Top 10 receiving corps - ESPN Insider

[iowajerms]

Ranking the top 10 receiving corps - NFL
By Sam Monson

We all know that quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. A good quarterback will raise the performance of his teammates, mask a lot of flaws in a roster and practically guarantee a team will be competing come the winter in the final weeks of the regular season.

On the other hand, without a quarterback, your team can be loaded and you still have no hope of January football.

But what happens when you do what in some ways is an attempt at the impossible, and actually remove quarterbacks from the equation when you measure the players catching the ball? When you do that -- essentially, the QB-free rating of a pass-catchers -- which team can boast the best array of receiving weapons?

Here's the list:

1. Indianapolis Colts

To help a quarterback, teams can find him weapons or protect him with linemen but usually struggle to do both at once. The Colts are going down the weaponry road with additions to an already formidable group.

Even in a down year, Andre Johnson notched 936 yards in Houston last season and is only two seasons removed from topping PFF's wideout rankings. Dwayne Allen is one of the league's most complete tight ends; he and Coby Fleener saw a combined 133 targets a year ago, catching 80 of them and scoring 16 times. T.Y. Hilton just received a big contract extension and caught 66.7 percent of the targets he received last year on his way to 1,345 yards.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

A.J. Green is clearly one of the league's best receivers, but what makes this corps so good is its depth and balance. Marvin Jones missed 2014, but the year before he was PFF's seventh-ranked wide receiver on just 555 snaps, scoring 10 touchdowns on just 77 targets. Jones has big-play ability and the skill to take attention away from defending Green.

In tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Giovani Bernard, the team has a pair of matchup nightmares that can pose real problems for the defense running down the seam or coming out of the backfield.

3. Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson is a name that speaks for itself, but Detroit's corps runs far deeper than that. Golden Tate was the foil Johnson needed to maximize his potential and prevent teams from playing the Lions dishonestly. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands, forcing more missed tackles (20) than any other wide receiver in 2014 and leading the league in yards after the catch.

Ameer Abdullah, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick give the Lions a trio of lethal weapons out of the backfield. All three are capable of breaking a big play and making people miss in space.

4. Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones is dynamic as long as he remains healthy, ranking in the top four in yards per route in 2014 (2.72), and although Roddy White isn't what he once was, he can still make plays.

What lifts the Falcons back toward the top this list is the addition of tight end Jacob Tamme. He might not be Tony Gonzalez, but Tamme has earned positive PFF grades in four of his past five seasons and understands how to get open underneath.

Also boosting Atlanta's profile is rookie wideout Justin Hardy, a receptions machine in college who caught 121 of the 167 passes sent his way in 2014. He was third in PFF's ranking of draft-eligible receivers.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

Like many of these groups, this is a corps riding the coattails of its best player, Antonio Brown, who just might be the best receiver in football despite not fitting the Captain America prototype. All Brown does is get open and make plays, ending 2014 as PFF's top-graded wideout and excelling in nearly every statistical category. He was thrown at more than any other receiver yet still caught 72.5 percent of those passes.

Heath Miller is still a savvy presence at tight end, and the group could look even better if rookie Sammie Coates or sophomore Martavis Bryant develops quicker than expected.

6. Dallas Cowboys

Dez Bryant is as talented as any receiver in the NFL, and last season was the first year he really played to his potential throughout. When targeting Bryant, Tony Romo had a passer rating of 121.2.

Jason Witten doesn't have elite speed or athleticism but is one of the league's most complete tight ends. He dropped just two passes in 2014.

Cole Beasley might not have much name recognition, but he is a shifty slot receiver who forced more missed tackles per reception (0.27) than any other wide receiver in football last year.

7. Chicago Bears

It wasn't long ago that the Bears could have topped this list, but the question mark of now relying on a rookie in the form of Kevin White to go alongside Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal drops them down a little. There's a lot to like about White, who might have the highest upside of any receiver in this rookie class. He forced 24 missed tackles last year for West Virginia, third in the nation, and still has plenty of room to develop.

Tight end Martellus Bennett has shown elite ability as a receiver and blocker, just never in the same season. If this is one of his better seasons, then the Bears will be in much better shape.

8. Denver Broncos

This is another team that has slipped in the rankings thanks to personnel losses. The Broncos lost tight end Julius Thomas in free agency to the Jaguars, and Wes Welker has been let go, potentially into retirement.

They do still have Demaryius Thomas, who was second in the league in yards per route last year (2.78), and Emmanuel Sanders, who exploded for 1,409 yards while catching 101 of the 140 passes sent his way.

Cody Latimer's rookie year was something of a write-off, but he has flashed ability this preseason and could still add some talent to this already formidable group.

9. New York Giants

What's left to say about Odell Beckham Jr.? His rookie year in 2014 was the most dominant we have seen from a wide receiver since Randy Moss in 1998, and he was by far the best receiver in the league on a per-snap basis.

Since 1960, only two receivers have had a run of nine straight games with 90 or more receiving yards: Michael Irvin in the pass-crazy 1995 season, and Beckham last season.

The Giants also have a much-improved looking Rueben Randle, Victor Cruz returning from injury and tight end Larry Donnell, who can do damage.

10. New York Jets

Nobody thinks of the Jets as having an impressive group of receivers because of how bad their quarterback situation is, but with Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall and Jeremy Kerley, they have a talented and balanced trio.

Decker proved he was not just a product of Peyton Manning, notching 962 yards and five scores last year despite some woeful quarterback play. He caught 67.3 percent of the passes sent his way. Marshall did not have a great year in Chicago but in 2013 was at the top of the PFF rankings. At 31, he should still have gas in the tank.

If Jeff Cumberland at tight end or Kerley in the slot can up his game, then the Jets will have a group of weapons for Ryan Fitzpatrick or Geno Smith to succeed with

 

[Wolverine830872]

Hmm, without having given this subject any previous thought, this list looks downright retarded.

The Bears in the top 10 at all?? really???

 

[Texas Jefe]

dont understand the Cowboys info: what about Terrance Williams? Dont even mention him. He could have a breakout year.

In fact, I agree whole list looks, off somehow.

 

[sonnyblack65]

No way Patriots are no#1 This is what @HammerDown has taught me, so many weapons

 

[Schmoopy1000]

if this is the top ten, then I guess the nfl really doesn't have any elite receiving corps right now.

What about the bills receiving corp. Its not their fault they have had no QB.

 

[JMR]

Surprised TB isn't up there with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Indy at one makes sense, but the explanation for that, which makes no mention of Moncrief, is as lacking as are the rankings that follow. For example, how can Cincinnati have the second best receivers when Dalton is their QB?

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Colts lead ranking of top 10 WR corps | ProFootballFocus.com

Nathan Jahnke had another list from PFF. I am not a big believer in it or this list, but I thought I'd share anyways given we are still stuck in the blehseason.

1. Indianapolis Colts (79.0 average PFF rating for starter)

The Colts hit a home run with Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft, and followed it up with an impressive collection of pass-catchers in Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and T.Y. Hilton. At this point all of them should be at their prime. Even though Andre Johnson isn’t the player he once was, he still graded out as an average receiver in 2014 — which is an upgrade over what they had in Reggie Wayne. Finally, when Luck threw at third wide receiver Donte Moncrief last year, he had an NFL passer rating of 122.0 — which was sixth-best of all NFL receivers, and took place during Moncrief’s rookie year. While no single player is among the best at his position, the Colts have weapons all over the field.

2. Dallas Cowboys (78.9)

There are only six teams in the league who have both a wide receiver and tight end with PFF ratings above 80. The only one with a pair both above 83 are the Cowboys with Dez Bryant and Jason Witten — and both are above 87. While Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley aren’t big names, they aren’t liabilities to the team, either. Williams averaged 18.3 yards per catch last year with only three drops. Beasley had only one drop, and forced 11 missed tackles.

3. Denver Broncos (78.3)

The Broncos are a receiving group that keeps getting better. Last year, the addition of Emmanuel Sanders gave them arguably the best one-two punch at wide receiver in the NFL. They are the only team with both starting wide receivers with a PFF rating above 84. They added Owen Daniels in free agency, who is one of five tight ends to receive a positive receiving grade each of the last four years. The rest of that list? Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. This leaves the only unknown as Cody Latimer, who had just 37 snaps as a rookie.

4. New York Giants (77.6)

Having the best wide receiver in football certainly helps a team on a list like this, but the Giants also have a nice surrounding cast for Odell Beckham Jr. Rueben Randle forced 13 missed tackles on his catches last year, which was 10th-best for all wide receivers. He was also very consistent, with no fumbles and just four drops. Victor Cruz returns as the Giants’ slot receiver, after ranking seventh in the NFL from that position in our yards per route run metric (before his injury). Throw in tight end Larry Donnell, who is a poor blocker but an average receiver, and you have a strong group of targets.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (77.0)

Headlining the Steelers receivers is Antonio Brown, who was our highest-graded WR last year. Even though Martavis Bryant was the Steelers’ third wide receiver, Martavis Bryant had the third-highest yards per route run average among 90 qualifying receivers – a sign of just how efficient he was as a rookie. Heath Miller and Markus Wheaton round out the group, and they are both average players at their positions. Most teams experience some change from one year to another in their receiving unit, but this is one team that will look exactly the same.

6. San Diego Chargers (76.7)

Few teams are as experienced at the receiver position as the Chargers, and what they perhaps lack in excitement they make up for in dependability. Tight end Antonio Gates is no longer playing at an All Pro level, but his drop rate was second-best for tight ends last year. Receiver Malcom Floyd isn’t a household name, but he hauled in 13 deep passes, which was tied for sixth-most in the league last year. Stevie Johnson had a relatively quiet year for the 49ers, but his yards per route run average was 16th-best among receivers. He will make a nice addition to this receiving corps. That just leaves Keenan Allen, who will continue to draw opposing teams’ best coverages.

7. New England Patriots (76.6)

If this were just a list rating the wide receiver groups, the Patriots wouldn’t be nearly this high. However, this includes tight ends, and having the best tight end in the game in Rob Gronkowski certainly helps. He was far and away our No. 1-graded TE last season both overall and as a receiver. Having Julian Edelman also helps the group. From Week 9 on, when Edelman was targeted, the Patriots had an NFL passer rating of 119.3, which was fourth-best for the 30 receivers with the most targets over that span. Brandon LaFell was also a pleasant surprise, with nine touchdowns and 13 forced missed tackles.

8. Arizona Cardinals (76.4)

Now that Larry Fitzgerald is about to celebrate his 32nd birthday, the Cardinals don’t have one clear No. 1 wide receiver, but they have more depth than most teams. Michael Floyd had 482 deep receiving yards and five deep touchdowns which were both among the top eight for wide receivers. John Brown had 696 receiving yards, which was second-most of all receivers who were third on the depth chart last year.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (76.2)

A year ago the Chiefs would have been much lower on this list. Since then they had Travis Kelce emerge as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He ranked No. 2 in the league among tight ends in yards per route run, just behind Rob Gronkowski. In free agency they added Jeremy Maclin, who had the lowest drop rate among all wide receivers last season at 1.16. Rookies both De’Anthony Thomas and Albert Wilson played decently on small sample sizes last season, and should help make the group look better than it has in the past.

10. Seattle Seahawks (76.0)

The Seahawks round out the top 10 thanks to a deep receiving core of adequate receivers as well as the addition of Jimmy Graham, who is a season removed from being our top-graded receiving tight end. WR Doug Baldwin has the right combination of sure hands and ability to make defenders miss. Over his last 15 games he dropped only one pass, and forced eight missed tackles after the catch. After a 100-yard performance in the Super Bowl, Chris Matthews should begin this year as the Seahawks’ third receiver. Even though it didn’t factor into these rankings, high draft picks Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett will also compete for playing time and make the group better in the future.