National Football League

PFF proclaims Buccaneers – not Chiefs or Cowboys – have NFL's best receiving corps

Updated Aug. 4, 2021 7:25 p.m. ET

Which receiving corps is the best in the NFL?

This week, Pro Football Focus released its rankings of the NFL's top wideout groups ahead of the 2021 season, and here's how the top 10 panned out:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Tennessee Titans
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. Denver Broncos
8. San Francisco 49ers
9. Los Angeles Rams
10. Miami Dolphins

At the helm for the No. 1-ranked Buccaneers are star wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, whom PFF refers to as "the best trio in the league."

Evans finished with 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns in the 2020-21 regular season, despite battling hamstring and ankle injuries, while Godwin added 840 receiving yards and seven TDs. Brown was the Bucs' highest-graded receiver last year, per PFF, despite not seeing action until Week 9. He has been one of the best receivers in the league throughout his career, and he was a key target for Tom Brady down the stretch last season. The seven-time Pro Bowler finished the regular season with 483 receiving yards and four TDs in eight games.

On Wednesday's "First Things First," Brandon Marshall detailed why he believes the Bucs indeed have the top spot locked down, mainly due to their depth.

"There are so many teams out there that have these strong pass-catchers, but the problem is, they only have two," Marshall said. "When you think about the No. 1 and No. 2 teams on this list, the Bucs and the Cowboys, it’s not even close. … We're looking at Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and then you go to the tight end position. They get O.J. Howard back … and you have [Rob Gronkowski]. Gronk is no longer the best tight end in the NFL, but he gets it done when he has to, and you saw what he did in the Super Bowl. And what about Cameron Brate when O.J. went down? They're loaded."

In second place were the Cowboys, who boast a similarly strong trio in Amari Cooper, who finished with 1,114 receiving yards last season, second-year wideout CeeDee Lamb (935 receiving yards) and Michael Gallup (843 receiving yards).

But Marshall's cohost, Nick Wright, wasn't really keyed in on where Dallas landed as opposed to where his Chiefs didn't land — at the top.

Wright compared PFF's list to a car collection, asking why anyone would opt for a handful of Mercedes Benzes and BMWs over a Lamborghini and a Rolls Royce, citing quality over quantity.

"Let’s talk about the Chiefs for a moment, if we may, America. Travis Kelce just set the all-time tight end receiving record … You have Tyreek Hill, who is unguardable. … I don’t care if Kevin Wildes is the No. 3 option. They only need to throw to two guys, and no one can stop them. So this idea of, ‘Well, once you get to the fourth option' … [They] don’t need a fourth option. … The Chiefs obviously should be No. 1 here."

The Chiefs have — arguably — the best WR-TE tandem in the league in Hill and Kelce.

Hill is a five-time Pro Bowler who racked up 1,276 receiving yards (eighth in the NFL) and 15 TDs last regular season (second only to Davante Adams' 18 TDs), and Kelce finished with 1,416 receiving yards (second only to Buffalo's Stefon Diggs' 1,535) and 11 TDs (tied for fifth in the league).

There's a good chance the Bucs and Chiefs could line it up again in this year's Super Bowl, meaning those potent receiving combos might duke it out on the grandest stage once more.

Until then, the debate will remain wide open.

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