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Wide receiver has been a strength of the Los Angeles Rams’ roster ever since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017. In the last five years, they’ve had Cooper Kupp, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. lining up at wideout.
This offseason, they traded away Woods and signed Allen Robinson, which could be seen as an upgrade for the offense. Robinson will pair with the league’s leading receiver from 2021, Kupp, to give Matthew Stafford an immensely talented tandem.
But in Pro Football Focus’ eyes, it’s not one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. PFF put the Rams’ pass catchers – including tight ends – 7th on its list of the best in football, not even in the top tier. The Rams are in Tier 2, which is titled “Strong overall with a weak point or two.”
A potential Odell Beckham Jr. return would bump the Rams into Tier 1, but they stick at the top of Tier 2 for now. How high they rise or how far they fall largely hinges on whether Allen Robinson’s 2021 season was a one-year hiatus from the wide receiver he’s been for much of his career or a sign of things to come. Robinson’s 67.0 PFF receiving grade in 2021 — following two seasons above 80.0 with the Bears — was the lowest of his career. Cooper Kupp still headlines the unit after ranking first among all wide receivers in PFF’s Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metric last season.
There may not be a better duo than Kupp and Robinson, and Jefferson is a quality third option. Sure, Tyler Higbee may not be a premier tight end, but that’s partly because of all the targets that are sent to other players in the offense.
If you ask Stafford, he’d probably say it’s the best receiving corps in the NFL. Signing Beckham would put the Rams in even better shape, but even as it stands, there aren’t many better than Los Angeles’.
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