NFL: Pair of LA wide receivers crack NFL’s 2020 Top 100 list

Keenan Allen

Like Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen is a talented wide receiver who has experienced a fair number of ailments over his career.

It’s these similarities that at least partially explain Allen’s No. 77 ranking for 2020.

However, the former Cal product has a much larger body of work to reference, having been in the league since 2013.

Allen has four 1,000+ yard receiving seasons in his career, including the last three consecutively, attesting to his consistency and play-making ability when healthy.

In fact, the Chargers’ top wideout’s 2018 and 2019 seasons were almost identical, statistically speaking (1,196 yards on 97 catches and 6 touchdowns in 2018 against 1,199 yards on 104 catches and the same 6 touchdown mark in 2019).

Therefore, this question has to be asked: Why was Allen ranked as the 41st best player in 2018 and the 38th best player in 2019, but as merely the 77th best in 2020?

After all, Allen was practically the same player in 2019 that he was in 2018.

Is it because the Chargers as a team were quite futile in 2019?

Is it because Philip Rivers is no longer quarterbacking the team, leaving some players to question whether Allen can still put up big numbers in 2020?

Whatever the reason might be, it probably shouldn’t affect Allen’s individual status as one of the game’s better pass-catchers.

It should be noted that since the list is conceived by the players, we won’t really get the answer to the posed question. We can only speculate.

However, it would appear as though Allen deserves a higher ranking for 2020 given his recent (and consistent) output.