The NFL has become an offensive league. It is no longer about defense for the average fan. The rules favor the offense. The jersey sales favor the offense. It’s why we’ve seen an influx of offensive-minded head coaches like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan (we all know who is better after four years in the NFC West).
With this comes an NFL that is loaded with receiving talent. So many teams have talented receiving corps, but I’m not going to discuss them all in detail. Other media have done this already. The real question for Rams fans is this: Where do Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp rank among NFL duos?
Top 10 Duos
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill
Arguably the best tight end in the NFL considering health and a cheetah.
2. Tennessee Titans: Julio Jones and A.J. Brown
Probably the most physical duo in the NFL. They would definitely win most likely to steal your lunch money.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson
Two exceptional route runners with borderline elite skill sets.
4. Seattle Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett
Lockett is one of the most underrated guys in the NFL and you know Jalen Ramsey’s son has to have some of that talent passed on.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin
You get a jump ball and you get a jump ball.
6. Los Angeles Rams: Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp
We’ll discuss this one in detail
7. Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb
Cooper and Lamb will likely rise in these rankings if Dak Prescott returns to his elite status.
8. Buffalo Bills: Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley
Diggs is a filthy route runner and Beasley is a very good slot receiver, even if he is an idiot.
9. Cleveland Browns: Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry
OBJ still has it and Landry is a really talented slot receiver.
10. Denver Broncos: Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy
Sutton is a huge target and Jeudy is going to be one of the NFL’s best young receivers soon.
Good For Six
A lot of people may wonder why I have Woods and Kupp so high? I’d be happy to debate this on Twitter anytime. But I want to discuss why I value Woods and Kupp so highly. The Rams duo is one of the most complete duos in the NFL. Sure they’re not the classic divas or the high-end stars of the league, but they’re consistent and underrated.
Woods and Kupp are two of the better route runners among NFL receivers. Rarely do you see them not get separation despite not having elite speed. They run a complete route tree. Both have exceptional hands. Neither guy drops many passes. Both guys are frequently counted on to make plays on third down because they are so reliable.
Woods and Kupp are consistent, it’s almost scary how consistent the duo is. Both are generally healthy and perform week in and week out. They don’t have a lot of high/low games, just steady production. The Rams duo is also one of the most selfless in the NFL. Neither one ever complains about their workload, they care about wins and team success rather than individual stats. They both sacrifice their bodies as blockers as well. Coming from a former offensive lineman, they’re damn good at it. That may not seem like much but when your coach runs the ball 56% of the time, blocking is an underrated aspect of a receiver’s game.
Receiving Some Praise
Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are a more dynamic duo than they are given credit. They aren’t Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t one of the best duos in the NFL. You could make an argument for both being underrated among most fans. You could make an argument that if Aaron Rodgers were throwing to them instead of Jared Goff the past four years, they’d likely have more impressive statistics.
The Rams aren’t The Greatest Show on Turf anymore, but similarly, they have a lot of options to target in the passing game as opposed to some teams who have one or two guys getting every target. I have a feeling people may see how special both receivers are in 2021 even if they aren’t ranking the duo high enough.
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