Top 5 WR Groups in the European League of Football

| American Football | 08/25/2023

The European League of Football has been a pass-heavy league this year to say the least, with more and more receivers putting up ridiculous numbers throughout the season.

It’s as important as ever to have a good, balanced receiver corps, with players who complement each other’s style and make the QB look good all while allowing their fellow targets to shine. 

Let’s take a look at some of the best groups across the league. 

1. Rhein Fire

Is anyone else bored of Rhein Fire being at the top of every list? From top-to-bottom, the Fire are stacked, especially out wide. Anthony Mahoungou continues to be one of the league’s best deep threats, while midseason addition Willie Patterson has proven to be among the best all-round receivers in Europe. To complement this fearsome duo are the likes of Harlan Kwofie and Justin Schlesinger.

Mahoungou sits second in the league in terms of receiving yards with just shy of 1,000, while Kwofie, Patterson and Schlesinger have 609, 366 and 205 respectively. Patterson has one of the most impressive best per-game averages in the league with 91.5 yards and one receiving touchdown; of his four appearances, three have seen him surpass 100 yards – and this is without even touching on his rushing and returning numbers.

In terms of touchdowns, this group really transcends the rest of the league; Mahoungou holds a top five spot with 11, while his teammates Kwofie and Schlesigner have seven and six scores.

2. Berlin Thunder

Robin Wilzeck and Aaron Jackson are two of the most electric players in the league and both possess top tier athleticism. On top of this, they complement each other’s game perfectly; while Wilzeck is typically used on the outside, using his 5’11”, 200lb frame and 4.5 speed to beat defenders deep one-on-one, Jackson is able to be used all over the field and his elite run-after-catch ability makes him lethal in the screen game and as a returner.

To add another layer of depth, Nicolai Schumann has been a star at tight-end, making big plays across the middle and dominating one-on-one matchups in the red zone. The 6’5 250lb former ELF All-Star has brought in 15 receptions for 185 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.

Wilzeck and Jackson are the only two players from the same team who sit in the top ten for receiving yards, placing sixth and seventh respectively. German-born Wilzeck leads the two in yards with 679 in comparison to Jackson’s 662, while Jackson beats out his teammate in touchdowns with 11, rather than Wilzeck’s six. 

3. Stuttgart Surge 

Headlined by Louis Geyer and Yannick Mayr, the Surge arguably have two of the best European receivers in the league. After an injury-riddled season with the Raiders last year, Mayr is having a breakout ELF season since being reunited with his old Schwäbisch Hall teammates in Stuttgart. He amassed 42 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns in his nine games. Geyer leads his team in yards and touchdowns, bringing in 41 balls for 690 yards and seven scores. Week nine saw the young star rack up nine catches for 217 yards and a score in Milan.

On top of this dynamic duo, American receiver Darrell Stewart Jr. has been balling. In just six games, the 2020 NFL Combine attendee leads the team in receptions with 51 catches for 661 yards and four touchdowns, making the Surge the only team with three 500-yard receivers, let alone 600.

4. Vienna Vikings

Between Weston Carr, Jordan Bouah and Florian Bierbaumer, the Vikings’ receiver corps are no joke. After a preseason injury caused Carr to miss out on Vienna’s championship-winning season last year, he has very quickly become a star in the Chris Helbig led offense. In just eight starts, the 6’2, 200 pound American has totalled 31 catches for 636 yards and five touchdowns, with an impressive 20.5 yards per catch. Carr has shown himself to be a great all-around receiver who can do a lot after the catch as well as bringing down some impressive, contested grabs. 

While Carr has been effective taking the top off defenses, Bouah has been a reliable intermediate receiver, leading the team with 43 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns – Bouah hasn’t found the endzone recently, however, with his last touchdown coming in a three-score performance against Prague in the team’s second game. 

Of course, one can’t talk about the Vikings without bringing up Florian Bierbaumer, who has been as dominant as ever, ranking second in receiving yards (483) for tight ends, as well as dominating when split out wide. The Vikings’ week 11 outing against the Wroclaw Panthers saw Bierbaumer reel in a spectacular game-winning catch to keep Vienna’s win streak alive.

5. Paris Musketeers

Although the Musketeers are the only team in the list who are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they have recently proven to be a force to be reckoned with, showing great improvements throughout the year with wins over Hamburg and Barcelona as well as competitive showings against Frankfurt and Rhein. A big reason for this is their impressive passing game, featuring the well-known QB-WR duo of Zach Edwards and Kyle Sweet. Despite a slow start to the year, Sweet has been key to the Musketeers’ offense as an all-round receiver, with reliable hands and great run-after-catch ability, not to mention his passing touchdown to tight-end Adria Botella Moreno!

The two-time All-Star leads tight-ends in receiving with 48 catches for 485 yards and five scores, and is performing as well as ever. Along with ex-Barcelona Dragon Remi Bertellin and rising French star Florian Larose, who have four touchdowns apiece, and Cheiko Sow who has over 300 yards, Zach Edwards is spoiled for choice this year, leaving no surprise as to how he’s worked his way into the top five for yards and touchdowns.

A current student at Bournemouth University as well as a quarterback with eight years of playing experience. Brad's goal is to be a part of the growth of the game around the world through journalism and media.