Members of the NFC South could put up some serious highlights in 2020. Not only is the division home to some of the league's top quarterbacks, but each of those passers has some elite weapons surrounding him.
The collection of wide receiver talent within the NFC South is nothing short of spectacular. Each team in the division possess a proven No. 1 option, and the depth of each receiver corps is also noteworthy. CBSSports.com writer Jared Dubin also believes the NFC South has the best group of receivers in the league, and it looks like he doesn't think it's particularly close.
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"This division is hilarious," Dubin writes. "The two best receivers in the league right now are both here: [Michael] Thomas and Julio [Jones]. [Mike] Evans and [Chris] Godwin are each top-10 guys, with the talent to break into the top five. [D.J.] Moore is probably somewhere in the back half of the top-20, and [Calvin] Ridley and [Emmanuel] Sanders aren't too far behind him. [Robby] Anderson and [Curtis] Samuel have a ton of talent but haven't totally put it together yet. Tyler Johnson would have gone a round or two earlier in the draft if he didn't have as many injury issues."
Thomas, Jones and Godwin were the top three receivers in the league last season based on receiving yards, and five wide receivers in the division topped 1,000 yards. Entering his third season, Ridley is another player who could join that group; he was on pace to reach that threshold with the Falcons in 2019 before an injury ended his season with three games left to play.
Here are the 2019 receiving totals for the NFC South's projected starting receivers:
| Player | Team | Receptions | Receiving yards | Touchdowns | Yards/reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Evans | Buccaneers | 67 | 1,157 | 8 | 17.3 |
| Chris Godwin | Buccaneers | 86 | 1,333 | 9 | 15.5 |
| Scotty Miller | Buccaneers | 13 | 200 | 1 | 10.6 |
| Russell Gage | Falcons | 49 | 446 | 1 | 9.1 |
| Julio Jones | Falcons | 99 | 1,394 | 6 | 14.1 |
| Calvin Ridley | Falcons | 63 | 866 | 7 | 13.7 |
| Robby Anderson | Panthers | 52 | 779 | 5 | 15.0 |
| D.J. Moore | Panthers | 87 | 1,175 | 4 | 13.5 |
| Curtis Samuel | Panthers | 54 | 627 | 6 | 11.6 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | Saints | 66 | 869 | 5 | 13.2 |
| Tre'Quan Smith | Saints | 18 | 234 | 5 | 13.0 |
| Michael Thomas | Saints | 149 | 1,725 | 9 | 11.6 |
The NFC South added even more talent at receiver this offseason. New Orleans signed Sanders to pair with Thomas, and Carolina brought in Anderson to help bolster its talented young crop of receivers. There's not a team in the division that doesn't have a threatening receiver duo on its roster.
NFL secondaries had better be prepared when facing any team from the NFC South. The division doesn't just have a great group of quarterbacks, but a stable of wide receivers unmatched anywhere else in the league.
