Patriots' AFC East Rivals Land 2 of Cowboys' Stephon Gilmore Top 5 WRs

When it comes to giving receivers their due, accomplished NFL cornerback Stephon Gilmore digs Stefon Diggs.

The former New England Patriots defender, now with the Dallas Cowboys, took to Fox Sports' airwaves earlier this month, appearing on the debate program "Speak" to discuss his personal top five receivers in the current NFL. Diggs, who's set to enter his fourth season with the Buffalo Bills, topped Gilmore's list ahead of stars such as Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyreek Hill.

.@BumpNrunGilm0re gives us his top-5 WRs in the league today. pic.twitter.com/NfKmS9zLc7
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) August 8, 2023

Respectively rounding out Gilmore's top five is Davante Adams (Las Vegas), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota), Ja'Marr Chase (Cincinnati), and Tyreek Hill (Miami).

Diggs has been one of the primary reasons behind the Bills' new-decade resurgence that has breezed past the Patriots, one that has helped create the second-longest active playoff streak in football. Through his first three Western New York campaigns, Diggs has put up 4,189 yards and 29 scores.

During an injury-riddled 2020 season, his last with the Patriots, Gilmore could only watch as the Bills ended their long-standing hex against their divisional rivals. Diggs earned 237 yards and three scores in a long-awaited sweep of the annual two-game set, Buffalo's first since 1999. In a more recent meeting in December 2021, Diggs beat Gilmore, then of the Carolina Panthers, for a touchdown in a 31-14 Buffalo victory.

Gilmore, who began his NFL career with five seasons in Buffalo after he was the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, certainly knows what it's like to work with the Diggs family: the interview also gave him a chance to laud working with Stefon's brother, Trevon, in the Dallas secondary.

The Patriots defense that Gilmore left behind continues the Western New York tradition against Diggs and the Bills on Oct. 22 and Dec. 31. A matchup with Gilmore and his new employers also lingers on Oct. 1 in Arlington.

In the meantime, New England opens its 2023 season against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 10 (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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