Ranking the NFL's Top QB/RB/WR Trios

In football, the three most glamorous and celebrated positions on the field are typically quarterback, running back and receiver. Quarterbacks throw touchdowns to receivers and running backs typically handle more opportunities with the football than any other position. 

Every offense in today's NFL now strives to have difference-making talent at all three of the skill positions.

Quarterbacks remain in demand, but quality running backs and receivers are being pumped out of the college ranks like never before. For this reason, the quarterback position is generally the difference between having a great skill-position trio and being on the cusp of one. 

In the following slides, we'll rank the top quarterback-running-back-receiver combinations in the NFL to begin the 2015 season.  

Too Soon to Tell

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' trio of Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson and Mike Wallace has explosive potential. Still, much depends on whether or not Bridgewater progresses in his sophomore season. Peterson returning after missing 15 games in 2014 and Wallace's adjustment to a new offense are also hinge points.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston was drafted No. 1 overall because the Bucs think he is a franchise quarterback. The Heisman Trophy winner will now throw passes to 1,000-yard receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson and hand off to Doug Martin, who was once a rising star at running back. It's a promising group. 

Tennessee Titans

Drafting Marcus Mariota at No. 2 overall gives the Titans a future at quarterback. His top minions appear to be running back Bishop Sankey and receiver Kendall Wright, but don't sleep on fellow rookies David Cobb and Dorial Green-Beckham. Tennessee is flooded with young talent.

Oakland Raiders

Quarterback Derek Carr threw 21 touchdown passes as a rookie in 2014. He needs to improve his completion percentage (58.1) and yards per attempt (5.5). Getting stud rookie Amari Cooper should help, and both Latavius Murray and Trent Richardson will get a chance to be the lead back. Carr needs to tie it all together. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles, T.J. Yeldon and Marqise Lee were all top-40 picks in recent drafts. With the right development, this trio could eventually become one of the NFL's best. But we're still far from deciding whether any of the three are legitimate stars. 

Just Need a QB

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Washington Redskins 

Running back Alfred Morris has started his NFL career with three-straight 1,000-yard seasons. Pierre Garcon is only one year removed from a 113-catch season, and DeSean Jackson almost cracked 1,200 yards on just 56 receptions in 2014. Washington just needs the quarterback. Is it Robert Griffin III? Kirk Cousins? Is the right quarterback even on the roster?

Buffalo Bills

Few teams can match the combination of running back LeSean McCoy and receiver Sammy Watkins, but the Bills are still a mess at quarterback. EJ Manuel has done next to nothing since Buffalo drafted him in the first round, and Matt Cassel is the definition of a veteran stop-gap. In a perfect world, Manuel would make a huge jump and join McCoy and Watkins in a potentially explosive offense. 

Houston Texans

The Texans have a 1,200-yard rusher in the always-steady Arian Foster and a 1,200-yard receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, one of the league's best young pass-catchers. But head coach Bill O'Brien is working with Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer at quarterback, which probably isn't good enough. If the Texans can find a legitimate player under center, look out. 

Honorable Mentions

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Miami Dolphins

Rookie receiver DeVante Parker might be the next A.J. Green. If quarterback Ryan Tannehill (4,045 yards, 28 touchdowns in 2014) and running back Lamar Miller (1,099, eight) take another step forward in 2015, the Dolphins could easily find themselves possessing one of the league's top 10 trios. 

Carolina Panthers 

Cam Newton is a dangerous dual threat at quarterback, but he's never finished a season with a passer rating over 90.0. Emerging receiver Kelvin Benjamin (1,008 yards, nine touchdowns as a rookie) could help push him to the next level. Starting running back Jonathan Stewart hasn't carried over 200 times since 2009. 

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles added rushing champion DeMarco Murray (1,845 yards in 2014), but quarterback and receiver are great unknowns. Sam Bradford has struggled to stay on the field, and Philadelphia's top two receivers in 2015 might be youngsters Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor. There's substantial boom-or-bust potential for Chip Kelly's skill positions.  

New York Giants

Odell Beckham is a legitimate receiving star after just one season, and two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning is coming off a year in which he threw 30 touchdown passes. So what gives? Well, Manning can be a box of chocolates year-to-year, and the Giants' running back position possesses two dependable but hardly overwhelming runners in Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings. 

Atlanta Falcons

Quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones check off two of the boxes. But what about running back? The Falcons have young options in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. If one emerges as a legitimate 1,000-yard threat, Atlanta will have its top-10 trio. Coleman has a real chance. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are difficult to assess in this context, mostly because Colin Kaepernick can be erratic throwing the football and Frank Gore is no longer in the Bay Area. If Kaepernick steadies and running back Carlos Hyde makes easy work of replacing Gore, the 49ers are golden. Veterans Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith will hold down receiver.  

Chicago Bears

Everything depends on Jay Cutler, and that's a scary proposition. The other two pieces of the trio are far less threatening. Running back Matt Forte remains vastly productive despite the miles adding up on his aging tires, and Alshon Jeffery is joined by rookie Kevin White at receiver. The Bears need Cutler to start smokin' on the field for it all to come together. 

St. Louis Rams

New quarterback Nick Foles is only a year removed from threatening the single-season passer rating record. But was he all Chip Kelly? We'll find out. The Rams are so-so at receiver, but rookie running back Todd Gurley could eventually provide Adrian Peterson-like dominance in the running game. 

Just Missed the Cut

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New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees once again led the NFL in passing yards last season, but he also tossed 17 interceptions. Now the 36-year-old is entering 2015 without All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham.

Running back Mark Ingram is slowly becoming a centerpiece of the offense. At receiver, the Saints have the undersized but versatile Brandin Cooks and aging veteran Marques Colston. The offense in New Orleans will still be productive, but it no longer looks like a dominant, nightmare-inducing collection. 

Arizona Cardinals

Question marks at all three of the skill positions keep Arizona out. Quarterback Carson Palmer is 35 and coming off another ACL surgery; running back Andre Ellington averaged only 3.3 yards per carry in 2014; and the receiver position lacks a true No. 1, although Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown make up a very good trio. If Palmer returns healthy, the other two issues won't really matter. 

San Diego Chargers 

First-round pick Melvin Gordon could be the missing piece at running back for San Diego. He's a dynamic addition. Meanwhile, Philip Rivers is always teetering on the edge of elite quarterback status, and Keenan Allen has caught almost 150 passes over his first two seasons.  

Detroit Lions 

Calvin Johnson is still Calvin Johnson, even as he approaches age 30 and his lower body starts to give him issues. Golden Tate also caught over 100 passes last season, so receiver is no problem. The same probably can't be said at quarterback, where Matthew Stafford is coming off a season in which he ranked 21st in passer rating. The Lions' running back position lost Reggie Bush and added explosive rookie Ameer Abdullah, but starter Joique Bell averaged only 3.9 yards per rush in 2014. 

10. Kansas City Chiefs

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You don't have to love Alex Smith, but he has thrown 41 touchdowns against just 13 interceptions over 30 regular-season games in Kansas City. And just as importantly, the Chiefs have won 20 games during those two years. 

Smith will play the 2015 season with a stud at both running back and receiver. 

Jamaal Charles has averaged almost 1,300 rushing yards and nine touchdowns per season since 2012, and free-agent arrival Jeremy Maclin is coming off a career season in which he caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 scores. The three will lead an offense that should improve on its 2014 scoring tally (22.1 per game) next season. 

9. Cincinnati Bengals

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Quarterback Andy Dalton can be a train wreck waiting to happen from week-to-week, but he is surrounded by top talent at the skill positions. 

Jeremy Hill (1,124 rushing yards, nine touchdowns as a rookie) and Gio Bernard (1,029 total yards, seven touchdowns in 2014) form one of the NFL's most productive and versatile running back combinations, and receiver A.J. Green is still—when healthy—one of the game's elite pass-catchers. 

Dalton might hold back the group, but he has averaged almost 25 touchdown passes per season since entering the NFL. The Bengals could do better, but they could also do much, much worse. It's a difficult position to be in, but at least Cincinnati has the talent around the quarterback. 

8. Baltimore Ravens

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What do you get when you combine a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, a surprising 1,200-yard rusher and one of the toughest receivers in NFL history?

The Ravens' leading cast members on offense. 

Quarterback Joe Flacco tossed 27 touchdown passes in 2014 and continued his postseason dominance. He had plenty of help from running back Justin Forsett, who came out of nowhere to rush for a career-high 1,266 yards. Veteran Steve Smith arrived from Carolina and led the Ravens in catches (79), receiving yards (1,065) and 20-yard receptions (15).

The possibility exists that Forsett will regress to the mean, and it's possible the 36-year-old Smith will see his physical capabilities diminish. Last season provided little evidence of either. Regardless, Flacco is at a point in his career where he can start carrying a team most weeks. 

7. New England Patriots

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Tight ends not qualifying for this exercise is deflating for the Patriots, but quarterback Tom Brady does more than throw the football to Rob Gronkowski. He's also flanked by two under-the-radar players that have produced big for New England. 

Running back LeGarrette Blount has played 21 games with just eight starts for the Patriots, but he's rushed for over 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns and a 4.9-yard average over the sample size. If healthy for a full season in 2015, he could easily replicate those numbers. And forgotten in all the Deflategate drama is the fact that Blount rushed for 148 yards and three scores during New England's big win in the AFC title game. 

The underrated man in the equation is receiver Julian Edelman. The former college quarterback has averaged 98 catches and over 1,000 yards per season since 2013. Edelman is tough as nails and a dependable option for Brady, who found his favorite non-Gronkian target 26 times during last year's Super Bowl run. 

6. Seattle Seahawks

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The Seahawks are also hurt by the tight end restrictions. Seattle's biggest offseason acquisition was Jimmy Graham, who might end up remaining a glorified receiver in the Seahawks offense. For the sake of continuity, we identified him as a tight end. 

Seattle's trio is still a good one. 

Russell Wilson has a career passer rating of 98.6 through his first three seasons, with 84 total touchdowns (12 rushing) and back-to-back-to-back trips to the postseason. Seattle has won 36 of Wilson's first 48 starts. 

The engine of the Seahawks offense is still Marshawn Lynch, the NFL's most feared running back. Over his last four seasons in Seattle, Lynch has averaged almost 1,300 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and he's an underrated receiver out of the backfield. 

The Seahawks could still use a top receiver, but Doug Baldwin (825 receiving yards in 2014) is good enough. He has help. Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett are promising youngsters, and who knows what Super Bowl hero Chris Matthews could do with a bigger opportunity. 

5. Dallas Cowboys

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The Cowboys would have had a legitimate claim for the top spot had rushing champion DeMarco Murray returned to Dallas. But with Murray now in Philadelphia, and Darren McFadden his likely replacement, the Cowboys will have to settle for top five.

Quarterback Tony Romo led the NFL in passer rating (113.2) last season. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Behind his dominant offensive line, Romo is expected to continue putting up super-efficient numbers. 

Receiver Dez Bryant should provide a helping hand. His 16 touchdown receptions led the NFL in 2014. Over the last three seasons, Bryant has averaged 91 catches, 1,312 yards and almost 14 touchdowns. There's an argument to be made that No. 88 in Dallas is the best receiver in the game. 

The question mark is McFadden. Can he have a career resurgence behind the Dallas offensive line? We should find out just how important Murray was to the operation in 2015.

4. Denver Broncos

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The Broncos changed head coaches and needed to convince their quarterback to return for another season, but with Peyton Manning back in town, Denver is a lock for the top five on this list. 

While Manning turned 39 in March, the five-time league MVP is still coming off a season in which he threw 39 touchdowns and had a passer rating over 100.0.

The load might be lessened on Manning in 2015. New head coach Gary Kubiak figures to run the football more, and running back C.J. Anderson—who rushed for 849 yards and eight touchdowns on just 179 carries last season—provides him the runner he requires. It's possible Anderson could produce one of those crazy-productive seasons the Broncos used to create at running back annually. 

But don't expect Manning to become a caretaker. He has the receiving weapons, in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, to throw the football all over opposing defenses. Thomas and Sanders both caught over 100 passes while totaling over 3,000 receiving yards last season. 

3. Indianapolis Colts

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Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton would have placed the Colts in this list on their own. Add a pair of the NFL's most productive players to the mix and Indianapolis suddenly possesses a trio capable of matching any in the league. 

The Colts acquired running back Frank Gore and receiver Andre Johnson this offseason. Both are older players entering the twilight of their respective careers, but it's not difficult to envision the two producing one last huge season for Indianapolis. 

The Colts now have the game's best young quarterback, a running back with eight 1,000-yard seasons over the last nine years and a pair of receivers capable of totaling 1,000 receiving yards and catching 10 or more scores. It would not be at all surprising if Indianapolis led the NFL in scoring in 2015. If the Colts do, it will be because of their ridiculous talent at quarterback, running back and receiver. 

1b. Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Steelers are deserving of sharing the top spot on this list. 

In fact, if a certain No. 12 wasn't starting under center for the next team on this list, Pittsburgh would be the home of the NFL's top triplets. 

The Steelers have all the ingredients. 

Quarterback? Check. Ben Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl wins, and he's coming off a season in which he threw 32 touchdowns and led the NFL in passing yards. 

Running back? Check. Le'Veon Bell is the game's next big thing at the position. He's the ideal modern back, equally capable of thrashing a defense between the tackles and exploiting mismatches in the passing game. 

Receiver? Check. Antonio Brown caught an NFL-high 129 passes for 1,698 yards last season. He might be small at 5'10" and under 190 pounds, but no receiver has impacted the game more over the last two seasons. 

The existence of a 1b. requires a 1a. Pittsburgh shares the top spot with... 

1a. Green Bay Packers

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The NFL's top scoring offense from a season ago remains fully intact for the 2015 season. And that includes what can only be considered the game's top quarterback-running-back-receiver trio. 

Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is coming off one of his hard-to-believe-but-surprisingly-routine seasons, having thrown 38 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Since 2011, Rodgers has somehow tossed an absurd 139 touchdowns and only 25 picks. 

When not throwing touchdowns, Rodgers has the pleasure of handing off to Eddie Lacy—who has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 24 total scores since entering the NFL in 2013. The former second-round pick is one of the league's hardest backs to tackle. 

But Rodgers would likely prefer to throw, especially with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb on the receiving end of his passes. The electric pair combined for 189 catches, 2,806 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2014. Cobb re-signed in Green Bay this offseason. 

The fusion of an MVP quarterback, bowling ball running back and two ridiculously productive receivers gives the Packers the NFL's best offensive trio at the skill positions.