NFL Analysis
10/9/24
8 min read
Ranking NFL's Top 5 Wide Receiver Duos Through 5 Weeks
Quarterbacks might be the stars of the offense, but they can only do so much if they don't have weapons around them. Some teams are lucky enough to have an established No. 1 receiver, while a handful have a pair of wideouts that can open up the entire passing game.
A few wide receiver duos are starting to emerge five weeks into the 2024 season, so let's dive into the five best tandems in the league up to this point.
Ranking Top 5 WR Duos
5. Dallas Cowboys: Ceedee Lamb - Jalen Tolbert
Dak Prescott has another receiver to lean on besides CeeDee Lamb in 2024.
Lamb received a $136 million extension this offseason and is off to another solid start with 25 catches for 378 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His versatility has made him such a difficult receiver to gameplan against. He has 101 snaps in the slot and 92 snaps out wide.
All the attention on Lamb has led to a breakout in Year 3 for Jalen Tolbert. He saw a career-high 10 targets on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching seven for 87 yards and a touchdown. He generated a handful of big plays, including the game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left.
Jalen Tolbert has always had the talent to be a starting WR in this league and last night was HUGE for building that confidence. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/7H5zQWvmhs
— Ernie The Cowboys Fan (@es3_09) October 7, 2024
Tolbert's emergence adds another dimension to the Cowboys' offense. Although Brandin Cooks was expected to be the established No. 2 option, Tolbert has quickly emerged as the preferred weapon opposite of Lamb.
Now that he's earned the trust of Prescott and the Cowboys coaching staff, expect even more production from Tolbert going forward.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Drake London - Darnell Mooney
The biggest surprise duo on the list, Drake London and Darnell Mooney are tearing up opposing defenses through the first five weeks of the season.
After two quiet seasons to start his career, London is on pace for a career year with Kirk Cousins throwing him the ball. He's near the top of the league in most receiving categories, with 32 catches for 354 yards and three scores. He's also tied for first in the NFL with seven contested catches through five games.
Unlike previous seasons, the Falcons are using pre-snap motion to get their No. 1 receiver into favorable matchups, allowing him to carve up defenses.
Falcons used motion to make Drake London the slot receiver late before the snap. Useful against a Buccaneers defense that sat in zone. pic.twitter.com/03kqWm52Xu
— Dan Pizzuta (@DanPizzuta) October 4, 2024
Like London, Mooney is also on pace for a career year after some decent seasons with the Chicago Bears. With 24 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns, he's pacing for 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit scores.
Cousins is posting a 103.7 passer rating when targeting Mooney, who is doing a great job of getting open and making plays after the catch. Despite being just 177 pounds, Mooney shows good toughness and is making plenty of plays to be another option for Cousins through the air.
Neither London nor Mooney are established stars, but they complement each other well and have produced like a top-tier receiver tandem through the first five weeks of the year.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans & Chris Godwin
Unlike London and Mooney, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are an established receiver duo.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers duo has revived Baker Mayfield's career in the last two seasons. Mayfield is already having his best year, posting a 112.2 passer rating with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Evans continues to be one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history. He has 10 straight seasons recording more than 1,000 receiving yards, and he's close to his pace for an 11th straight year. He's also tied for the NFL lead with five receiving touchdowns through five games.
Meanwhile, Godwin is on pace for his fifth 1,000-yard season in the last six years. He's caught 32-of-40 targets for 386 yards and three touchdowns. He has a strong 2.41 yards per route run and is second in the NFL with 224 yards after the catch; Mayfield has a 135.3 passer rating when throwing his way (h/t PFF).
The Buccaneers know that Evans is the primary target that defenses worry about, which allows them to scheme up ways to use him as a decoy to get Godwin open.
Chris Godwin wide open 🙌 A 41-yard TD for the @buccaneers!
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
📺: #TBvsDET on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/kxcTAKc9uD
Tampa Bay is for real this year, thanks to its passing attack and a career year from Mayfield. That doesn't happen without such an established veteran wide receiver duo like Evans and Godwin.
2. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase - Tee Higgins
Ja'Marr Chase is reminding everyone that he's one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
The former first-round pick is second in the league with 493 receiving yards, but he's first with 234 yards after the catch. He's tied for first with five receiving touchdowns, finding the end zone on explosive plays with the ball in his hands or by pushing the field vertically.
Chase's passing chart from Sunday does a great job of showcasing how he can win in multiple ways with his route-running and explosiveness after the catch.
An established connection with Joe Burrow dating back to their college days at LSU helps, but Chase is also a rare athlete and technician. His ability to attack leverage against defensive backs allows him to consistently get open on deep shots.
Ja'Marr Chase rocker step to spin the safety
— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) October 9, 2024
Joe Burrow taking a hit and laying it up for him
I LOVE THESE BOYS pic.twitter.com/f98tzMD3DK
Chase does a lot of the heavy lifting to slot the Bengals wide receiver duo at No. 2 on this list, but Tee Higgins is no pushover.
Higgins has only played in three games due to a nagging hamstring injury but finally looked healthy in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. He was targeted 14 times, catching nine for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also went 3-of-6 in contested catch situations, reminding fans of his impressive body control and acrobatic ability on 50-50 balls.
It took some time for Higgins to look like his old self, but a dominant Week 5 performance should have Bengals fans optimistic about their chances going forward, even if they're just 1-4 to start the year.
1. Houston Texans: Nico Collins - Stefon Diggs
It's unfortunate that this duo will fall down the rankings due to a hamstring injury forcing Nico Collins onto injured reserve. However, through the first five weeks, there hasn't been a more dominant pair of wide receivers on the same team than Collins and Stefon Diggs.
Prior to his injury, Collins has been far and away the most dominant receiver in the league. He's leading the NFL with 567 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 32 catches. His 3.49 yards per route run is far and away the most in the NFL, with Rahsee Rice coming in second at 3.16 yards.
At 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, Collins has the size, body control, and explosiveness to dominate whoever is playing on the opposite side of him, whether it's on an underneath route or a deep shot like this one.
UNREAL 🤯
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 6, 2024
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/JPc7jmOmWk
The good news for the Texans is that Collins will return this season, and they still have another established star receiver having a strong start to the season in Diggs.
The Buffalo Bills sent Diggs to the Texans in exchange for a second-round pick, and so far, the trade seems like a great deal for Houston. He already has 31 catches for 315 yards and three total touchdowns.
It's not like Diggs is excelling anywhere besides getting open. He has an average depth of target of just 6.6 yards, 1.68 yards per route run, and just one missed forced tackle.
However, what Diggs does excel in is moving the chains. He's tied with Malik Nabers for fourth among receivers with 19 first downs generated off of receptions.
C.J. Stroud has quickly ascended into one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and once Collins returns from his injury, the Texans should be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender out of the AFC.
