Bucky Brooks has seen a lot of football as a player, scout and analyst for NFL Media. He recently put out a ranking of the five best position groups in football. It’s hard to argue with a man with Brook’s experience, but we will.
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Best defensive front: Philadelphia Eagles
Brooks notes that while the Eagles lost Javon Hargrave, they more than made up for it with their two first-round picks in the draft. He believes adding defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith to an already potent defensive front will overwhelm opponents in 2023.
Four players on Philadelphia’s defensive line had double-digit sacks last season, making it easy to rotate players, to keep them fresh at the end of games.
However, the San Francisco 49ers make a strong case for the best defensive line. No team gave up fewer yards or points in 2022. Next year Hargrave gets to play next to Nick Bosa who led the league with 18.5 sacks last year. No team has a better 1-2 punch for 2023.
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Best wide receivers: Cincinnati Bengals
Brooks points to the complementary nature of Bengals’ receivers. Ja’Marr Chase is a burner, Tee Higgins has size and Tyler Boyd excels in the slot. So with a quarterback like Joe Burrow, why weren't any of them top-ten in yardage last year?
Philadelphia and the Miami Dolphins had two top-10 receivers last year. Miami’s Jaylen Waddle led the league with 18.1 yards per catch while Tyreek Hill had the second-most yards. But Philly’s A.J. Brown tied for the third-most touchdowns among receivers. As long as they’re keeping score, Eagles receivers win this argument.