Even after his historic 2021 season, some still doubt that Cooper Kupp is one of the three or four best wide receivers in the NFL. Julian Edelman is not one of those people.
The former Patriots wideout was on the I Am Athlete podcast Monday and he picked his top three receivers in the NFL right now. He first named Davante Adams because of how often he gets open, and then picked Keenan Allen – highlighting his route running and releases at the line of scrimmage.
Kupp was Edelman’s third choice because even though he’s not the most athletic and explosive receiver, he can do a little bit of everything.
“Cooper Kupp, he does a lot of everything,” Edelman said. “He’s not gonna go up and Moss a dude, but he’s gonna run comebacks, he’s gonna run gos, and get the back-shoulder like he did on the fade in the Super Bowl for the win. He’s gonna hit all these inside routes. He’s versatile and I’m a little biased toward those guys because that’s how I was, I played all spots.”
Edelman’s thoughts echo those of many other fans and evaluators when it comes to Kupp. Everyone knows he’s not going to elevate over defenders like Megatron or run by guys like Randy Moss, but he blocks, has strong hands, can run every route, makes defenders miss after the catch and can still win downfield thanks to his route running.
Topping last season will be extremely difficult for Kupp, given the numbers he put up, but he’s a near-lock for 1,000-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns again in 2022.
