Ranking the AFC West wide receiver trios
There have been some big-time comings and going in the AFC West at the wide receiver position, thus shaking things up. How does it land when all is said and done? Let’s take a look.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Trio: Davante Adams, Demarcus Robinson/Keelan Cole, Hunter Renfrow
Having arguably the league’s best receiver puts the Raiders’ receiving corps on the map. Having one of the league’s best slot receivers as well puts them among the league’s best.
Adams is coming off a season in which he put up 1553 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, earning his second consecutive All-Pro nod. While Renfrow had 103 catches last season, landing him second among wide receivers in Raiders franchise history. The two of them are also widely considered among the best route runners in the league.
Who will occupy the other starting outside receiver spot is a bit of a question mark. Cole and Robinson would appear to be the frontrunners for that job. Both are middle-of-the-road receivers who have started games in their career. Cole has had more success, usually finishing around 500 yards per season.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
Trio: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jaylen Guyton
Like the Raiders, the Chargers have two outstanding starters and a marginal third receiver. Year-after-year Allen is among the league’s top receivers. Thus why he has been to five straight Pro Bowls. He has been the image of consistency and dependability over that time.
Williams is far less consistent, but he is a dominant presence at the X receiver spot, with abilities like few others. He’s coming off a career year, catching 76 passes for 1146 yards and nine touchdowns.
Guyton has been a decent third receiver, hovering around 500 yards each of the past two seasons with six combined touchdowns.
3. Denver Broncos
Trio: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick/Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler
Potential is what this group has. And a lot of it. Sutton established himself as a Pro Bowl player a couple of years ago. Patrick has emerged the past couple of seasons, surpassing 700 yards and five touchdowns in each season.
Jeudy and Hamler are both high picks. Hamler missed most of last season with an injury and Jeudy saw his numbers take a tumble. Hamler’s return should help the offense a great deal, while Jeudy will have to start showing the kind of dominant receiving abilities that made him the 15th overall pick in the draft a couple of years ago.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Trio: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Mecole Hardman
It’s weird seeing the Chiefs at the bottom here. That’s kind of what happens when you lose a player the caliber of Tyreek Hill. He’s kinda hard to replace.
I personally think the Chiefs did a nice job of retooling the position. Smith-Schuster is a few years removed from his huge season in which he caught 111 passes for 1426 yards, but perhaps a change of scenery could bring some of that back. Valdez-Scantling is a season removed from averaging nearly 21 yards per catch. And Harman is a very good slot receiver with speed for days.
There are just too many uncertainties in this group at the moment. It would be a stretch to think Smith-Schuster can get back to putting up the kind of numbers he did for that one breakout season.
Valdez-Scantling enjoyed having Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, so it’s not like moving to Mahomes is some huge upgrade in that department. Overall, they figure to be decent, but not a great strength.
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