Top NFL Wide Receiver and Tight End Duos

The NFL is becoming a pass-happy league.  The rules protect the quarterback above all, and they also clearly favor the receiver over the defense. 

Wide receivers and tight ends are becoming more and more important on every NFL roster, and that won't be changing any time soon.  The one commonalty among division-leading teams like the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants is the presence of a stellar and consistent passing game.  

Now more than ever, teams are drafting and paying top dollar for high-end wide receivers and tight ends to help solidify their passing games, hoping that it will help turn their team into a contender.  Some teams have already successfully done so, and I'm about to show you who those teams and subsequent players are.  

The best wide receiver and tight end duos in the NFL await.

8. Houston Texans: RB/WR No. 23 Arian Foster and TE No. 81 Owen Daniels

Starting this dynamic duo list off is the Houston Texans with consistent TE No. 81 Owen Daniels and WR No. 80 Andre John...wait, Andre Johnson isn't on this list? 

Any other year at this point, Andre Johnson would be on the list, but he has been limited by an injury.  This year, the Texans duo is TE No. 81 Owen Daniels and RB No. 23 Arian Foster.  Yes, you're reading that right: Arian Foster, aside from Daniels, is the leading receiver on the Texans.

Foster has 31 receptions for 441 yards, averaging 14.4 yards per catch with two touchdowns.  Owen Daniels has 37 receptions for 478 yards, averaging 12.9 yards per catch with three touchdowns.  

This duo surely is dynamic, and if the Texans want to win without WR Andre Johnson and QB Matt Schaub, they better get these players the ball early and often. 

7. New York Giants: WR No. 80 Victor Cruz and TE No. 85 Jake Ballard

The New York Giants' 6-3 start is shocking to some, but I'm sure it's not shocking to WR No. 80 Victor Cruz and TE No. 85 Jake Ballard.  

This dynamic duo could easily be a trio with the production of WR No. 88 Hakeem Nicks, but shockingly enough, Victor Cruz is outproducing Nicks—at least in overall yards.

Cruz has 40 receptions for 672 yards, averaging 16.8 yards per catch with a total of four touchdowns.  This second-year player out of Massachusetts is one of the most impressive stories of the year.  

The other member of this duo is the first-year man out of Ohio State, TE No. 85 Jake Ballard.  Ballard has helped the Giants not lose a step at the tight end position, with 26 receptions for 430 yards, averaging 16.5 yards per catch and three touchdowns.  

If the Giants want to keep winning, this dynamic duo must keep producing at a consistent pace.   

6. Atlanta Falcons: WR No. 84 Roddy White and TE No. 88 Tony Gonzalez

Coming in at sixth on this dynamic duo list is the Atlanta Falcons' own WR No. 84 Roddy White and TE No. 88 Tony Gonzalez.  

Gonzalez and White are doing a great job of making QB Matt Ryan look like a Pro Bowler.  This duo could easily be a trio by adding rookie WR No. 11 Julio Jones, who is having a stellar year.  

Gonzalez, Mr. Consistency, is having another great year with 45 receptions for 487 yards, averaging 10.8 yards per catch with six touchdowns.  Gonzalez is not only a great tight end, he is also a veteran leader on a young team. 

The other piece of this duo is White, who is having another solid year with 48 receptions for 563 yards, averaging 12 yards per catch with three touchdowns.  White needs to pick up his production a little if he wants to match his career numbers, but he is having a solid year nonetheless.  

The Falcons are on the brink of being a great team, and if they want to be one, they must continue to get White and Gonzalez the ball as much as they can. 

5. WR No. 17 Mike Wallace and WR No. 83 Heath Miller

Coming in at No. 4 on this list is the dynamic duo of WR No. 17 Mike Wallace and TE No. 83 Heath Miller.

In recent years, the Steelers have moved away from their run-first, pass-when-needed style of offense.  The Steelers, with QB Ben Roethlisberger, have become a pass-first type of offense, which is in large part due to the explosive play of WR Mike Wallace and the consistency of TE Heath Miller.

Wallace is on pace to set career numbers in receptions, yards and touchdowns.  He currently has totaled 53 receptions for 933 yards, averaging 19.3 yards per catch with six touchdowns.  Wallace is the definition of a pure downfield threat, and that opens up the field for his partner in crime, Heath Miller. 

Miller has been a staple of consistency in his seven years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Miller was hampered with injuries last year, but this year, he appears to be getting back into his old form.  He has accumulated 38 receptions for 465 yards, averaging 12.2 yards per catch with two touchdowns.  Miller is usually the guy the Steelers' go-to when they need a big catch, and that won't change any time soon.

This dynamic duo is here to stay and will be the reason the Steelers will reach the Super Bowl at least two times within the next five years.  

4. Dallas Cowboys: TE No. 82 Jason Witten and WR No. 88 Dez Bryant

The emergence of RB DeMarco Murray for the Dallas Cowboys has helped open up the field for this dynamic duo.  

Coming in at No. 4 on this list is WR No. 88 Dez Bryant and TE No. 82 Jason Witten.  Year in and year out, Jason Witten has been QB Tony Romo's favorite target, and this year appears to be no different.  The only difference is that, this year, Romo appears to have a second favorite target, and that is WR Dez Bryant.  

Bryant is having a solid year, with totals of 32 receptions for 517 yards, averaging 16.2 yards per catch with five touchdowns.  Bryant is well on his way to setting career bests in every category across the board. 

The other member of this duo is Witten, who will go down as one of the best tight ends to ever play the game.  Witten's numbers this year are down from last year, but that is due in large part to the dominant play of his partner in crime, Bryant.  Witten has totaled 49 receptions for 585 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per catch with four touchdowns.  

The way this dynamic duo plays throughout the next seven games will be the reason why the Cowboys either are or are not in the playoffs in January.  

3. Green Bay Packers: WR No. 85 Greg Jennings and TE No. 88 Jermichael Finley

The Packers are sporting one of the league's most dominant passing attacks in recent memory.  Their passing attack could be even more dominant if they weren't blowing out teams so early on in games.  

Having to pick only one of the Packers' talented receivers for this list was difficult, but I had to give the slight edge to Greg Jennings over Jordy Nelson.  

The first member of this duo is WR Greg Jennings, who is well on his way to creating new personal bests in every receiving category.  So far this year, Jennings has totaled 51 receptions for 755 yards, averaging 14.8 yards per catch with seven touchdowns.  Jennings is clearly the anchor to the Packers receiving corps, and his production shows that.

The other half of this dynamic duo is TE Jermichael Finley, who, like Jennings, is on his way to career bests across the board.  Finley has totaled 33 receptions for 445 yards, averaging 13.5 yards per catch with five touchdowns.  Finley's production is in large part due to the amazing play of QB Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps' ability to open up the middle of the field, which is where Finley makes his money.  

If the Packers do indeed make it to 16-0, it will be in large part due to this dynamic duo's stellar play. 

2. New Orleans Saints: TE No. 80 Jimmy Graham and WR No. 12 Marques Colston

The New Orleans Saints are an odd team this year.  They lost to the lowly St. Louis Rams, but gave the 9-0 Green Bay Packers a run for their money.  The one consistent piece of the Saints' play is the performance of this dynamic duo. 

The first member of this fearsome twosome is WR No. 12 Marques Colston.  Just like every year in his six-year career, Colston has been consistently dominant so far this season.  He has accumulated 42 receptions for 589 yards, averaging 14 yards per catch with three touchdowns.  Those numbers aren't as ungodly as last year's, but that is in large part due to the play of the next member of this duo. 

The better half of this dynamic duo is TE No. 80 Jimmy Graham.  Graham is producing at a Pro Bowl rate and is making it look easy.  Graham has already set career records in every receiving category, with 62 receptions for 873 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per catch with six touchdowns.  Graham is quickly turning into one of the league's best tight ends. 

The Saints will ride the success of the Brees-to-Graham connection as long as they can, and I'm betting they will be able to for a long time. 

1. New England Patriots: WR No. 83 Wes Welker and TE No. 87 Rob Gronkowski

Love 'em or hate 'em, there is no denying that the Patriots' duo of Wes Welker and Ron Gronkowski is the most productive WR/TE combo in the league.  

The foundation of this dynamic duo is WR No. 83 Wes Welker, who is on his way to one of his best years of all time.  Currently Welker leads the league in both receptions and yards with 72 receptions for 1,006 yards, averaging 14 yards per catch with six touchdowns.  It's amazing what this undersized speedster does year in and year out. 

The next piece of this unstoppable duo is TE No. 87 Rob Gronkowski.  Gronkowski has already set career bests in receptions and yards, and is close to setting a career best in touchdowns as well.  Gronkowski has totaled 52 receptions for 709 yards so far this year, averaging 13.6 yards per catch, with eight touchdowns.  No one knew this second-year man out of Arizona would be this good so early on his career, but Patriots fans are sure glad their front office took a chance on him.  

Gronkowski and Welker are now household names, and that won't change any time soon.