Player
Russell Gage
WR (retired)
For a player taken at pick #194, outproducing the entire rest of his draft-round class shows Gage extracted near-maximum value from a position where most 6th-round picks never develop beyond special teams.
Gage led his entire 2018 6th-round WR class with 2,491 career receiving yards — 63% more than runner-up Cedrick Wilson Jr. (1,524).
Milestone2018 6th-round WR class — career regular-season yards
| Player | Pick | Career Yds |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Gage | #194 | 2,491 |
| Cedrick Wilson Jr. | #208 | 1,524 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | #187 | 1,523 |
| Braxton Berrios | #210 | 1,360 |
| Equanimeous St. Brown | #207 | 928 |
Why it matters. For a player taken at pick #194, outproducing the entire rest of his draft-round class shows Gage extracted near-maximum value from a position where most 6th-round picks never develop beyond special teams.
In the 10 games after Calvin Ridley stepped away in 2021, Gage averaged 67.5 ypg and caught 72% of his targets — elite production as ATL's de facto WR1.
TrendGage 2021: with vs. without Ridley
| Period | Games | Yds | YPG | Catch% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Ridley (Wks 1-5) | 3 | 95 | 31.7 | 60.0% |
| Without Ridley (Wks 6-18) | 10 | 675 | 67.5 | 72.2% |
Gage receiving yards per game — 2021
| Period | YPG |
|---|---|
| With Ridley | 31.7 |
| Without Ridley | 67.5 |
Why it matters. The split shows Gage's ceiling when given a clear WR1 role: he was a genuine secondary option who could absorb volume and maintain elite efficiency, a quality ATL built around over two seasons.
Gage's target share rose from 17.9% alongside Julio Jones to 23.6% after Julio left — then collapsed to 13.2% at Tampa Bay behind Evans and Godwin.
SplitGage target share by season
| Year | Team | Avg Tgt Share | Rec Yds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ATL | 17.9% | 786 |
| 2021 | ATL | 23.6% | 770 |
| 2022 | TB | 13.2% | 426 |
Why it matters. Target share shows opportunity, not just outcome — Gage was never the problem at TB, he simply moved from a system that needed him to one that had two established stars ahead of him.
Gage's 2023 ACL did not end his career immediately — he signed with Baltimore and San Francisco in 2024-2025, but was cut before appearing in a regular-season game.
AnomalyGage post-2022 roster history
| Season | Team | Weeks | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | TB | All | IR (RES) |
| 2024 | BAL | Wk 1 | Cut |
| 2024 | SF | Wks 10-18 | Practice Squad |
| 2025 | SF | Wk 1 | Active |
| 2025 | SF | Wks 2-11 | Practice Squad |
| 2025 | SF | Wk 12 | Cut |
Why it matters. The comeback attempts show Gage was not a voluntary retiree — he pursued a return for two years. The outcome (cut from SF practice squad in 2025) reflects how hard it is for a 6th-round WR to re-enter the league after multiple knee surgeries, regardless of pre-injury performance.
Gage's 2,491 career receiving yards rank 7th among all 6th-round WRs in the DB — top 5.7% out of 122. The median 6th-round WR career total is just 130 yards.
Rare6th-round WR career yards — top 10
| Rank | Player | Career Yds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Brown | 12,291 |
| 2 | Pierre Garcon | 7,886 |
| 3 | Delanie Walker | 5,888 |
| 4 | Darren Waller | 4,407 |
| 5 | Brandon Gibson | 2,711 |
| 6 | Josh Morgan | 2,558 |
| 7 | Russell Gage | 2,491 |
| 8 | Cedrick Wilson | 2,365 |
| 9 | Tai Streets | 2,268 |
| 10 | Arnaz Battle | 2,147 |
Why it matters. 19x the median output for his draft slot illustrates how rare Gage's sustained production was — most 6th-round WRs are camp bodies or special teamers, not receivers who log back-to-back 700-yard seasons.
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