Why the Jaylen Waddle Trade Makes Sense for the Broncos | Jaylen Waddle Trade Grades
There have been a number of big moves this offseason involving standout wide receivers, with multiple trades and key free agency signings occurring since the start of the new NFL league year.
Among the deals to go down include Mike Evans signing with the 49ers in free agency, Hollywood Brown joining the Eagles on a one-year contract, and Tuesday’s trade between the Dolphins and Broncos that saw Jaylen Waddle get dealt to Denver.
With plenty of new-look receiving groups in place as the offseason progresses, let’s take a look at what teams have the most talent at the position. We’re going to rank the 10 NFL teams with the best wide receiver groups, focusing on each team’s top three options at the position, not including tight ends.
MORE: 2026 NFL Free Agency: 10 Best Wide Receivers Available
10. Texans: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Tank Dell
Dell missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from a gruesome knee injury he sustained late into ‘24. He impressed when healthy early in his career, and if he can return to full strength would be one of the best No. 3 options in the league. Higgins enjoyed a strong rookie season after being selected in the second round in 2025, racking up 525 yards and six touchdowns, while Collins continues to serve as a true WR1, having recorded 71 catches, 1,117 yards and six touchdowns last year.
9. 49ers: Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk
The 49ers’ wide receivers room will look plenty different in 2026. Brandon Aiyuk is out of the picture, Jauan Jennings is a free agent, and now they’ve added a pair of veterans in Evans and Kirk. Evans is coming off an injury-riddled season in 2025, but when healthy, he’s one of the most consistent wide receivers ever to play in the NFL. Kirk had a quiet season before enjoying a big string of games for the Texans in the playoffs. Pearsall has struggled to stay on the field early in his career, but he has plenty of upside if he can just stay healthy.
8. Broncos: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin
The acquisition of Waddle is huge for the Broncos, as he gives Bo Nix another top-tier receiving threat to throw to. Waddle, who already has three 1,000-plus yard seasons under his belt, will be paired with Courtland Sutton, who has recorded back-to-back 1,000-plus yard campaigns for the first time in his career. Behind them on the depth chart is Troy Franklin, who is plenty familiar with Nix dating back to their college days at Oregon. Franklin had a big 2025 season with 709 yards and six touchdowns.
7. Jaguars: Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr.
There may not be a deeper group of wide receivers than the Jaguars’ trio. The team acquired Meyers at last year’s trade deadline and quickly signed him to a three-year extension. Washington enjoyed an excellent breakout season in which he had 847 yards and five touchdowns––both career highs. Thomas, whose upside was on full display during his All-Pro rookie season, had a bit of a down year in 2025 with just 707 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville’s receiving corps may not be the flashiest trio, but they stack up well against any other team’s top three wideouts.
6. Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed
Seattle’s receiving corps has it all. Shaheed is a dynamic deep ball threat who also specializes as a return man. Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards last season with 1,793, along with 119 catches and 10 touchdowns, having quickly developed a strong rapport with Sam Darnold en route to the Super Bowl victory. As for Kupp, though he’s no longer the All-Pro caliber receiver he was a few years ago, he is still a solid contributor with reliable hands and route running abilities.
5. Eagles: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Hollywood Brown
Brown’s facing an uncertain future with the Eagles, but even in his down year in 2025 he still managed to break 1,000 yards for the fourth straight season. Philadelphia struggled through the air last year, but Smith and Brown combined for 155 receptions, 2,011 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Eagles signed Brown in free agency on Tuesday, too, adding another experienced, talented and explosive weapon to Jalen Hurts’s arsenal.
4. Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa
St. Brown and Williams both enjoyed big seasons in 2025, each topping 1,000 yards and combining for a total of 182 receptions, 2,518 yards and 18 touchdowns. Behind them was TeSlaa, a rookie, who only caught 16 passes, though six of those receptions were for touchdowns. Detroit’s passing attack recorded the third-most yards per game last season, and the group should continue to excel in ‘26.
RELATED: Deal or No Deal: Are the NFL’s 10 Highest-Paid Offensive Trios Worth the Investment?
3. Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andre Iosivas
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been one of the NFL’s best receiving duos for much of the 2020s, and Cincinnati broke the bank to keep both of them in town. Chase, a three-time All-Pro, recorded his fifth straight 1,000-plus yard season in 2025 and has 54 receiving touchdowns in 78 NFL games. Higgins led the team with 11 touchdowns last year, and has 21 TDs over the last two seasons. Behind them is Iosivas, who has developed into a dependable third-stringer with eight touchdowns over the last two years.
2. Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy
The first season with the Cowboys’ duo of Lamb and Pickens was a roaring success. The star tandem combined for 168 receptions, 2,506 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025, as Dallas had one of the NFL’s most potent air attacks, averaging 266.3 passing yards per game, second-most in the league. Behind Lamb and Pickens is Flournoy, who had 40 catches, 475 yards and four touchdowns last year.
1. Rams: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Konata Mumpfield
Los Angeles has one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, consisting of the league’s reigning touchdowns leader in Adams and the 2025 receptions leader in Nacua. That tandem combined for 189 receptions, 2,504 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. As a rookie, Mumpfield was less involved in the offensive game plan, but he could see more looks in the passing game in his second year in the league.
