SI's Top 10 WR's/RB's in Football.
Posted: Tue Aug 4, 2015 7:27 am
I was definitely not expecting this. Jordy #3 and Cobb #9. Wow. Only team with 2 in the top 10. Also was not expecting Jordy #3 above Beckam/Megatron.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/07/30/position-rankings-wide-receivers-dez-bryant-antonio-brown
3. Jordy Nelson, Packers: A bastion of consistency over the last two seasons, Nelson made his first Pro Bowl in 2014 with a 98-catch, 1,519-yard campaign that firmly put him on the map as one of the league's best at what he does. Since he came out of Kansas State in 2008, Nelson has been quietly fighting the war of perception regarding his quickness on the field. You'll still hear people refer to him as a big possession receiver, which is ridiculous.
In each of the last two seasons, he's averaged 15.5 yards per catch, and he tied for fifth in the league in 2014 with 12 receptions in which the ball traveled 20 yards in the air or more. But sure, if you want to throw him a seven-yard slant and watch him blow through safeties, he'll do that, too. Nelson's most impressive recent development is his full-field versatility. He became a star for the Packers in the slot in 2013 after Randall Cobb was hurt. Nelson has grown into the rare receiver with no obvious liabilities.
9. Randall Cobb, Packers: Green Bay is the only team with two receivers on this list, and while that's a testimony in part to Aaron Rodgers's greatness, it's also about Cobb's game-breaking ability and the creativity of the Packers' coaching staff. You'll see him as an outside receiver and a sweep/fake guy in certain packages, but where Cobb has really established himself is as the most productive slot receiver in the NFL today—and it's not really close.
According to Pro Football Focus metrics, Cobb caught 75 passes on 106 targets for 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. To put that in perspective, Tennessee's Kendall Wright led the league in 2013 with 63 catches and 694 yards from the slot, while Eddie Royal and Wes Welker tied for the lead in touchdowns from the slot with seven. If you're looking to make the argument that slot receivers are no longer second-class citizens, Cobb is a good place to start.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/07/30/position-rankings-wide-receivers-dez-bryant-antonio-brown
3. Jordy Nelson, Packers: A bastion of consistency over the last two seasons, Nelson made his first Pro Bowl in 2014 with a 98-catch, 1,519-yard campaign that firmly put him on the map as one of the league's best at what he does. Since he came out of Kansas State in 2008, Nelson has been quietly fighting the war of perception regarding his quickness on the field. You'll still hear people refer to him as a big possession receiver, which is ridiculous.
In each of the last two seasons, he's averaged 15.5 yards per catch, and he tied for fifth in the league in 2014 with 12 receptions in which the ball traveled 20 yards in the air or more. But sure, if you want to throw him a seven-yard slant and watch him blow through safeties, he'll do that, too. Nelson's most impressive recent development is his full-field versatility. He became a star for the Packers in the slot in 2013 after Randall Cobb was hurt. Nelson has grown into the rare receiver with no obvious liabilities.
9. Randall Cobb, Packers: Green Bay is the only team with two receivers on this list, and while that's a testimony in part to Aaron Rodgers's greatness, it's also about Cobb's game-breaking ability and the creativity of the Packers' coaching staff. You'll see him as an outside receiver and a sweep/fake guy in certain packages, but where Cobb has really established himself is as the most productive slot receiver in the NFL today—and it's not really close.
According to Pro Football Focus metrics, Cobb caught 75 passes on 106 targets for 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. To put that in perspective, Tennessee's Kendall Wright led the league in 2013 with 63 catches and 694 yards from the slot, while Eddie Royal and Wes Welker tied for the lead in touchdowns from the slot with seven. If you're looking to make the argument that slot receivers are no longer second-class citizens, Cobb is a good place to start.