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By: Andrew Ortenberg | June 7, 2019 7:00 am ET
The NFC West should see a lot of offense in 2019. Three of the division’s four teams have young offensive whizkids as their head coaches, and the other has Russell Wilson under center.
The division has a lot of great pass-catchers, and the Los Angeles Rams, in particular, have a very impressive receiving corps. Heading into this season, here are the six best receivers in the NFC West:
1. Robert Woods, Rams
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Woods has come a long way, and he now deserves the title of best receiver in the division. He had by far the best year of his career last season, racking up 86 catches for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns, all career-highs. He appeared in all 16 games last season and was consistent all year long.
What makes Woods so special is the ways he contributes other than just running routes. He was dynamic sometimes as a runner, taking 19 handoffs for an additional 157 yards and a touchdown. Woods is also one of the best blocking receivers in the league, and is essential to the Rams’ running game.
That doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it’s a very important part of his game that coaches and teammates consistently highlight. Despite being in the league for a while now, Woods is still only 27, and he should be in for another big year in 2019.rr
2. Brandin Cooks, Rams
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
A lot of people might want to put Cooks first, and that’s understandable. But the gap between him and Woods purely as a receiver is arguable, and Woods does everything else better. That doesn’t mean Cooks isn’t a great receiver, and he certainly deserves a spot in the top two.
After being traded from the Patriots before last season, Cooks transitioned seamlessly in his first season in Los Angeles. He put up 1,204 yards and five touchdowns, and came up big in the postseason. In three playoff games, he had 19 catches for 292 yards.
Cooks is still only 25, so he should still have plenty of room to grow. Even when he isn’t catching passes, Cooks is making his impact felt by stretching defenses vertically and creating space underneath. It’s safe to say the Rams have two receivers better than any one that their rivals have.
3. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Lockett had a breakout 2018, and it was a campaign Seattle desperately needed. They gave the 2015 third round pick a big extension before the season, and he delivered by exceeding expectations.
He finished the year with 965 yards and 10 touchdowns, both easily career highs. He was a consistent vertical option all season, averaging 16.9 yards per reception on pretty heavy volume. Doug Baldwin was banged up last year, and Lockett stepped up big to lessen the blow.
With Baldwin no longer in Seattle and on the verge of retirement, Lockett should be in for an even bigger year next season. Lockett is the presumptive top receiver and will likely see the most targets of his career. If he can be anywhere near as efficient as he was this past season, he’ll have a monster year.
4. Dante Pettis, 49ers
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
This one might be a little bit controversial, but you shouldn’t sleep on Pettis. The 44th overall pick of last year’s draft, the young 49ers wideout showed major flashes as a rookie.
In 12 games and seven starts, Pettis put up 27 catches for 467 yards and five touchdowns. Pettis was hampered by injuries but displayed impeccable route-running when on the field, and he averaged a robust 17.3 yards per catch. He also did it while playing with C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens as his quarterbacks.
Now heading into his second season and with a much better quarterback under center in Jimmy Garoppolo, Pettis should be poised for a breakout. San Francisco doesn’t have too much ahead of him, and he has a clear path to becoming their No. 1 option. He could put up big numbers in Kyle Shanahan’s offense in 2019.
5. Cooper Kupp, Rams
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Kupp would likely be higher on this list if it weren’t for the devastating injury he’s coming off of. Kupp broke out as a third-round rookie in 2017, so expectations were understandably high last season for the Eastern Washington product.
He looked really good early on and seemed well on his way to an excellent season, but then he suffered a knee injury in a Week 6 game against the Broncos. He returned a few weeks later but in just his second game back, he tore his ACL.
Kupp will be a little less than 10 months removed from the injury by the time the season starts and it’s not a guarantee he’ll be at 100 percent for Week 1. He could be a little bit rusty when he returns, and it might take him a little while to fully trust his knee again. That being said, Kupp could easily shoot up this list quickly if he gets back to full health.
6. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The last spot on this list will go to the division’s elder statesman, Fitzgerald. Fitz had a down year in 2018, but so did the entire Cardinals offense. Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was fired just a couple months into his tenure, which shows you just how much of a dumpster fire Arizona’s offense was last season.
With Kliff Kingsbury now at the helm, Fitzgerald should be in for a bounce-back year. As recently as 2017, Fitzgerald had 1,156 yards and six touchdowns. Even in his disappointing 2018 season, he finished with 734 yards and six touchdowns in the league’s worst offense.
Fitzgerald battled hamstring issues for most of last season but still managed to appear in every game. He clearly has plenty left in the tank, and he’s still got it physically. With Kyler Murray throwing to him and Kingsbury calling the plays, Fitz might surprise a lot of people this season.
The NFC West should see a lot of offense in 2019. Three of the division’s four teams have young offensive whizkids as their head coaches, and the other has Russell Wilson under center.
The division has a lot of great pass-catchers, and the Los Angeles Rams, in particular, have a very impressive receiving corps. Heading into this season, here are the six best receivers in the NFC West:
1. Robert Woods, Rams
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Woods has come a long way, and he now deserves the title of best receiver in the division. He had by far the best year of his career last season, racking up 86 catches for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns, all career-highs. He appeared in all 16 games last season and was consistent all year long.
What makes Woods so special is the ways he contributes other than just running routes. He was dynamic sometimes as a runner, taking 19 handoffs for an additional 157 yards and a touchdown. Woods is also one of the best blocking receivers in the league, and is essential to the Rams’ running game.
That doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it’s a very important part of his game that coaches and teammates consistently highlight. Despite being in the league for a while now, Woods is still only 27, and he should be in for another big year in 2019.rr
2. Brandin Cooks, Rams
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
A lot of people might want to put Cooks first, and that’s understandable. But the gap between him and Woods purely as a receiver is arguable, and Woods does everything else better. That doesn’t mean Cooks isn’t a great receiver, and he certainly deserves a spot in the top two.
After being traded from the Patriots before last season, Cooks transitioned seamlessly in his first season in Los Angeles. He put up 1,204 yards and five touchdowns, and came up big in the postseason. In three playoff games, he had 19 catches for 292 yards.
Cooks is still only 25, so he should still have plenty of room to grow. Even when he isn’t catching passes, Cooks is making his impact felt by stretching defenses vertically and creating space underneath. It’s safe to say the Rams have two receivers better than any one that their rivals have.
3. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Lockett had a breakout 2018, and it was a campaign Seattle desperately needed. They gave the 2015 third round pick a big extension before the season, and he delivered by exceeding expectations.
He finished the year with 965 yards and 10 touchdowns, both easily career highs. He was a consistent vertical option all season, averaging 16.9 yards per reception on pretty heavy volume. Doug Baldwin was banged up last year, and Lockett stepped up big to lessen the blow.
With Baldwin no longer in Seattle and on the verge of retirement, Lockett should be in for an even bigger year next season. Lockett is the presumptive top receiver and will likely see the most targets of his career. If he can be anywhere near as efficient as he was this past season, he’ll have a monster year.
4. Dante Pettis, 49ers
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
This one might be a little bit controversial, but you shouldn’t sleep on Pettis. The 44th overall pick of last year’s draft, the young 49ers wideout showed major flashes as a rookie.
In 12 games and seven starts, Pettis put up 27 catches for 467 yards and five touchdowns. Pettis was hampered by injuries but displayed impeccable route-running when on the field, and he averaged a robust 17.3 yards per catch. He also did it while playing with C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens as his quarterbacks.
Now heading into his second season and with a much better quarterback under center in Jimmy Garoppolo, Pettis should be poised for a breakout. San Francisco doesn’t have too much ahead of him, and he has a clear path to becoming their No. 1 option. He could put up big numbers in Kyle Shanahan’s offense in 2019.
5. Cooper Kupp, Rams
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Kupp would likely be higher on this list if it weren’t for the devastating injury he’s coming off of. Kupp broke out as a third-round rookie in 2017, so expectations were understandably high last season for the Eastern Washington product.
He looked really good early on and seemed well on his way to an excellent season, but then he suffered a knee injury in a Week 6 game against the Broncos. He returned a few weeks later but in just his second game back, he tore his ACL.
Kupp will be a little less than 10 months removed from the injury by the time the season starts and it’s not a guarantee he’ll be at 100 percent for Week 1. He could be a little bit rusty when he returns, and it might take him a little while to fully trust his knee again. That being said, Kupp could easily shoot up this list quickly if he gets back to full health.
6. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The last spot on this list will go to the division’s elder statesman, Fitzgerald. Fitz had a down year in 2018, but so did the entire Cardinals offense. Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was fired just a couple months into his tenure, which shows you just how much of a dumpster fire Arizona’s offense was last season.
With Kliff Kingsbury now at the helm, Fitzgerald should be in for a bounce-back year. As recently as 2017, Fitzgerald had 1,156 yards and six touchdowns. Even in his disappointing 2018 season, he finished with 734 yards and six touchdowns in the league’s worst offense.
Fitzgerald battled hamstring issues for most of last season but still managed to appear in every game. He clearly has plenty left in the tank, and he’s still got it physically. With Kyler Murray throwing to him and Kingsbury calling the plays, Fitz might surprise a lot of people this season.
