We continue to look at the NFC West this time of year and go through positional rankings. Today we look at the wide receiver position. Instead of ranking the teams themselves, we are ranking the players.
Who are the top seven wideouts in the division? How many Cardinals are on the list?
For now, we will not include any of the rookies, as they haven’t played a down in the NFL. When we look at the teams later, we will consider them.
No. 7: Christian Kirk, Cardinals
Kirk became a productive player and was finding his stride as a rookie when he broke his foot. He is completely healthy and should, in years to come, go up this list. He finished with 43 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 6: Cooper Kupp, Rams
The Rams have a good life at receiver with Kupp as their third-best at the position. He has to come back from his ACL tear but he was a critical piece to the Rams offense and was badly missed once he went down. Any team in the division would love to have him.
No. 5: Marquise Goodwin, 49ers
The winner of the recent 40 Yards of Gold competition is fast. He is productive but injuries set him back a year ago. He is talented and the 49ers need him to do more. But he is talented and has a ton of potential.
No. 4: Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
No more Doug Baldwin in Seattle means Lockett becomes the No. 1 guy, at least until rookie DK Metcalf becomes that. Lockett is a very dynamic player and could have a huge season with an expanded role. He had 965 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
No. 3: Robert Woods, Rams
86 catches for over 1,200 yards, and he is only the third-best receiver in the division? Perhaps it is the Cardinals fans in me, but Larry Fitzgerald still is better, even with reduced production in 2018. The man had over 100 catches for three previous years. So it is again a case where Woods is undervalued despite being very productive. But ranking just behind Fitz isn’t exactly a bad place to be.
No. 2: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
He is still Larry Legend. He is still capable of 100-catch seasons. His production should go back up in the new offensive system. And when you need a play made, who in the division would you count on more?
No. 1: Brandin Cooks, Rams
Cooks is the guy. He is the No. 1 guy for the Rams and they have two other of the top seven receivers in the division. He is fast and can be a game-changer.
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