New NFL WR rankings should have Eagles fans pumped

[time2rock]

New NFL WR rankings should have Eagles fans pumped

 

Howie Roseman went out and seriously upgraded the Eagles' wide receiver room on Draft night when he added A.J. Brown in a trade with the Titans. The move, along with the rest of Roseman's excellent offseason, took the Birds' window and moved it from "the future" to "right now".

At least, that's how fans see it. But is it a little bit of recency bias and overexuberance? Are the Eagles' weapons really as good as fans think they are?

The experts are chiming in, and it seems like they agree.

Pro Football Focus, everyone's favorite group of polarizing film-crunchers and obscure-numbers-users, put the Eagles a sky-high fourth (!) in the entire NFL in their new wide receiver corps rankings.

Fourth! In the whole dang league!

Here's what they had to say about the Birds' WR room:

"A.J. Brown, a legitimate No. 1 option who can win over the middle of the field, changes everything for Philadelphia’s receiving corps. The only wide receivers to average more receiving yards per route run than Brown — who the Eagles traded for on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft — since he entered the league in 2019 (2.61) are Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson. 

"Brown, DeVonta Smith and one of the more underrated tight ends in the league (Dallas Goedert) is a nice core with players like Quez Watkins and the thus-far disappointing Jalen Reagor adding some speed behind them on the depth chart."

The only teams ahead of the Eagles in PFF's rankings were the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Dolphins. It's hard to argue the Eagles' WRs are better than any of those groups.

PFF put six teams in the top tier, the "Elite" tear: those three, the Eagles, the Raiders, and the 49ers. I imagine some people will say the Raiders belong ahead of the Eagles, and I would have a hard time disagreeing. I think you have a better argument for the Eagles ahead of the Niners. 

Regardless, it's clear the Eagles are viewed as having a straight-up elite WR group in Brown, Smith, Watkins, and Goedert (who isn't a WR, but also basically is a WR). That's a far cry from what it felt like at the end of the season, when fans all over were calling for a serious upgrade at the position.

Thank you, Howie. Now it's up for these guys to get open - and for Jalen Hurts to get them the ball.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/pffs-wide-receiver-corps-rankings-put-eagles-dolphins-top-5

[UK_EaglesFan89]

With the passing attack this team now has and the improvements to the defense this team should be a threat in the NFC. There really are no excuses for this team unless major injuries strike.

[Rob331]

Reuben Franks recently wrote that if AJ adds 2 more receptions per game than last years team totals and Hurts throws the same number of passes then Hurts will be among the league leaders in passing percentage.

[PoconoDon]

Gotta get them the ball consistently on time and on target now.

[Procus]

5 hours ago, PoconoDon said:

Gotta get them the ball consistently on time and on target now.

Exactly.

[greenskeeper]

Hurts still sucks

[eagle45]

I don't necessarily mean to contest these particular rankings and I realize everyone says I'm so negatively biased against the Eagles...but it really feels like PFF tends to consistently, grossly overrate Eagles players, positions, and units in their rankings.

[Procus]

I don't get excited over rankings.  When are they right?