The Buccaneers and Cowboys kicked off the 2021-22 NFL season with a thriller on Thursday Night Football. We learned a lot from this game and boy was it entertaining but one of the most obvious showings was the stunning receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. We have seen some incredible duos in the past few years such as Brandin Cooks and Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, and Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Could Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb be better than all of them? Let’s find out.
WR Amari Cooper
I would argue that Amari Cooper and Stefon Diggs are 1A and 1B for the best route runners in the league. Cooper is a sure handed possession receiver who makes his money by creating seperation and finding holes in the defense to exploit defensive schemes. It doesn’t matter if the defense is in zone, off-man, or press man, Cooper is going to gap your favorite team’s defense week in and week out. This offseason we saw some crazy videos of his route running prowess and recently he Dallas Morning News that he is the best receiver in the league. While I wouldn’t go as far as calling him the best, I think he hasn’t shown us just how good he can be yet. For a long time I’ve called Amari a bonafide top ten wide receiver. I think he could have a 2020 DaVante Adams or 2019 Michael Thomas type of season.
WR CeeDee Lamb
I have long said that CeeDee Lamb was going to be the best player out of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Justin Jefferson, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, and DK Metcalf with Ja’Marr Chase being the only player who could be better than him. On Thursday night we saw CeeDee struggle with drops and he still had 7 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Lamb is a truly dynamic player who uses his crafty footwork and his above average route running to beat opposing defensive backs. Once the ball is in his hands, CeeDee is a dynamic player who excels at gaining yards after the catch. His catch radius is massive and once he cleans up these drops, he too will be a top ten receiver like his teammate Cooper.
Conclusion
This is one of the best receiver cores in NFL history when you add in Michael Gallup who is one of the league’s best slot receivers. However, we’re focused on CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper and how dominate they can actually be. My answer? I think they have the potential to be the best in the last 20 years no problem. If Amari Cooper can stay healthy and if CeeDee Lamb can clean up these drops, their high octane passing offense will reward them with a truly impressive stat line.
