On Sunday morning the Tennessee Titans traded for one of the best receivers in the game right all-time in Julio Jones. With AJ Brown already on the roster, Tennessee now has an elite pair of pass-catchers. Let’s take a look at other dominant duos around the league and see how the Titans’ newest pair stacks up against them.
5. Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper and Ceedee Lamb
Drafting Lamb 17th overall in 2019 when the defense was clearly the biggest need was definitely a questionable move at the time. While their defense did suffer in 2020, Lamb’s incredible rookie campaign goes a long way to justify the pick. Hauling in 74 receptions, 935 yards, and 5 touchdowns would be a superb season for any veteran WR2. But for a rookie who still has yet to reach his full potential, it is simply incredible. Amari Cooper is a guy that has been kind of overlooked in recent years but he is performing very well. Over 1,000 yards in the last two years, and we can’t forget Dallas didn’t have their star QB for most of 2020. As a top-tier route runner, Amari Cooper is a guy you can depend on to be a true wide receiver one for your team.
4. Seattle Seahawks: DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett
These two players are both exceptional deep threats and with Russell Wilson as their QB, who has one of the best deep balls in the game, they form a passing attack that is extraordinarily explosive. Metcalf gets all the media attention being the 6’4, 229-pound monster that he is. And it truly is stunning how he can be so big yet ridiculously athletic at the same time, it would be an understatement to say he has taken the league by storm. However, people often forget about his partner in crime, Tyler Lockett. The former 3rd round pick isn’t as flashy as Metcalf but he has been one of the most consistently good receivers since 2018. Going for over 950 yards and 8 touchdowns in all of the last three seasons, and in 2019 as well as 2020 he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Together Metcalf and Lockett totaled over 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns last year.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen
I was not mad when Justin Herbert won the OROTY award but I was definitely convinced the award would go to Justin Jefferson. The LSU alum posted otherworldly stats even for a wide receiver one during his 2020 campaign. He broke the rookie receiving yards record with a whopping 1400 yards which was 4th in the NFL. Add onto that 7 touchdowns, 88 receptions, and a top 10 YPC average of 15.9 and you have a guy that is clearly a top 10 WR even after just his rookie year. Combine Jefferson’s talents with one of the most underrated players of the 2010s in Adam Thielen and you’ve got a duo sure to keep defensive coordinators scratching their heads. The former UDFA has made quite a name for himself since his debut year in 2014. From two back-to-back 1200+ yard seasons in 2017 and 2018 to racking 14 touchdowns in 2020 (3rd), Theilen has done more than enough to prove he’s a special talent.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin
This has been the best WR duo in the NFL for the last year or so but it wasn’t until very very recently that they got knocked off that top spot. Regardless, both these guys are true wide receiver talents. Evans is the only pass catcher in NFL history to go for 1,000+ yards in all of the first 7 years of one’s career, and the streak is still alive. Despite a dip in targets in 2020 he still collected 13 touchdowns, which is a testament to how good of a redzone threat he is. Although still very good, Godwin’s stats don’t quite jump off the page the same way that Evans’s do. However, the dip in production is only due to a crowded offense and has absolutely nothing to do with his quality of play. His peak came in 2019 where he put together a 1,333 yards (3rd) and 9 touchdowns (3rd) season. Both of these guys are more than capable of shredding a defense on any given Sunday, and, rarely, they don’t deliver.
1. Tennessee Titans: Julio Jones and AJ Brown
AJ Brown proved last year that he is a high-quality wide receiver and is ready to be the Titans’ number one option in the passing game. Coming in 5th overall in the NFL in terms of receiving touchdowns and getting up over 1,000 yards was incredibly impressive for Brown, especially on such a run-heavy offense. Now with one of the best wide receivers of all time and the greatest pass catcher of our generation lining up with him on Sundays, this passing attack is expected to be among the best in the entire NFL. Despite only playing 9 games in 2020, Jones still managed to have a very solid season with 771 yards and 3 touchdowns. This duo is going to be an absolute nightmare to prepare for and I truly feel bad for all the secondaries that are going to have to try and limit either of Jones’s or Brown’s production.
Photo: ESPN