Top NFL skill position groups: Are the Philadelphia Eagles No. 1?

The Philadelphia Eagles spent the offseason preparing for a massive bounce-back season. They signed star wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to huge contract extensions, and added the No. 1 running back in free agency in ex-NFC East rival Saquon Barkley. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has looked smooth and efficient throughout training camp and appears to be jiving well with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

You could argue that Hurts will be working with the best group of starting skill position players in the NFL this season. In fact, one NFL analyst is already making that argument.

Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com recently ranked the NFL’s top 10 RB-WR-WR trios for the upcoming season, and the Eagles’ combination of Brown, Smith and Barkley topped his list.

“This feels more like someone's first three rounds of their Fantasy football league than it does an actual NFL roster,” Sullivan wrote. “The Eagles made a monster splash this free-agent cycle by snatching Saquon Barkley away from the New York Giants. While D'Andre Swift proved to be a solid option for them out of the backfield, Barkley does raise the ceiling of the position group as both a pure runner and receiver.”

The threat of Barkley and Hurts in the backfield alone is enough to keep defenses honest, never mind the elite tandem of Smith and Brown. Smith has been a model of consistency with back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Brown enters 2024 as one of the most dominant receivers in football after catching 106 passes for 1,456 yards and seven scores of his own last year.

“While Barkley may be the newbie,” Sullivan wrote, “Philadelphia's offense goes as far as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith take it.”

The Eagles were the lone NFC East team to make the list. They finished ahead of San Francisco 49ers trio Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, and Miami Dolphins trio Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane.

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