)

286 Yards (4th) & 5 TDs (1st)

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin (80) makes a touchdown catch against Washington Redskins cornerback Kendall Fuller (38) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Ebron

32 Catches (5th)

43 Targets (5th)

381 Yards (3rd) & 1 TD (T-5th)

Nov 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Theo Riddick

35 Catches (T-3rd)

46 Targets (4th)

273 Yards (5th) & 4 TDs (T-2nd)

Oct 30, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick (25) makes a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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