The NFL has no shortage of elite wide receiver pairings, but two duos stand out in 2025: the Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens and the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Let’s compare them across production, skill sets, efficiency, and impact.
Career Production Comparison (Through 2024)
Key Takeaways:
- Brown + Smith have the edge in combined production and playoff success.
- Pickens has the highest yards per catch, showing explosive potential.
- Lamb is the most productive volume receiver overall.
Lamb & Pickens, Brown & Smith’s Skill Sets
- CeeDee Lamb is an elite yards-after-catch (YAC) receiver, especially effective on short and intermediate routes. Lamb had a 5.6 YAC compared to an expected YAC of 3.4.
- George Pickens thrives on vertical routes, averaging 13.5 total air yards and contested catches at 57.3%.
- A.J. Brown is a powerful, explosive receiver who dominates after the catch (5.4 YAC) and has a total air yard percentage of 34.85%, showing his skill downfield.
- DeVonta Smith is one of the smoothest technicians in the league—he also has magnets for hands with a 2024 catch percentage of 76.4%.
Edge: Slightly in favor of Brown + Smith in route nuances and complementary skill sets, but Lamb + Pickens offer a blend of elite short-area quickness and vertical danger.
Explosiveness and Big Play Threats of the Wide Receivers
- Brown and Pickens are two of the league’s premier deep threats by yards per route run (YPPR) and yards per reception(YPR).
- George Pickens: 2.41 yards (YPPR) and 15.3 (YPR)
- A.J. Brown: 3.3 yards (YPPR) and 16.1 (YPR)
- Smith and Lamb are intermediate monsters, but can break free for splash plays as well.
2024 Deep Ball Stats (20+ yards downfield)
- Brown: 17 catches (20+ yards downfield)
- Pickens: 17 catches (20+ yards downfield)
- Lamb: 16 catches (20+ yards downfield)
- Smith: 14 catches (20+ yards downfield)
Edge: Pickens + Lamb may have some upside in this area in 2025, but Brown and Smith have been more consistently productive as a tandem.
Receiver Duos Playoff & Championship Impact
- Brown + Smith helped the Eagles reach a Super Bowl and multiple playoff runs.
- Lamb + Pickens have yet to play meaningful playoff football together (Pickens with no deep postseason exposure; Lamb has had playoff appearances but no championship impact).
Edge: Brown + Smith—more proven when it counts.
Receivers Complementary Fit
- Lamb + Pickens are stylistic opposites: Lamb’s agility and slot versatility pair well with Pickens’ sideline dominance.
- Brown + Smith are mirror opposites: Brown’s power/YAC and Smith’s speed/precision give defenses hell.
Both duos complement each other exceptionally well. This comes down to maturity and chemistry.
2025 Outlook for the Wide Receiver Pairings
- Lamb is entering his prime and playing at an All-Pro level.
- Pickens, in Dallas, is expected to ascend with a more pass-heavy system.
- Brown continues to produce at WR1 levels.
- Smith is locked in as a high-end WR2, capable of WR1 production if needed.
If Pickens takes the next leap, the Lamb + Pickens duo could overtake Brown + Smith in raw production and upside. But right now…
Verdict: Who’s the Better Receiver Duo?
Right Now (2024 Resume + 2025 Projection):
A.J. Bown + DeVonta Smith
- More proven
- Deeper playoff impact
- Better Chemistry so far
Future Outlook (2025 and beyond):
- Higher ceiling
- Stronger WR1 in Lamb
- Emerging vertical dominance with Pickens
Final Take: Who’s Better Now?
If you’re building for immediate championship contention, the bet is Brown and Smith.
If you want to bet on talent ceiling, production growth, and breakout potential, Lamb and Pickens may soon become the NFL’s most dangerous receiver duo.
Bottom Line:
- Brown + Smith: Proven, polished, playoff-tested
- Lamb + Pickens: Younger, ascending, more explosive potential
In 2025, this debate may swing, but for now, the crown still belongs to Philly’s pair.
Pickens is a one year rental. Has the writer forgotten that no one is projecting the Boys giving Pickens a contract for 2026? Dak is required once again to work and develop a new receiver he knows is gone soon.So, there is no Pickens/Ceedee future.
Is this coming season not the future? Just because no one is projecting an extension does not mean it is not a possibility. I do feel for Dak, though. The man wants to play football and will once again be caught in the drama of a wide receiver contract. Thanks for the comment and thanks for reading.
IMO, “playoff tested” puts the birds duo a bit better. Plus, the QBs should be in the mix b/c they are figuratively attached at the hip. Hurts has 6 playoff wins and has been to two SBs, winning one. He is also just 26 years old compared to DP at 31 yrs old. DP has just 2 Wild Card wins in 9 years.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, Since the 70’s the world champion Philadelphia Eagles have a very young and a good defense and a good offense as I see it the Cowboys will get swept by the world champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2025
Well from the comments I usually see from you shows that you don’t really see too well!! Just to give you a little knowledge of the Cowboys…. When we have Dak at QB, we are never swept by any of the NFC East teams since his rookie year, and even then it was just the giants!! Since then no QB has more wins in this division when playing each other than Dak does, meaning Dak barely ever loses against any of these teams in the NFC East!! The only time we’ve been swept by the eagles is when Dak is not playing in those games!! If we have Dak all season, those other NFC East teams are lucky to beat us once, let alone sweep us!! And most of the time if they do beat us, it’s because it’s a week 17 or now a week 18 game that don’t matter to us and we don’t play most of our starters!! So your little comment is as usual way off and makes no sense!! You mite do well to look online and learn more about this team!! It mite prevent you from making such ridiculous comments in the future!!
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s let me start by saying I have been a Cowboys when Tom Landry was the Cowboys head coach I have seen Roger Starbach play and the Eagles G.M. is much smarter than Jerry Jones Howie Roseman knows how pick good talent in the N.F.L. draft and Jerry Jones get very jealous
NFL or NFCE? Is this like a bracket on the way to the “best WR in the NFL”? This is not a slight at our guys, but I think I’d take Chase and Higgins over Lamb and Pickens too.