Brown, Jones lead top WR duos 49ers will face
The San Francisco 49ers face a tough task when the season begins in September. After missing out on the playoffs last season, new defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and the 49ers' secondary will be put to the test against some of the league's elite wide receivers. Will Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson be up for the challenge. Here are the top 10 dynamic duos the 49ers must stop this season.
When Trevor Lawrence steps on the field for the first time in a Jacksonville Jaguars uniform he will have two new weapons to help him.
The Jaguars added Marvin Jones in free agency, who has enjoyed a wealth of success the past five seasons on the Detroit Lions.
Jones caught 76 passes, 978 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020 as a solid option for Matt Stafford alongside Kenny Golladay.
D.J. Chark might not be a household name around the league but his production the last two seasons in Jacksonville has not gone unnoticed. Chark broke out in 2019, catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns.
His numbers dipped in 2020 as Chark missed four games with multiple injuries. He only had 53 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns.
But with stability at the quarterback position for the first time his career, Chark and Jones could be ready for a big year as Lawrence begins his rookie campaign.
The Chicago Bears made the playoffs for the second time in three years, but many believed that 2020 was another mediocre season that ended in more disappointment.
Among other issues, the Bears placed the franchise tag on Allen Robinson, which keeps the star with the Bears through at least 2021. Robinson has been a dependable weapon over the last few years. In 2020 he totaled 151 targets for 1250 yards -- his second of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons -- and six touchdowns. But despite continuous production from Robinson, help is on the way.
The Bears signed Marquise Goodwin to a one-year deal to help bolster their offense. Goodwin adds much-needed depth and experience to Chicago's receiver room, and while he may not be a first option on the Bears' roster he will be a solid number 2.
The Falcons certainly aren't short on weapons following Julio Jones' departure.
Jones being dealt to the Titans solidifies Calvin Ridley as the unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver in Atlanta. As Jones battled injuries last season, Ridley emerged as Matt Ryan's favorite target, seeing an uptick in production from previous seasons. Ridley caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.
Russell Gage took full advantage of an increased opportunity in 2020, setting career highs in receptions (72), receiving yards (786) and touchdowns (4). With Jones completely out of the picture, Gage could be in for an even bigger season in 2021.
Calvin and Gage won't be the only pass catchers opposing defenses need to worry about either, as the Falcons will be adding rookie phenom Kyle Pitts to their offense.
The 49ers will face Ridley, Gage, Pitts and the Falcons Week 15 on Dec. 19.
The Packers’ top receiving duo is much more about Davante Adams than it is about Devin Funchess. Adams has arguably been the best wideout in football over the past five years, topping 1,000 yards twice and 10 touchdowns four times.
Funchess is a major unknown for the Packers entering 2021. He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 but shined with the Carolina Panthers early in his career. Funchess totaled 1,398 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons with Carolina (2017 and 2018).
The Packers’ receiving room will take a noticeable drop if Aaron Rodgers isn’t throwing them the ball this season. Rodgers’ situation still needs to be sorted out, but, until that happens, it’s fair to throw his receiving duo among the league’s best.
The Bengals went back to LSU in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and selected Joe Burrow’s old teammate Ja’Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick.
Chase and Burrow had incredible success during their last seasons in Baton Rouge helping lead the Tigers to a National Championship. The 2019 Biletnikoff winner caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns during his sophomore season at LSU before opting out of the 2020 season. But
Zac Taylor and the Bengals are betting on the chemistry Burrow and Chase had during their two college seasons together to translate to the pros. Burrow was primed to have a productive rookie season in 2020 before tearing his ACL in Week 11, and plenty of that success was thanks to the emergence of Tee Higgins.
The Bengals’ 2020 second-round pick shined alongside Tyler Boyd last season catching 67 passes for 908 yards and six touchdowns. With Chase joining the fold and Boyd positioned as one of the NFL's best pure-slot receivers, Burrow and the Bengals offense should be able to put up some numbers in 2021.
DeAndre Hopkins and Kyler Murray were a match made in heaven in Arizona. After the Cardinals traded for Hopkins last offseason, he became Murray's go-to target in 2020, catching 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns en route to his fourth straight Pro Bowl selection.
Kirk also benefited from the addition of Hopkins, showcasing the ability to be a solid No. 2 receiver for the Cardinals in place of Larry Fitzgerald. Kirk caught 48 passes for 621 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.
The Cardinals also signed former Bengals WR A.J. Green in the offseason, which should only open up more opportunities for Hopkins and Kirk in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense.
Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are the glue that holds Sean McVay’s brilliant offensive schemes together.
They possess a level of sure-handedness, steady production and run blocking ability that is rarely seen in the NFL.
Woods and Kupp both had 90 plus receptions and over 900 yards receiving in consecutive seasons for the Rams. With the addition of Matt Stafford, the duo’s numbers should only go up in Los Angeles in 2021.
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett took the league by storm in 2020. Metcalf emerged as an explosive vertical threat that could be a future receiving leader, while Lockett was Russell Wilson's reliable go-to option to get first downs.
Both Metcalf and Lockett possess the level of fearlessness that's needed to be elite. Whether it be going across the middle to make a play or tracking Wilson's deep balls in the air, this duo proved it could be formidable for years to come.
In 2020, Metcalf caught 83 balls for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns, breaking Steve Largent's franchise record for receiving yards in a single season.
Lockett, who recently signed a monster four-year, $69.2 million contract extension, is also coming off a historic 2020 season. Lockett caught a franchise-record 100 passes for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns.
No two wide receivers might have shocked the league more than Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson last season. The Vikings drafted a gem in Jefferson, who had one of the most productive rookie seasons in franchise history, breaking Randy Moss’ rookie records in receptions and receiving yards. He caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020.
Thielen caught 74 passes for 925 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Both Jefferson and Theilin rank as the No.2 and No. 6 receivers in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus and could be even better in 2021 if Kirk Cousins can stay consistent under center.
The newest wide receiver tandem is one of league's best.
With Julio Jones being traded from Atlanta to Tennessee, he'll play alongside A.J. Brown to help take an offense that tied for the second-most passing yards per game last season (396.4) to the next level.
The seven-time Pro Bowler has led the league in receptions twice and heads to Tennessee with a resume that includes 848 catches, 12,896 yards and 60 touchdowns. The 32-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season where he was limited to nine games and 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns.
Jones' presence will help open the field for Brown, who has posted 1,000-plus yard seasons in each of his first two years. The duo will form a nightmare matchup for opposing secondaries, while also creating some extra space in the box for Derrick Henry.
The 49ers play in Tennessee on Dec. 23 for Thursday Night Football.
