Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb vs. A.J. Brown: How NFC East Rivals Rank
CeeDee Lamb checked in on our new countdown of the 10 best wide receivers in the NFL ahead of the 2023 NFL season, but it's who he is behind that some Dallas Cowboys fans might take issue with.
Lamb -- a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- came in at No. 8 on the countdown, following back-to-back 1,100+ receiving yard seasons:
"Lamb exploded in his third NFL season, catching 107 passes for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns. He should benefit from Brandin Cooks' addition and the potential re-emergence of Michael Gallup, as the Cowboys were probably too reliant on him in 2022."
A spot ahead of Lamb, however, was Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, which is sure to cause a stir given that he's an NFC East rival. To his credit, Brown spent his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, already establishing himself as an elite wide receiver before he ever put on a midnight green uniform.
But there's no question, Brown found another gear after joining Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, as he caught 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with Philadelphia. The Eagles, of course, lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, but Brown had an excellent game, catching six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Like Lamb, Brown was a second-team All-Pro in 2022.
Brown's placement above Lamb is more indicative of his impact on the Eagles than a dis of Lamb. Remember, there were plenty of Eagles fans upset that the team didn't leapfrog the Cowboys in the 2020 NFL Draft when Lamb fell farther than expected. At the time, the thought was that the Eagles should have packaged their first and second-round picks to move ahead of the Cowboys and take Lamb.
This was before the Eagles had either Brown or DeVonta Smith. Instead, the Eagles stayed at No. 21 and took wide receiver Jalen Reagor -- with Justin Jefferson still on the board -- which turned out to be a disaster. With that said, the second-round pick that general manager Howie Roseman held on to was eventually used on the aforementioned Hurts, so things kind of evened out.
In any event, there's great respect for Lamb in Philadelphia; in our eyes he's just not quite on the level of Brown right now. And the two being at No. 7 and No. 8 on the list gives you an idea of how many prolific wide receivers there are in the sport currently.
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