Professional Soccer Focus has come out with its receiving corps rankings for 2022 and the Bucs are ranked No. 2. Tampa Bay has a fantastic trio of starters in Professional Bowler Mike Evans, $20-million man Chris Godwin and newcomer Russell Gage. However the Bucs don’t declare the highest spot within the new PFF rankings. So which staff beat out the Bucs?
The Cincinnati Bengals.
Contemporary off a shock Tremendous Bowl look, the Bengals’ trio of receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd is ranked No. 1. And it’s laborious to argue with that distinction. Right here’s how these three Cincinnati receivers produced in 2021.
Ja’Marr Chase – 81 catches for 1,455 yards (18 avg.) and 13 TDs
Tee Higgins – 74 catches for 1,091 (14.7 avg.) and 6 TDs
Tyler Boyd – 67 catches for 824 yards (12.4 avg.) and 5 TDs
Right here is how Tampa Bay’s high trio carried out final 12 months, together with Gage’s numbers with Atlanta.
Bucs WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Chris Godwin – 98 catches for 1,103 yards and 5 TDs
Mike Evans – 74 catches for 1,035 yards and 14 TDs
Russell Gage – 66 catches for 770 yards and 4 TDs
The Bengals’ trio totaled 222 receptions for 3,370 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Bucs’ trio totaled 238 catches for two,908 yards and 23 TDs.
PFF’s Receiving Corps Evaluation
Here’s what PFF needed to say concerning the Bengals receivers.
No staff has a extra spectacular assortment of younger pass-game expertise than the Bengals. Clearly, quarterback Joe Burrow is an enormous a part of that, however the beginning huge receiver trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd that got here collectively final offseason contributed closely to Burrow’s development from his rookie season to 2021.
Chase established himself as one of many NFL’s greatest deep threats (league-high eight touchdowns on throws 20-plus yards downfield) and after-the-catch weapons (third amongst huge receivers in yards after the catch) on the place. Cincinnati’s determination to reunite him and Burrow additionally allowed Higgins and Boyd to profile as among the higher No. 2 and No. 3 choices within the league, respectively.
And that is what PFF needed to say concerning the Bucs receivers.
Tampa Bay’s receiving corps isn’t fairly as proficient because it was at full power final season. Antonio Brown and O.J. Howard are now not on the roster, and neither is Rob Gronkowski (for now). Nonetheless, the Buccaneers nonetheless have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — a stellar one-two punch when wholesome — and added Russell Gage from Atlanta by way of free company and tight finish Cade Otton within the 2022 NFL Draft.
Gage makes quite a lot of sense as a match alongside Evans and Godwin. He profiles as a possession receiver who can work the center of the sector from slot or huge alignments. Gage steadily improved his receiving yards per route run from 1.18 in 2019 to 1.96 final season (nineteenth amongst qualifying huge receivers).
Maybe if Gronkowski re-signs with Tampa Bay previous to coaching camp the Bucs can get elevated over the Bengals?
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