Dallas Cowboys’ Star WR Duo Snubbed in NFL Rankings – Sports Illustrated

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In need of a new WR2, the Dallas Cowboys rolled the dice on George Pickens in 2025. Pickens had worn out his welcome with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Cowboys felt a fresh start could help him reach his potential.
That's exactly what happened as Pickens recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. His explosion helped them navigate a three-game stretch without CeeDee Lamb, who still finished with respectable numbers himself.
Lamb hauled in 75 receptions for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns. With two 1,000-yard receivers, the Cowboys boast one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL. According to Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, however, they're not the best.
Moton ranked the top 10 wide receiver duos in the NFL and has the Cowboys third overall.
"Pickens has shown explosive playmaking ability, leading the league with 18.1 yards per catch in 2023, but he's also produced as a lead receiver. The four-year veteran has led his teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cowboys, in receiving yards for each of the previous three campaigns," Moton wrote.
"In Dallas, Pickens may be the league's best No. 2 receiver because he shares targets with CeeDee Lamb, who's established himself as a perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro. Lamb has racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in five consecutive Pro Bowl years and led the league with 135 receptions in 2023. Effective out of the slot, his versatility has allowed Pickens to blossom as a perimeter threat in the passing game."
While Moton has the right teams in the top three, it's easy to argue that Dallas has the better duo right now. At No. 2, he has the Los Angeles Rams, with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Both are excellent receivers, but Adams wasn't the same player in 2025.
In 14 games, he had 60 receptions for 789 yards. That said, he did have an impressive 14 touchdowns, which is why Moton ranked them higher.
As for the Bengals, they have a great duo in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase finished with 125 receptions for 1,412 yards with eight touchdowns. Tee Higgins had 59 catches for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Again, all three receiving corps are elite and they're the top three in the league. The Cowboys have the edge with both players topping 1,000 yards, but the touchdown advantage seems to be the case against them in this analysis.
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Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.
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