Do the 49ers Have the Best Trio of Pass Catchers in the NFC West?
Recently, I ranked the safety duos in the NFC West. Today, let's rank the pass-catching trios from worst to best and see where the 49ers' trio stands.
4. Los Angeles Rams: Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee.
Higbee is an underrated tight end who has performed well against the 49ers, and Woods and Kupp both are quality No. 2 receivers. But the Rams don't have a true go-to guy in the passing game, meaning a No. 1 target who is a matchup nightmare. Nor do they have a true deep threat. Their trio is solid yet unspectacular.
3. Arizona Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk.
Hopkins is the best receiver in the division -- he gained 1,407 receiving yards last season. Green is a former perennial Pro Bowler who will be 33 next season and could have a big bounce-back season playing for the first time with Kyler Murray. And Kirk is a solid No. 3 option. This trio is terrific.
2. Seattle Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Gerald Everett.
Metcalf is a top-five receiver in the NFL and Lockett is a top-15 receiver -- they're one of the best receiver duos in the league. But we're not ranking duos here -- we're ranking trios. And Everett is a solid tight end who should be an upgrade over the old Greg Olsen, but he's nothing compared to George Kittle.
1. 49ers: George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk is one of the best route runners in the NFL, Samuel is one of the best receivers after the catch in the NFL and Kittle might be the biggest mismatch in the NFL. Together, this trio is elite when healthy. Unfortunately for the 49ers, these three players were rarely healthy at the same time in 2020. If they manage to stay on the field this year, the 49ers will have a tremendously dangerous offense.
