FOXBORO — When Randy Moss and Wes Welker were driving defenses crazy in 2007, it was hard to find a better 1-2 punch in the league than this wide receiver duo from the Patriots.

They had the dominant, all-world wideout and the tough-as-nails slot guy who Tom Brady could always count on in a pinch.

Seven years later, the Patriots have a new pair attracting double teams and driving defenses batty. One dominates defenders, like Moss did, albeit in a different way. The other is Brady’s go-to guy, just as Welker was for so many years.

Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman aren’t your typical duo. Tight ends and wide receivers aren’t usually famous NFL pairs. But they’ve done enough with the Patriots offense to keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night planning and plotting to try to contain them.

Individually, it’s hard enough to deal with them. Collectively, if one doesn’t kill you at a crucial point in the game, the other will. Case in point, Edelman’s 69-yard touchdown catch in Sunday’s 23-14 win in San Diego. While Gronk also scored a touchdown, Edelman’s score ultimately put a dagger in the Chargers.

Gronk and Jules. Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Their numbers stack up with the best combos in the league, whether it’s Denver’s Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Roddy White, Detroit’s Golden Tate and Calvin Johnson.

Gronkowski and Edelman should be in the discussion if you’re looking at combined totals for receptions (158), yards (1,881) and touchdowns (13).

“To me, recognition comes from the respect they get when we go and play against other teams,” safety Devin McCourty said yesterday. “I think every team we play, a goal of theirs is to try and stop Julian and Gronk. And when you see ’em not stop them, and them have big games, I think you realize that’s why they get that type of respect.”

McCourty has had to go up against the Broncos, Packers and Lions duos already this season. And those have been tough enough assignments. But he’s also had to try to stop Gronk and Edelman every day in practice, so he knows all about the degree of difficulty.

“It’s fun. It’s highly competitive with Tom, Gronk and Jules. But like I say, they don’t do what they do in games, in practice. We don’t allow that,” McCourty said with a smile. “The look squad is highly competitive. They’re trying to stop Julian. They’re trying to stop Gronk. It’s not just pitch and catch out there at practice.”

Added Pats safety Duron Harmon: “Going against those two in practice is tough. I can only imagine when defenses have to game plan, how it is on them.”

The Dolphins, meanwhile, already have sounded the red alerts. They don’t want to be the latest victims of the dynamic Pats duo.

“They’ve got special guys out there. Edelman, you see the impact he has on offense. He has about the same impact on special teams. I think last time we played them, he was leading NFL history in average at punt returns,” said Dolphins safety Jimmy Wilson. “And Gronkowski is running around like a mad man. If you don’t catch and tackle these guys and you let them rip off big plays and get confidence and get you on your heels . . . it’s hard to come back on them, so you’ve got to come out of the gate ready to play.”

In the season-opening loss at Miami, Edelman caught six passes for 95 yards. Gronkowski, who was playing in his first game since coming back from knee surgery, had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.

Not long after that game, Brady was accused of just having a two-man band with Gronk and Edelman. That’s no longer the case with wide receiver Brandon LaFell emerging as a legitimate third pass catcher, plus tight end Tim Wright and wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brian Tyms pitching in.

More times than not, though, Gronk and Edelman tend to be the guys Brady looks to when he needs a critical play, or a first down.

Edelman is a warrior, having taken his share of hits and abuse to catch balls over the middle. Gronk, meanwhile, is just a beast, dragging bodies along for the ride after he hauls in a Brady pass.

“Gronk is a man-child,” Edelman said after the Chargers win. “Playing with a guy like him is truly fun because he goes out there and plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

Gronk and Edelman aren’t usually paired up in discussions about the Patriots offense, but they should be. They’re like thunder and lightning. Another great combination.

“Their production speaks for itself,” said Harmon. “They should be considered amongst the top of the duos in the league.”