Ranking the wide receiver corps in the NFC East

[time2rock]

Ranking the wide receiver corps in the NFC East

Which team in the division has the best collection of wideouts?

By Emily Iannaconi@EmilyIannaconi  May 31, 2021, 10:00am EDT  

 

Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

 

As part of a new series at Big Blue View, we are ranking the position groups across the NFC East. We began with the leader of the offense last week at quarterback. This week, we will take a closer look at each quarterback’s weapons by ranking the wide receiver corps’ across the division.

Dallas Cowboys

Receivers and 2020 Stats:

• Amari Cooper – 92 receptions for 1,114 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and 5 TDs
• CeeDee Lamb – 74 receptions for 935 yards (12.6 ypc) and 5 TDs
• Michael Gallup – 59 receptions for 843 yards (14.3 ypc) and 5 TDs
• Cedrick Wilson – 17 receptions for 189 yards (11.1 ypc) and 2 TDs
• Simi Fehoko - Rookie

If you are keeping track, we ranked the Cowboys as having the best quarterback in the division in Dak Prescott in last week’s notebook. By our standards, he also has the most elite weapons.

This should not be a surprising ranking as the Cowboys’ receiving corps turned heads at the start of last season and it has not changed much since. Amari Cooper is a five-time Pro Bowler and has surpassed the 1000-yard receiving mark in five separate seasons, including last year. Michael Gallup already has one 1000-yard in his short three-year career and CeeDee Lamb had a strong rookie campaign last year, recording 74 receptions for 935 yards. The Cowboys also added fifth-round pick Simi Fehoko out of Stanford in the 2021 NFL Draft.

It’s important to note that Cooper is coming back from ankle surgery earlier this year and Gallup sustained a hip injury last season. Both are expected to be ready to play though. Gallup specifically is entering a contract year which should give him additional incentive to perform well on the field.

Even though Prescott played just five games last season, Dallas ranked in the top 10 in passing yards per game with 260.1. Imagine how this group could do with a healthy Prescott back under center.

Washington Football Team

Receivers and 2020 Stats:

• Terry McLaurin – 87 receptions for 1,118 yards (12.9 ypc) and 4 TDs
• Curtis Samuel – 77 receptions for 851 yards (11.1 ypc) and 3 TDs
• Kelvin Harmon – 30 receptions for 365 yards (12.2 ypc)
• Cam Simms – 32 receptions for 477 yards (14.9 ypc) and 1 TD
• Adam Humphries - 23 receptions for 228 yards (9.9 ypc) and 2 TDs
• Dyami Brown – Rookie

Terry McLaurin recorded 58 receptions for 918 yards in his rookie campaign and then exceeded the 1000-yard receiving mark last season. He has been stellar in his first two seasons in the league but the Washington Football Team has since added some additional depth at receiver.

Wide receiver was a major position of need for Washington heading into the offseason - and they attacked that need in free agency. The Football Team signed Curtis Samuel from the Carolina Panthers, who has improved steadily each season of his four-year career. Samuel is coming off of his best season as he caught 77 passes for 851 yards and three touchdowns in 2020.

The Football Team also signed Adam Humphries from the Tennessee Titans. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, Humphries has experience working with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as the two overlapped with the Bucs in 2017-18. Humphries combined for the best stats of his career in those two season as he recorded 137 receptions for 1,447 yards and six touchdowns. He has been less successful in recent years with the Titans due to injuries, but he should fit in nicely in the slot, working in tandem with McLaurin and Samuel.

Kelvin Harmon and Cam Sims also stepped up to make some key catches last season; a pleasant surprise for the former sixth-round pick and undrafted free agent. In this year’s draft, the Football Team added Dyami Brown out of UNC.

The Football team was ranked in the bottom 10 last season in receiving yards and was not known for having explosive playmakers. Between having a new and experienced leader in Fitzpatrick and a more well-rounded receiving corps, Washington is poised to make some strides this upcoming season.

New York Giants

Receivers and 2020 Stats:

• Sterling Shepard – 66 receptions for 656 yards (9.9 ypc) and 3 TDs
• Darius Slayton – 50 receptions for 751 yards (15 ypc) and 3 TDs
• Kenny Golladay – 20 receptions for 338 yards (16.9 ypc) and 2 TDs
• John Ross III – 2 receptions for 17 yards (8.5 ypc)
• Kadarius Toney – Rookie

The Giants and Washington Football Team are a close tie for the No. 2 spot in the division. Both teams made dramatic improvements to their wide receiving corps this offseason, but there is some uncertainty with the Giants’ receivers that is worth considering.

We know that the Giants offense was one of the worst in the league last season and the receiving group specifically was ranked 29th out of the 32 teams in receiving yards with 3,336. Daniel Jones had 23 of his passes dropped in the 2020 season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Giants had the second-highest rate of dropped passes last season. Evan Engram was responsible for many as he dropped 11 passes in 2020, but Darius Slayton also dropped six.

So New York went out and upgraded this offseason, signing Kenny Golladay in free agency. According to PFF, Golladay has the second-highest contested catch rate in the NFL since 2018. But Golladay also only played in five games last year due to a hip flexor sprain so he is two seasons removed from his Pro Bowl performance in 2019.

The Giants also added receiver Kadarius Toney in the 2021 NFL Draft, who fills a major yards-after-catch need for the Giants. The Florida Gator product promises to be explosive but brings some off-the-field concerns, such as a focus on rapping and a couple of run-ins with the police in college.

The Giants’ final big offseason acquisition was tight end Kyle Rudolph. He will provide some much-needed depth alongside Engram. And Rudolph recorded zero drops on 90 targets in the past two seasons, according to PFF.

These new receivers will join Slayton and Sterling Shepard in what promises to be an improved receiving corps despite the small causes for concern.

Philadelphia Eagles

Receivers and 2020 Stats:

• DeVonta Smith – Rookie
• Jalen Reagor – 31 receptions for 396 yards (12.8 ypc) and 1 TD
• Travis Fulgham – 38 receptions for 539 yards (14.2 ypc) and 4 TD
• Quez Watkins – 7 receptions for 106 yards (15.1 ypc) and 1 TD
• John Hightower – 10 receptions for 167 yards (16.7 ypc)
• Greg Ward Jr – 53 receptions for 419 yards (7.9 ypc) and 6 TDs

The Eagles have been in need of an elite wide receiver since last offseason and they finally filled that need by trading up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith out of Alabama.

Smith’s success has been well-documented. Despite sharing the field with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Jaylden Waddle throughout his time in Tuscaloosa, Smith left Alabama with the most receiving yards and touchdown catches in SEC history. His 46 career touchdowns ranks No. 5 all-time in FBS history.

But after Smith, the Eagles remain thin at wide receiver. Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson were released this offseason. The team’s top receivers are now Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Quez Watkins and John Hightower. While this list does represent quantity, it is short on quality.

The Eagles were ranked in the bottom 10 of the league last season in receiving yards with 3,728. While Smith may turn out to be the top receiver in the division, he is still a part of a weak unit overall.

https://www.bigblueview.com/2021/5/31/22458905/ranking-the-wide-receiver-corps-in-the-nfc-east

 

[pgcd3]

4th might be a little high for us right now.

[time2rock]

I can't believe they didn't even include JJAW on that list!  

 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I mean I look at the WFT and the NYG options and I think... Really we aren't better than at least one of those at WR? Then I look at ours and think.... We really aren't are we. How sad given what Howie has invested in the position in terms of draft picks.

I mean if we go back a few years... Agholor was a first round pick, they spent a third to bring in Tate, they spent a third rounder on JMatt, they spent a second rounder on JJAW! And then last year a first on Reagor and because he didn't show a great deal year one they went back again in the first this year to get Smith. Plus they gave Jeffrey a big deal, plus they brought back DeSean. They "upgraded" Smith for Wallace and that didn't work out either.

[pgcd3]

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I mean I look at the WFT and the NYG options and I think... Really we aren't better than at least one of those at WR? Then I look at ours and think.... We really aren't are we. How sad given what Howie has invested in the position in terms of draft picks.

I mean if we go back a few years... Agholor was a first round pick, they spent a third to bring in Tate, they spent a third rounder on JMatt, they spent a second rounder on JJAW! And then last year a first on Reagor and because he didn't show a great deal year one they went back again in the first this year to get Smith. Plus they gave Jeffrey a big deal, plus they brought back DeSean. They "upgraded" Smith for Wallace and that didn't work out either.

If DeVonta is a stud and Reagor plays much better than we are pretty good.  But sitting here today no one on our roster has proven much of anything on an NFL field

[PoconoDon]

Last year Fulgham was the best WR on the team, and he'd have been the 3rd or 4th best on the other teams. Until proven otherwise, the Eagles WR corps absolutely stinks. I hope they prove otherwise this year.

[pgcd3]

9 minutes ago, PoconoDon said:

Last year Fulgham was the best WR on the team, and he'd have been the 3rd or 4th best on the other teams. Until proven otherwise, the Eagles WR corps absolutely stinks. I hope they prove otherwise this year.

You probably can say that about a lot of their units in general. Some hope but what's been shown on the field to date is not good (or not anything if rookie's involved). I'm all for offseason optimism but that's the reality of where we are

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, pgcd3 said:

If DeVonta is a stud and Reagor plays much better than we are pretty good.  But sitting here today no one on our roster has proven much of anything on an NFL field

Yeah that I agree with. I think Smith has so much potential. I mean Smith could be the best WR in the division potentially... But we just don't know at this point. 

[Cochis_Calhoun]

7 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I mean I look at the WFT and the NYG options and I think... Really we aren't better than at least one of those at WR? Then I look at ours and think.... We really aren't are we. How sad given what Howie has invested in the position in terms of draft picks.

I mean if we go back a few years... Agholor was a first round pick, they spent a third to bring in Tate, they spent a third rounder on JMatt, they spent a second rounder on JJAW! And then last year a first on Reagor and because he didn't show a great deal year one they went back again in the first this year to get Smith. Plus they gave Jeffrey a big deal, plus they brought back DeSean. They "upgraded" Smith for Wallace and that didn't work out either.

I look at the numbers for the Giants and WFT receivers and think what the f--- were you smoking when you wrote this, we forget that every team in the East had stretches of godawful QB performance and still beat us hollow in numbers. 

We should improve if Smith is what he looked to be at Bama and becomes a proper #1 and I do think Ward is a solid old school slot guy, but Reagor has to improve massively next year to take us ahead of anyone in the division.

The receivers were given a bit of free pass for last season because our QB situation was so bad, but there's no getting away from how disappointing Reagor was, he was way slower than advertised, he couldn't separate and all in all looked a bit lost. He wasn't just disappointing when unfairly measured against a historically good Jefferson, he was disappointing full stop. 

 

[jsb235]

The one thing about the team's offense last year is that Zach Ertz's collapse had a downstream impact on the offense. If he had had a similar season to 2019, our offense would have looked much different.

When Ertz and Ward were on the field, it forced Reagor to primarily play as a deep target, something that the team quickly found didn't suit his game at the pro level. He will be much better getting the ball in space, something he was unable to do with Ertz and Ward clogging up those lanes.

In our new look offense, Smith replaces Ertz, giving us a much more vertical threat from that position, and Reagor replaces Ward, giving us a much more dynamic threat with the ball in his hands. All we need Fulgham to do is rise to the level he achieved in this game.

Travis Fulgham FULL Week 7 Highlights Vs Giants | Eagles Vs Giants Highlights Week 7 NFL 2020 - YouTube

If we get that version of Fulgham, with Smith able to stretch the field on the other side, that should create plenty of room for Reagor underneath to get the ball in space.

Last year we would have been better off benching Ertz or Ward, and rolling with Fulgham and Hightower/Watkins on the outside and Reagor in the slot. That would have at least created some issues on the defensive side of the ball. But sending out Ertz and Ward was essentially forcing Reagor to run routes where he was never getting the ball in space, and instead could only get open when he won his one on one matchups.

Obviously had Ertz had a season like in previous years, it would have forced defenses to play differently. But the fact that he was historically bad made defending us much easier.   

[greend]

Exactly what position would we be the strongest at in the NFCE? I'm going with D.T. maybe?

[time2rock]

21 minutes ago, greend said:

Exactly what position would we be the strongest at in the NFCE? I'm going with D.T. maybe?

Yeah I’d agree DT.  Also with both Ertz and Goedert still on the roster I’d argue TE too but have to imagine Ertz won’t be here come September.  

[brkmsn]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:47 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

They "upgraded" Smith for Wallace and that didn't work out either.

That isn't talked about much, but in hindsight was probably the biggest factor in our WR struggles. Smith may not have been a game-changer, but he was a reliable professional. On paper, we upgraded our Z by trading away Smith and his moderately high contract and signing Wallace for a low deal. Unfortunately, Wallace was hurt the entire time and his backup, Mack Hollins, was also hurt all year (2018). We seemingly upgraded again with the DJax trade, only to repeat the misfortune. This time Mack Hollins had returned from the injury, but wasn't anything like the rookie Hollins we saw in 2017. Agholar never seemed to work out at Z and TATE was just another slot guy on a team with too many slot guys. JJAW clearly isn't a Z. Ever since we traded away Smith, we've had virtually no production at Z (3 straight seasons). 

 

I'm not going to pretend I thought those moves (trading Smith, signing Wallace, trading for DJax later) were bad. I expected much more. It just goes to show you that a low-profile, solid team player can be more valuable than a talented, flashy big-name paper champ.

[weko]

On 6/2/2021 at 10:00 AM, jsb235 said:

The one thing about the team's offense last year is that Zach Ertz's collapse had a downstream impact on the offense. If he had had a similar season to 2019, our offense would have looked much different.

When Ertz and Ward were on the field, it forced Reagor to primarily play as a deep target, something that the team quickly found didn't suit his game at the pro level. He will be much better getting the ball in space, something he was unable to do with Ertz and Ward clogging up those lanes.

In our new look offense, Smith replaces Ertz, giving us a much more vertical threat from that position, and Reagor replaces Ward, giving us a much more dynamic threat with the ball in his hands. All we need Fulgham to do is rise to the level he achieved in this game.

Travis Fulgham FULL Week 7 Highlights Vs Giants | Eagles Vs Giants Highlights Week 7 NFL 2020 - YouTube

If we get that version of Fulgham, with Smith able to stretch the field on the other side, that should create plenty of room for Reagor underneath to get the ball in space.

Last year we would have been better off benching Ertz or Ward, and rolling with Fulgham and Hightower/Watkins on the outside and Reagor in the slot. That would have at least created some issues on the defensive side of the ball. But sending out Ertz and Ward was essentially forcing Reagor to run routes where he was never getting the ball in space, and instead could only get open when he won his one on one matchups.

Obviously had Ertz had a season like in previous years, it would have forced defenses to play differently. But the fact that he was historically bad made defending us much easier.   

Good analysis as to why Ertz doesn't have much value.  He's old, expensive, declining, slow and has next to no run after catch ability.  He can run a crisp route and make the catch and move the chains, which is valuable.  A 4 would be top value with his large contract, but as of yet no one has offered and no one probably will

[weko]

5 hours ago, brkmsn said:

That isn't talked about much, but in hindsight was probably the biggest factor in our WR struggles. Smith may not have been a game-changer, but he was a reliable professional. On paper, we upgraded our Z by trading away Smith and his moderately high contract and signing Wallace for a low deal. Unfortunately, Wallace was hurt the entire time and his backup, Mack Hollins, was also hurt all year (2018). We seemingly upgraded again with the DJax trade, only to repeat the misfortune. This time Mack Hollins had returned from the injury, but wasn't anything like the rookie Hollins we saw in 2017. Agholar never seemed to work out at Z and TATE was just another slot guy on a team with too many slot guys. JJAW clearly isn't a Z. Ever since we traded away Smith, we've had virtually no production at Z (3 straight seasons). 

 

I'm not going to pretend I thought those moves (trading Smith, signing Wallace, trading for DJax later) were bad. I expected much more. It just goes to show you that a low-profile, solid team player can be more valuable than a talented, flashy big-name paper champ.

Smith provided an essential element to the offense, of having speed to go deep.  That created space that others filled which is an essential element in any sport advancing a ball into an offensive zone.  We've needed multiple players with that ability every year but haven't had any.  So we can't throw the ball.  That's how Foles threw 27 TDs with only 2 picks or so that year.  He had Jackson torching teams deep, taking 2 guys with him every play and leaving the middle of the field wide open.  If you think back to that 7 TD passing game, everyone was running wide open.  We haven't seen that in a long time.