Ranking the NFL's best receiving trios
In an era when passing offenses become more proficient every season, it's become paramount for teams to stack their lineups with as many dangerous wide receivers as possible.
Free agency provides an avenue for teams to dramatically alter the shape of the lineup. After a frenzied opening day on the market, we rank the top receiving trios in the NFL.
5. Dolphins (Jarvis Landry/Kenny Stills/DeVante Parker)
This group lacks overwhelming star power but makes up for it with balance. Landry secured consecutive Pro Bowl nods after topping the 1,100-yard barometer twice and may be the most underrated wide receiver in the league, boasting a catch radius that rivals his best friend, Odell Beckham Jr.
Stills signed a four-year, $32-million contract to remain in Miami and it's easy to forget he only turns 25 in April. Parker's developed into a reliable downfield option for the Dolphins, and it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if both players topped 1,000 yards in the upcoming season. This may be the most promising group on the list, as the trio stands to get better over time.
4. Buccaneers (Mike Evans/DeSean Jackson/Adam Humphries)
A talented group became much more formidable when Jackson signed a three-year, $33.5-million deal with the Buccaneers on Thursday. Jackson turns 31 in December, but led the NFL in yards per reception, and still boasts top-end speed that's liable to give NFC South secondaries nightmares.
Evans, one of the NFL's brightest stars, bullies smaller defenders with his combination of speed and size. Few players are as potent in the red zone and the 23-year-old still has room to improve, with a penchant for drops the lone fault in his game. Humphries, who quietly turned into a capable third option for the Buccaneers last season, will likely find himself open often as defenders choose to focus on Evans and Jackson. Look for the Buccaneers to make waves in 2017.
3. Packers (Jordy Nelson/Davante Adams/Randall Cobb)
It's appalling that Jordy Nelson wasn't named to the Pro Bowl after recording 1,254 yards and a league-best 14 receiving touchdowns, but he gets due credit here. Nelson injected new life into the Packers' offense, scorching defenders downfield while maintaining his reputation as one of the NFL's premier route-runners.
Adams may have been the league's most improved offensive player in 2016, emerging as a new standout for the Packers with 997 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He carried the passing game for stretches of the season, and is becoming a bigger component of the offense entering his fourth year.
Cobb experienced an off year, but he's still 26 with excellent straight-line speed and is primed for a comeback. Three years removed from a 1,287-yard, 12-touchdown campaign, Cobb has the potential to elevate the Packers into another tier when he's at his best.
2. Saints (Michael Thomas/Brandin Cooks/Willie Snead)
This group may be dismantled by September with the Saints fielding offers for Cooks. For the time being, though, it's one of the most dangerous trios the NFL has to offer.
Thomas took the league by storm during his rookie campaign, racking up a team-high 92 receptions for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. The second-round pick is a burgeoning star who dominates opponents in the red zone and boasts the ability to pluck the ball out of thin air. It's only a matter of time before Thomas is considered among the best wide receivers in the league.
Cooks is a veritable sprinter who burns defenders with ease and finesse. He's posted back-to-back 1,100-yard-plus seasons, and should fetch a lucrative draft pick in a deal - but the Saints ought to consider that 23-year-old emerging stars don't become available very often.
Snead is often the forgotten man in this trio, but he seems content to sneak under the radar, where he's neared the 1,000-yard mark in consecutive seasons. Joining the Saints as an undrafted free agent, Snead is liable to go off when Thomas and Cooks are contained, giving the team the most potent young group of receivers in the NFL.
1. Giants (Odell Beckham Jr./Brandon Marshall/Sterling Shepard)
Forget the tabloid coverage of the Giants' yacht trip for a second. After signing Marshall to a two-year, $12-million contract, the Giants boast the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL.
At this juncture, what needs to be said about Beckham? A prodigious performer with the best catch radius in the league, he's dominated since he set foot in the NFL, and he'll contend for the mantle of the league's best receiver for the next decade.
Marshall will no longer operate as his team's premier receiving threat, and the veteran is poised for numerous field days now that he'll line up against an opponent's second cornerback. In the red zone, opponents will have to pick between defending the always-open Beckham or Marshall, who excels at boxing out opponents. Throw Shepard into the mix and defensive coordinators will be spiking their headsets in frustration.
Shepard compiled a strong rookie season, catching 65 passes for 683 yards and eight touchdowns while developing an excellent rapport with Eli Manning. A strong route-runner, Shepard will continue to improve, and may be an overwhelming presence in the slot as teams remain confounded by the Beckham-Marshall tandem.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)