The Cowboys Wide Receiving Trio Is Among The Best In The League

It's a passing league. It just is. Pay no attention to the fact that Dallas just had their best season since 2007 by running the ball 508 times. But despite the Cowboys commitment to the running game, many NFL teams are finding more and more success through the air and as a result, the demand for playmaking receivers is on the rise. In the last two drafts there has been an increase in wide receivers taken in the first round. In 2014, there were five receivers selected. In 2015, there were six. Teams are starting to become more active in strengthening their receiving corps.

As teams stack up on receivers, some of them have assembled an impressive trio of pass catchers. Looking at the best groups in the league, it is interesting to see where the Cowboys fit in with these elites. Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley are marvelous receivers, each of them taking on their own special role on the team. Williams is the team's deep threat, Beasley is the chain moving "hands" receiver, and Dez Bryant is the do-just-about-anything receiver. It's a great unit.

Here is a look at some of the elite gangs of receivers in the league.

Green Bay Packers: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams

All three of the Packers receivers were drafted by Green Bay in the second round. Jordy Nelson is the Packers deep threat, while the shifty Randall Cobb runs the slot. Both made the Pro Bowl in 2014. Adams will be entering his sophomore year and will be looking to expand his role as the Packers number three guy.

Denver Broncos: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Cody Latimer

Give the Broncos credit. They keep churning away at the receiver position to replace guys they lost. In 2013, they had a lineup of Thomas, Wes Welker, and Eric Decker. Together they combined for 3,506 yards and 35 TDs. Last season they lost Decker to the New York Jets, but brought in free agent Emmanuel Sanders from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sanders filled in nicely with 1,409 yards and 9 TDs. With the departure of Welker, the Broncos will rely on second-year man, Cody Latimer, to fill in as the number three.

Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, and Corey Fuller

A couple years ago, you could put any two names alongside Megatron and you'd have a formidable receiving squad. But after two straight seasons in which his receptions and yards have both declined, he's no longer running away with the "best WR in football" title. Golden Tate was a great addition to Detroit's offense as he had 99 catches for 1,331 yards in 2014, surpassing Johnson as the Lions leader.

Indianapolis Colts: T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Donte Moncrief

Indianapolis has done a good job of putting receivers around Andrew Luck. Besides having a couple of young tight ends (Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen both had eight TDs last season), the Colts have invested some draft resources at the WR position. Hilton has flourished into a great #1 and rookie WR Moncrief started getting more looks as the season progressed. The Colts also added free agent veteran Andre Johnson to the mix. Johnson is a two time All-Pro, but he's now 34 years old. He may have lost a step, but he still should be able to be productive in the Colts offense. And with Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks no longer in the picture, the Colts relied again on the draft this year by selecting Philip Dorsett in the first round.

New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr, Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle

The Giants look like geniuses for selecting Beckham Jr with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He missed the first part of the season with a hamstring injury, but once he got out there - he was outstanding. He took home Rookie of the Year honors, despite missing the first four games. Then you have the return of the salsa, Victor Cruz, and the Giants have two big play making receivers. Cruz only played six games in 2014 before tearing his ACL. It should be interesting to see Cruz and OBJ on the field together for a full season. Randle is a very solid #3 who should benefit from taking on the weaker corners from the opposing defenses.

Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley

Dez Bryant is the reigning All-Pro wide out. It almost seems like a dream that he's on the Cowboys. But he's real and he's spectacular. Williams has had two solid seasons as the Cowboys #2 guy. He's starting to compile a nice collection of great catches in his own right. Beasley catches everything that is thrown at him. Over the last two season, Beasley has had 77 catchable passes thrown his way, and he's caught 76 of them. Beasley has proven to be a potent third-down receiver and a great contributor in the Cowboys passing game.

How Do They Stack Up?

Just looking at raw totals from last season doesn't accurately depict how good these receivers are. Some players will benefit from a higher volume of opportunities. Those who were limited due to injury or having a smaller role would then not grade so well. Some players will be negatively impacted by having Eli Manning throwing to them. They shouldn't be penalized for such. For those reasons, performance will be evaluated in the following manner:

Who's Got The Hands?

Catch Percentage - instead of total receptions or completion percentage, the ratio of catchable passes will be measured.

How Far Do They Go?

Yards Per Reception - instead of total yards, the ratio of yards per catch will be measured.

Can They Find Pay Dirt?

Touchdowns Percentage - instead of total touchdowns, the ratio of touchdowns per catch will be measured.

Adding It All Up

The Cowboys come out at the top of every category. Dallas does not throw the ball as much as these other teams so if you were to measure on pure volume, the Cowboys rankings would fall off some. These other teams have explosive trios and this data isn't suggesting that Dallas has the best group, but they were the most efficient last year. They definitely belong in the conversation when talking about the top receiving groups in the league.