PFF thinks the Patriots receiving corps are the 14th best in the NFL

Pro Football Focus is ranking all the different positional groups around the league as we head towards the 2018 NFL Season and they just ranked the top receiving corps in the league- that is a combination of wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends.

Now the Patriots lost Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis from their elite receiving corps of 2017, but where do you think the team should rank this year? Top ten, at the very least, right?

Pro Football Focus has the Patriots ranking 14th. That’s not good, as far as the Patriots are concerned. (note: Jordan Matthews was cut after the release of this list)

“While the Patriots lost Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola this offseason, they signed Jordan Matthews and got back Julian Edelman. Even if it’s likely to be a net downgrade, they still have the league’s best tight end roaming the middle of the field. Only two tight ends averaged over 2.00 yards per route last season. Rob Gronkowski hasn’t averaged under 2.00 since his rookie year.”

The Patriots boast a receiving corps that includes the best tight end in the NFL in Rob Gronkowski, one of the best receiving backs in the league in James White and two other extremely capable receivers in Rex Burkhead and rookie Sony Michel, and at least four receivers that have proven they can produce at a high level as the #2 option in an offense- Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Eric Decker. Throw in Cordarrelle Patterson playing in a viable offense for the first time in his career and that’s a pretty good receiving corps.

Now I’m not saying the Patriots are in the same tier as the Minnesota Vikings, PFF’s top ranked receiving corps, with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Kendall Wright, and Kyle Rudolph- but aren’t they in the same tier?

Like, I’d say Gronkowski, Edelman, and Hogan is a fair match to Thielen, Diggs, and Rudolph, and I’d take the Patriots receiving backs over the Vikings receiving backs by a landslide.

And is anyone going to pound the table and say Kendall Wright is so superior to Kenny Britt, Cordarrelle Patterson, and all of the other receivers on the Patriots roster?

I don’t think so.

I greatly disagree with the Patriots ranking here. And even if they’re not better than the Vikings, they’re definitely better than the 11th ranked Cincinnati Freaking Bengals.