The Top 5 Receivers in the AFC East

Thee NFL is currently in its most uneventful part of the year so I will take some time to rank the AFC East top receivers. With the term “receivers”, I will include tight ends as they are also receivers. I will rank them on what their current ability is and not on past accomplishments. In this I will also try to take into account the ability of the quarterback that they have throwing to them. The AFC East used to be considered one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, but with the Bills, Dolphins and Jets all spending a lot of money, it has added a lot of talent. So here we go:

Dec 14, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver

Julian Edelman

(11) catches the ball in front of Miami Dolphins safety

Jimmy Wilson

(27) during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 41-13. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

No.5: WR Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

Edelman is an extremely shifty and quick wide receiver, who continuously racks in a massive amount of catches every year. He is Tom Brady‘s favorite target on third down and a key factor in the Patriots offense. After not getting a lot of playing time when entering the league and having to battle injuries, Edelman has taken full advantage of the departure of Wes Welker and has taken over the No.1 wide receiver position in New England. He is extremely difficult to cover for cornerbacks especially on short yardage downs and is extremely dangerous after the catch aswell. This lands him the fifth spot on this list.

No.4: WR Brandon Marshall, New York Jets

In the prime of his career Marshall would be much higher on the list, but last year it seemed like his prime might slowly be coming to end. Given, he did battle a slew of injuries last season, but he simply didn’t look as good as previous years. Still Marshall has a lot of good football left. Marshall is always a big play threat as he has a great combination of size and speed. He uses his 6″4″ height very effectively and is very good at winning the jump ball types of plays. This also makes him a great red zone target and extremely difficult to cover. This year he might benefit from likely only being the No.2 wide receiver in New York.

Dec 28, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver

Sammy Watkins

(14) runs the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

No.3: WR Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

Maybe I am a bit ahead of myself ranking Sammy Watkins this high after only one season in the NFL, but Watkins is a special player of whom I would expect a big improvement this year. Watkins had a very succesful rookie season and clearly established himself at the top of Bills depth chart. Despite the at best mediocre play of last year’s quarterback Kyle Orton he was still able to display his great speed and strength and was very difficult to cover for opposing cornerbacks at times. Watkins can produce against any cornerback as he had 100+ yard games against both Aqib Talib and Brett Grimes.

No.2: WR Eric Decker, New York Jets

Decker was very underrated last season and he had a very stellar season as a No.1 Wr with two bad quarterbacks. While his numbers might not have been as good as in prior years, his play definitely was. Decker isn’t a particularly flashy wideout, but with good size, good route running and decent speed he really produced as a No.1 wide receiver. He will likely benefit from the arrival of Brandon Marshall as that takes some of the focus off him. The Jets receiving corps is suddenly very capable and Decker is the No.1 guy. Decker could be primed for a big year if Geno Smith can finally improve and stay consistent.

Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end

Rob Gronkowski

(87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

No.1: TE Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

I don’t think there is any question about who is the best receiver in the AFC East and likely the NFL. Gronk is simply uncoverable. He is too big for a corner to cover him, but too fast for about any linebacker making him a huge threat. Despite only limited use in the first month of the 2014 season, Gronk easily broke the 1000 yard mark and also had 12 touchdowns. This upcoming year him and Scott Chandler could really create massive problems for opposing defenses especially in the Redzone. Gronkowski also has amazing hands, which is not often the case with players his size. If he is healthy, Gronk will put up monster numbers in 2015.

Next: How will the Pats do in 2015? Predictions

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