I just did an exhaustive study of the #2 WRs on all the 32 teams in the league.

They're placed here in the order of their team's #1 WR. That is, since Reggie Wayne's 84 catches lead the league, after 11 games, his Indianapolis #2 counterpart goes first in my list. Each #2 WR shows his # of Receptions, Yards Gained, Average YPR, TDs, and FD%. Note this is just a raw listing, not ranked in any order:

#2 WR Statistical Analysis:

The stats presented are: #2 WR Team Receptions - Yards Gained - Average Yds per Reception - TDs - First Down %)

1. Donny Avery Indy 44 584 13.3 4 63.6
2. Earl Bennett Chicago 22 238 10.8 0 72.7
3. Brandon Lloyd NE 49 551 11.2 3 67.3
4. Titus Young Detroit 33 383 11.6 4 60.6
5. Kevin Walter Houston 31 411 13.3 2 67.7
6. Andrew Hawkins Cincy 34 394 11.6 3 47.1
7. Julio Jones Atlanta 53 883 16.7 6 69.8
8. Miles Austin Dallas 49 727 14.8 4 71.4
9. Hakeem Nicks NYG 41 542 13.2 2 70.7
10. Michael Jenkins Minn 30 324 10.8 1 56.7
11. Earl Decker Denver 54 685 12.7 8 57.4
12. Jordy Nelson Green Bay 45 648 14.4 6 71.1
13. Davone Best Miami 55 715 13.0 1 65.5
14. Lance Moore New Orleans 45 699 15.5 4 82.2
15. Andre Roberts Arizona 50 639 12.8 5 68.0
16. Dexter McCluster KC 38 344 8.8 1 50.0
17. Donald Jones Buffalo 38 410 10.8 4 60.5
18. Brandon Gibson St. Louis 34 437 12.9 4 79.4
19. Torrey Smith Baltimore 39 699 17.9 7 76.9
20. M. Manningham SF 36 412 11.4 1 50.0
21. Brandon LaFell Carolina 32 563 17.6 4 75.0
22. Nate Washington Tennessee 35 537 15.3 4 62.9
23. Danario Alexander San Diego 20 365 18.3 3 75.0
24. Mike Williams Tampa Bay 37 625 16.9 5 67.6
25. Antonio Brown Pittsburgh 42 499 11.9 1 66.7
26. Jeremy Maclin Philadelphia 41 504 12.3 4 56.1
27. Chaz Schilens NY Jets 22 226 10.3 2 59.1
28. Cecil Shorts Jacksonville 36 747 20.8 6 69.4
29. Santana Moss Washington 29 416 14.3 7 69.0
30. Golden Tate Seattle 30 390 13.0 6 63.3
31. D. Heyward-Bey Oakland 28 440 15.7 3 60.7
32. Josh Gordon Cleveland 28 530 18.9 4 82.1

Here's where it pays to dig beneath the surface. If one only looks at # of catches, LaFell ranks 23 in receptions, by #2 WRs, with 32 (though 7 have only a very few more than he has). Eric Decker of Denver has 54 catches.

However, and this speaks to his efficiency and value to the team -

• He ranks #12 in yardage gained, with 563 (Julio Jones is #1, with 883), and he ranks #10 in TDs (4) (Eric Decker has 8, Torrey Smith and Santana Moss have 7)

And look at First Down % as well, the all-important determinant of how often he moves the chains. 75% of LaFell's catches go for First Downs (a virtue we've long noted on CSR) - compare how this stacks up against other WRs and you may be surprised. Among other #2WRs, with 30 or more catches, only Lance Moore (82.2%), Brandon Gibson (79.4%), and Torrey Smith (76.9%) do better. And maybe more importantly, there are only SIX (6) #1WRs who do better, topped by Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd (both with 87.2%).

So far as scoring power is concerned, his 4 TDs ranks as 10th best among all #2WRs.

And lastly, I'll look at his astounding YPR average.

• At 17.6 yds per catch, LaFell is bested (among ALL WRs, not just #2s!) only by Cecil Shorts (20.8 YPR), Vincent Jackson (20.4), and Torrey Smith 17.9) for those WRs with a minimum of 30 catches.

In summary, I think Brandon LaFell has solidified his position as the Panthers' #2 WR, is ready to step up to #1, if needed, compares favorably to the top #2 WRs in the league - and, with the exceptions of Cecil Shorts and Torrey Smith, he may be the best all-around #2 WR so far this year.

The data is fact, obtained from NFL Stats. The opinions are mine. Your own would be welcomed, along with your own observations.