NFL: Ranking the league’s QB-RB-WR trios

The three most attractive positions in football are as follows: quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and rightfully so. This trio of positions are crucial to building an offense. Having a great player at all three will likely make your team a playoff contender.

This especially follows if you have a good quarterback. This is why some NFL teams with a good running back and receiver will rank lower due to a bad QB (looking at you, Jets).

This list does not include tight ends; just the team’s top receiver. That means the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen and Gary Barnidge will not be on these rankings.

With that in mind, let the hate comments begin.

32) Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III, Isaiah Crowell, Corey Coleman

Let’s face it: the Browns aren’t going to be a playoff team any time soon. This trio is a perfect representation of that. Coleman is only a rookie, RG3 hasn’t been good in years and Crowell is a below-average starter at best. If I included tight ends, the Browns would improve to, I don’t know, 31st?

31) San Francisco 49ers: Blaine Gabbert, Carlos Hyde, Torrey Smith

The only thing stopping the Niners from being the worst team on this list is Carlos Hyde. He’s still unproven as the top dog in San Francisco, but he had a solid season before getting hurt. That’s enough to move them in front of Cleveland. However, Gabbert is awful and Torrey Smith would be better suited as a WR2 on most teams.

30) Philadelphia Eagles: Sam Bradford, Ryan Mathews, Jordan Matthews

Sam Bradford is no longer an NFL starting-caliber player. But Chase Daniel isn’t any better and Carson Wentz needs developing, so here he is. Much like Bradford, Ryan Mathews’ potential has been crushed by injuries. Jordan Matthews is solid and was three yards shy of 1,000 for the year, but he’s not good enough to move the Eagles up any higher.

29) Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin

This team could be a lot higher on this list in a few years. Gurley is an absolute monster who had the third-most rushing yards in the league as a rookie. Goff has potential, but hasn’t played a game yet and still is a few years away from being great. Tavon Austin is also young, but hasn’t shown that he has the ability to be a true #1 receiver.

28) Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, DeMarco Murray, Kendall Wright

A team that suffers from there being no tight ends in these rankings, the Titans don’t have any solidified weapons other than tight end Delanie Walker. Murray will look to have a bounce-back year, and Mariota had a solid rookie year. Kendall Wright though, is not a #1 receiver. Dorial Green-Beckham may take his spot by the end of the year.

27) Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, Ameer Abdullah, Golden Tate

The Lions will definitely miss having Calvin Johnson out there. Golden Tate is good, but nowhere near as good as Megatron. However, Tate did have a Pro Bowl year in 2014 when Johnson missed a few games to injury. Not all hope is lost there. Abdullah didn’t have a great year at all last year. He’ll have to drastically improve if he wants to save his job. Stafford’s value remains in fantasy football. He lights up stat cards, but doesn’t convert that to wins.

26) Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins, Matt Jones, DeSean Jackson

Cousins broke out last year by leading the league in completion percentage, but more needs to be seen from him to rank him higher on this list. Matt Jones was very inconsistent last year and ranked dead last in yards per carry with 3.4. DeSean Jackson fell victim to the injury bug, but can be good when healthy.

25) Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith Sr.

All three of these players had season-ending injuries last year, which hurt them in these rankings. Some may claim that Flacco is elite, but in reality he hasn’t really had an elite season yet in the NFL. Forsett had a great 2014, but didn’t repeat that last year. He may be leaped on the depth chart by rookie Kenneth Dixon due to age and injury concerns. Steve Smith continues to turn back the clock, but coming off of an Achilles tear, one has to wonder how long he has left in the tank.

24) Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, Stefon Diggs

Adrian Peterson is the best running back of the decade, and makes a great argument for the best of the 21st century. Unfortunately, his supporting cast isn’t as good. Bridgewater had a disappointing season, despite making the Pro Bowl as a replacement player. Stefon Diggs broke out last year with 720 yards and four touchdowns. While these are great considering he was a fifth-round rookie, he’s not quite good enough to be a bonafide number one receiver.

23) Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler, Jeremy Langford, Alshon Jeffery

Jay Cutler gets a lot of flak, but he’s better than most people realize. However, he’s not great enough to give his Bears a high ranking on this list. When healthy, Alshon Jeffery is a top 10 receiver. Langford may be the most hated player in Pro Football Focus history. Not enough has been seen from him to make Bears fans (like myself) comfortable with him being Matt Forte’s replacement. His 3.6 yards per carry was the third worst in the league for players with at least 100 carries.

22) Denver Broncos: Mark Sanchez, C.J. Anderson, Demaryius Thomas

If the Broncos even had a below-average QB, they’d be in the mid-teens on this list. Mark Sanchez should not be starting in the NFL today. C.J. Anderson is solid, but needs to be more consistent. Demaryius Thomas should be a top 10 receiver in the NFL, but poor quarterback play will affect his stats and performance.

21) San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen

This team could be a lot higher on this list by the end of the year. In my mind, it all depends on how Melvin Gordon does. He was a huge disappointment last year, but he could improve. Rivers had the second-most passing yards in the league despite having no one to throw to, and Keenan Allen is a solid wideout who fell victim to the injury bug last year.

20) Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, Arian Foster, Jarvis Landry

In recent years, Ryan Tannehill has been fairly disappointing. This may change with the addition of QB guru Adam Gase as head coach. He improved Jay Cutler last year, and he was thought of as a lost cause. Arian Foster is a top 10 running back when healthy. Key words: when healthy. Jarvis Landry has been fantastic for Miami, catching a whopping 194 passes in his first two seasons.

19) New York Jets: Geno Smith, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall

If the Jets still had Ryan Fitzpatrick, they could be a top 10 team on this list. Instead, they are stuck with Geno Smith. Forte and Marshall, two former Bears, are both great options despite their ages. Forte can run and catch out of the backfield at an elite level. Marshall’s 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns ranked fourth and tied for first in the league, respectively. Smith will be made better by having solid players around him, but the saying goes: you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, Doug Martin, Mike Evans

The Bucs have a young, talented core, which bodes well for them going forward. Winston appears to be their QB of the future, and he can only get better from here on out. Doug Martin’s breakout year saw him get the second-most rushing yards last year. Evans has been inconsistent over his first two years in the league, but has shown potential to be elite.

17) Buffalo Bills: Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy, Sammy Watkins

Tyrod Taylor was one of the NFL’s biggest breakout players last year. He will look to solidify himself as a starter in this important contract year. Sammy Watkins caught fire late last year and is pegged by many to have a fantastic year. McCoy is also a very good running back. Only problem is: none of these players are elite.

16) New York Giants: Eli Manning, Rashad Jennings, Odell Beckham Jr.

The Giants have a lot of OK running backs, but none of them are particularly outstanding. Jennings is below-average at best. However, OBJ is an elite receiver who has already burst through his glass ceiling. Eli is also a very good quarterback as well.

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15) Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr, Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper

The Raiders are in a fairly similar situation to the Buccaneers, but they have slightly more upside. Derek Carr has been improving ever since he entered the NFL and has franchise quarterback written all over him. Cooper had a great rookie year; he ended up with over 1,000 yards and scored six touchdowns. Add in a fairly young and underrated tailback in Latavius Murray and you’ve got yourself a great offensive trio.

14) Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, Frank Gore, T.Y. Hilton

Last year, the Colts suffered a nightmare season. The main cause of it was the absence of Andrew Luck, who missed nine games. Now that they get him back, they look to make their way back into the playoffs with solid weapons in Gore and Hilton, the former of which is doing a solid job battling Father Time.

13) Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton, Jeremy Hill, A.J. Green

Even though the Bengals haven’t made it past the Wild Card since 1990, they have been a very good team. In fact, they’ve made the playoffs six times in the past seven years. Part of this in due to the duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Dalton has been an above-average quarterback, and Green has been one of the best receivers in the league. Jeremy Hill has also been a solid contributor for Cincy, making up one-half of one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.

12) Houston Texans: Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller, DeAndre Hopkins

If Brock Osweiler has a good year, the sky’s the limit for this trio. He did fairly well filling in for Peyton Manning in Denver, but is still unproven for the most part. However, Lamar Miller and DeAndre Hopkins are both at least top 10 players at their respective positions. Miller’s explosion after the firing of former Dolphins coach Joe Philbin should given Houston a lot to be excited about.

11) Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin

Alex Smith is a fairly underrated quarterback. He ranked in the top 10 in the league in pass completion percentage and QB rating. He will have to improve how many yards he throws, though, as he only ranked 20th in that regard. Charles missed 11 games last year, but had a solid year when he was healthy. He continues to be a yards per carry machine. Jeremy Maclin finally provided Smith with a solid #1 receiver in his first year in Kansas City.

10) Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson, Thomas Rawls, Doug Baldwin

Russell Wilson had another elite year last year, leading the league in passer rating. He also finished in the top 10 for touchdowns and completion percentage. He also ran for 553 yards despite having an awful o-line. That just screams “playmaker”. Rawls broke out in the absence of Marshawn Lynch last year. Now that Beast Mode has retired, Rawls is likely to have an even better year. Doug Baldwin also broke out last year. His 14 touchdowns tied for the league’s best.

9) New England Patriots: Tom Brady, Dion Lewis, Julian Edelman

I’m not too sold on Dion Lewis, so that’s why the Patriots don’t rank any higher on this list. To his credit, though, he was a solid dual-threat option in the backfield before he got hurt. Tom Brady is Tom Brady. That alone warrants a solid ranking on this list. Edelman is a great receiver as well, even though Gronk is Brady’s top target. In fact, Edelman was on track for 108 receptions and 1,230 yards before he injured his foot.

8) New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees, Mark Ingram, Brandin Cooks

Drew Brees has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. Despite being 37, he led the league with 4,870 passing yards and still ranked second in the league in pass completion percentage. Ingram ran for 769 yards and six touchdowns despite missing the final four games of the year. He also gave Brees a solid receiving option out of the backfield. I’ll admit that I’ve never been too high on Brandin Cooks, but his stats and ability to be a speedy deep threat show that he is a solid #1 receiver.

7) Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, Chris Ivory, Allen Robinson

I’m incredibly high on the Jaguars this year, which is part of the reason I started writing for them on this site just a few weeks ago. The main reason for my high expectations for them is their offensive core. Blake Bortles has all of the tools to become an elite quarterback in the league. He finished in the top 10 in passing yards and touchdowns. He has a big arm and can extend the play with his feet. If he improves his judgment on throws (he threw 18 picks last year), he can be the next star QB in the NFL. Chris Ivory had a fantastic year in New York with the Jets. He will hope to repeat his success with a new team. Allen Robinson’s 14 touchdowns tied for the best in the league, and he nearly tripled his yardage total from his rookie year in 2014.

6) Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, Julio Jones

Julio Jones makes a great argument for being the best receiver in the entire NFL. His 136 receptions tied for best in the league with Antonio Brown (more on him later). He is a stat machine, and dominated in nearly every game last year. Devonta Freeman’s early season explosion made him one of the best running backs in the league statistically. It has yet to be seen if he’ll repeat his 2015 season, but he enters this year as a top 10 back. Matt Ryan was better than most people give him credit for last year, despite throwing 16 picks.

5) Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart, Kelvin Benjamin

Cam Newton lit up the NFL in 2015 – he won the league’s MVP award despite not having #1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to throw to all year. He has a great arm, fantastic mechanics and is arguably the best running quarterback in the league, even at 6’5″ and 245 pounds. Stewart had the eighth-most rushing yards in the NFL despite missing three games. Benjamin missed last year as previously stated, but he was a bonafide stud in 2014. His return only makes Cam even more dangerous.

4) Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant

Some people have gone out of their way to claim this trio as the best in the league, but I’m not buying it. Not yet, anyway. Surely this group of Cowboys has the potential to be the best, but there are too many questions surrounding the group to fully put them over the top. Tony Romo is a very good quarterback, but he struggled to stay healthy last year. Dez Bryant is a top five receiver at his best, but he also was riddled with injuries. Zeke is a very talented player who can run, block and catch with the best of them, but he’s only a rookie. It has yet to be seen if he can do that on a professional level, even though it is highly likely he will. There are questions surrounding this trio which prevents them from cracking the top three, but the Cowboys’ group arguably has the highest upside in the whole league.

3) Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer, David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald

36-year-old Carson Palmer had his best year statistically since 2007, back when he still played for the Bengals. He had career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, passer rating and average yards per passing. He also had a career low in interceptions thrown during seasons in which he played 10 or more games. Speaking of turning back the clock, Larry Fitzgerald had one of the best seasons of his career at 32. Fitz ended up in the top ten in the league in receptions and receiving yards. While Palmer and Fitzgerald are both nearing the end of their careers, David Johnson is just beginning his. Like his two older counterparts though, Johnson surpassed all expectations with his red-hot performance late in the year. In the final five games of the year (the only games he started), Johnson ran for 442 yards and gained 216 yards catching the ball. It may be tough to pull off, but he could more than likely play at that level (or at least close to it) for a full season.

2) Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson

Eddie Lacy had a down year in 2015, there’s no denying that. The man who was a consensus #1 pick in fantasy football better resembled Jabba the Hutt than an NFL running back. However, Lacy has been doing P90X over the offseason, which will help him lose weight and re-gain explosiveness and speed. Aaron Rodgers is one of, if not the best quarterback in the National Football League. His combination of arm strength, accuracy and mobility in and out of the pocket is incredibly tough to match. Jordy Nelson, Rodgers’ top target, missed last season with an ACL injury. Assuming he fully recovers, though, Nelson is basically a lock to top 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown

Was there really any doubt? Sure, a lot of teams have great offensive trios, but none compare to the one in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is the toughest QB in the league, and he has been elite for years. Bell and AB are both arguably the best player at their respective position. Bell was on track to have 1,483 yards and nine touchdowns had he not been injured. Brown tied for the most receptions in the league with 136, and the person he tied with (Julio Jones) had nine more targets than him. Keep in mind that Big Ben missed four games. If this trio can stay healthy, the Steelers could have a legitimate chance to make it to the Super Bowl.

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