Houston Texans

Hopkins-Fuller: Top Five Receiver Duo?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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So far this year the Texans have gotten a lot of big plays from DeAndre Hopkins and first round pick Will Fuller. Where does the Texans duo rank among receiver duos in the league?

Hopkins burst onto the scene last season with over 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Fuller was taken 21st overall, and known to be a deep threat that the Texans lacked. Thus far this season Hopkins has 16 catches for 223 yards and two scores so far this season while Fuller has done exactly what he was brought in to do–make big plays.

He has 12 catches for 242 yards and a score, but with more than 20 yards per catch the deep threat has finally arrived for the Texans. In fact, five of his 12 catches have been more than 20 yards. These two guys have given the Texans a passing game they have not had since Matt Schaub was still fully functional in 2012.

But where do they rank among other duos? Let’s look at some of the other top duos in the league:

Jacksonville: Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns

Oct 19, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) runs after a catch in the fourth quarter of their game against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Field. The Jacksonville Jaguars best the Cleveland Browns 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Robinson has become a top receiver after breaking onto the scene in 2015. He led the league in touchdowns with 14 and had 1,400 yards. Hurns made his mark quickly with over 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two years.

Thus far this season the Allens have 362 receiving yards and Robinson caught his first two touchdowns of the season against the Ravens. These two guys are young and very good, and should be for a long time.

New York Jets: Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker

Marshall has been one of the better receivers in the league for years. From his time in Denver with Jay Cutler he has shown himself to have a rare blend of size and breakaway speed. Last season was top five in receiving yards with 1,502 in his first season in the Big Apple.

Decker has been an excellent complementary receiver for years alongside DeMaryius Thomas in Denver and now in New York with Marshall. He has racked up more than 1,000 yards three of the last four seasons. Furthermore in those three seasons caught 36 touchdowns.

Oakland: Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree

Sep 25, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper (89) carries the ball during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Cooper was one of the surprise rookies of 2015 with 1,070 receiving yards to lead the team. He scored six times, and combined with Crabtree for 15 touchdowns. Crabtree got very close to 1,000 yards with 922 and led the team with 85 catches.

The two of them have an excellent mix of veteran savvy and are both have good size. Still, they have the athletic ability to make big plays. They provide an excellent duo for Derek Carr, who is one of the rising stars in this league.

Denver: DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders

The Super Bowl champions have a top level receiving duo that has withstood the uneven quarterback play of the last two seasons. Peyton Manning lost his mojo after 2014 (much like Austin Powers did) and was just bad in 2015, still these two receivers were able to make enough of an offense to keep the defense moving on in the playoffs.

Thomas has been a premiere receiver for years now. He is one of the best in the league at getting open and making yards after the catch. He also has the speed to run the longer routes, making him one of the most complete receivers in the league and one of the most underrated. Sanders is a master in the slot, and together they racked up 2,439 receiving yards with Manning and Brock Osweiler throwing them the ball. This season, they picked up right where they left off with Trevor Siemian, who is about as green as they come.

New York Giants: Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard

Sep 25, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) carries the ball past Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Another young star and rookie duo like Houston. With Victor Cruz also in the fold, the Giants have arguably the best trio of receivers in the league. But Shepard has emerged as the number two option on the team. He was a reception machine at Oklahoma, and gets good separation. The only downside of him, Cruz and Beckham is that none of them are that big, so unlike most teams they don’t have a big guy to throw it up to in the red zone.

Back to Beckham, his reputation precedes him. He makes spectacular plays on a routine basis, and is one of the top five receivers in the league. His skill set is the complete package–he has speed down the field, the route running ability to go underneath and hands of glue. Last year he was top five in the league with over 1,500 receiving yards in his second season and figures to be one of the most visible stars in the league for some time playing in New York.

Arizona: Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown

Oct 27, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The savvy veteran in Fitzgerald teamed up with a young burner in Brown. Seems like a match made in Heaven for a strong armed quarterback like Carson Palmer. But, so far the Cardinals have had an unholy struggle in the passing game.

Back in 2008 and for a few years after, Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson were 1 and 1A in terms of best receivers in the league. Fitzgerald has had a long career and has some of the best hands I have ever seen. He doesn’t have the speed that he used to but still led the Cardinals with over 1,200 yards last season.

Brown is the opposite, small but possessing downright burner speed. He had over 1,000 yards in 2015 on just 65 catches, for an average over 15 yards per catch. He is a big play specialist and if the Cardinals get him going they can get this season turned around. Because Brown has just 92 yards through three games this season.

So, if I had to rank these units, here is how is how they stack up right now:

1. Denver: Considering the limited quarterback play that they have had the last two seasons, Thomas and Sanders have been incredible. As I mentioned, Thomas is one of the best receivers in the league and has been consistently very good for years. I think he gets ignored in the conversation for top five receivers in the league, but should be there.

2. NY Jets: Even with Ryan Fitzpatrick, these two guys put up incredible numbers and got the Jets to be a surprise contender last season. However, they have come into 2016 with high expectations and so far have not started well at just 1-2. They are going to have to play great in order to make a run with a quarterback as erratic as Fitzpatrick.

3. Houston: As I wrote in the offseason, I think DeAndre Hopkins was the top receiver in the NFL in 2015. He had a revolving door at quarterback and still was third in the league in both catches and yards with 111/1,521. He should be able to put up even bigger numbers as he develops a rapport with Osweiler. Fuller can do more than just run go routes so far, even though it’s what he does best.

4. NY Giants: While Odell Beckham is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL and arguably a top five receiver, Sterling Shepard is still proving himself. Through three games he has looked good. I thought he was a great pick for the Giants when he was drafted last April. Neither are very big but they are quick out of breaks which makes them great for a west coast offense.

5. Jacksonville: While Robinson probably cracks the top ten in NFL receivers at the moment, we have not seen them in the big games. That said, that is through no fault of their own. They also pad their stats because the Jaguars have no ability to run the ball.

6. Arizona: Playing with a quarterback the caliber of Palmer certainly helps them. But neither are top ten receivers individually anymore, but they have different styles that work well together. The duo of size and speed is very hard to match up with. Palmer just needs to avoid throwing the ball to the other team.

7. Oakland: While both Cooper and Crabtree are solid together, neither of them are great players yet. While I think Cooper should get there before too long, I don’t think he is an elite receiver yet. Crabtree is a great complement with experience and still some gas left in the tank. While they may be last on this list, they are still an excellent duo.

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