No position in the NFL — outside of quarterback — has enjoyed a bigger boom than wide receiver. With each passing day, it seems like we have another wideout resetting the market to become the highest-paid non-QB in the league. And for good reason. The passing game has never been more vital, and if you don’t have at least one top-flight receiver, your offense’s ceiling is capped. Sure, at the end of the day, who you have throwing your receivers the football is the most important aspect (see: the Super Bowl champion Chiefs), but having a strong wide receiver room can make your offense that much more feared throughout the league.
With that in mind, as the NFL is set to enter hibernation after teams wrap up mandatory minicamps this week, let’s take a look at every receiver room and stack them against one another. Below, we have slotted each team’s receiver room into one of seven tiers (in no particular order) ranging from the “1A and 1Bs” tier to the “Developmental” section.
Tier 1: 1A and 1Bs
This group is the envy of the rest of the league. Not only do they have a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver, but these clubs also boast a secondary pass-catcher who would qualify as a true No. 1 on a majority of other teams.
Cincinnati has arguably the best receiver in the league in Ja’Marr Chase and also has Tee Higgins, who is elite in his own right. Higgins dealt with injuries and was limited to 12 games last season, but had previously posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. As for Chase, he has the ability to lead the league in all receiving categories in a given season and was 12th in the league in receiving yards in 2023 with Joe Burrow less than 100%. What will be fascinating to watch unfold over the next few months is Higgins’ current trade request and Chase’s desire for a new contract. Meanwhile, Philadelphia locked up both of their its receivers this offseason in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown finished last season fifth in receiving yards, while Smith came in a 20th; each had seven touchdowns. When healthy, they present a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries.
In Houston, the Texans made a massive splash this offseason by trading for Stefon Diggs. The AFC South champions have now injected an All-Pro caliber receiver into an offense that already has Nico Collins, who enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023 when he finished eighth in the league in receiving. On top of those two, Tank Dell is an electric second-year receiver and Noah Brown is a veteran who popped off for two games of at least 150 yards last year.
Similar to Cincinnati, the situation is a bit volatile in San Francisco with the 49ers receiver room. As it stands, however, it has some of the best talent that the league has to offer. Brandon Aiyuk, who had been the subject of trade rumors given his contract status, is one of the most efficient receivers in the NFL, finishing seven in receiving yards despite just 75 receptions (tied for 31st). Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel is a dual threat due to his pass-catching ability and the versatility of being able to line up in the backfield.
The Dolphins have two of the fastest receivers in the NFL in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Hill led the NFL in receiving yards and, for a time, was on pace to exceed 2,000 yards last season. Meanwhile, Waddle has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, including the 2023 campaign where he was limited to 14 games. Miami also added Odell Beckham Jr. into the fold this offseason and drafted Malik Washington to deepen the unit.
If you had told someone a year ago that the Rams would end up in this tier, they’d probably be a bit surprised and likely assumed they swung a blockbuster trade. However, it’s L.A. striking gold at the NFL Draft that finds it here with the arrival of Puka Nacua. The fifth-round pick out of BYU took the league by storm in 2023, breaking the single-season rookie record in receptions and receiving yards. Nacu also broke the single-game receiving yards record in a playoff game with 181 yards. When you pair Nacu with Cooper Kupp, who is just a few years removed from the receiving triple crown, you get a feared pass-catching duo.
Tier 2: Superstar headliner
This tier isn’t anything to gloss over. In fact, it features some of the game’s very best at the position. We’ll start in Minnesota where Justin Jefferson is the clear headliner. He just became the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback and has enjoyed a start to his career that has him on a Hall of Fame trajectory. The Vikings also have second-year receiver Jordan Addison, who enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2023. If he continues to develop in the right direction, there’s reason to believe they are in Tier 1 by this time next year.
With the Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb is the focal point of the offense. He finished second in the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns while leading the league in receptions. Brandin Cooks is a solid No. 2 option in this offense, but he doesn’t reach the caliber of secondary options in the tier above. Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin as also two intriguing receivers entering Year 3 of their careers.
The Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown, who — in my opinion — is still one of the more underrated receivers in the league, despite finishing inside the top five in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns last season. He’s a key outlet for Jared Goff in the passing attack, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he led the league in receptions in 2024. Beyond St. Brown, Jameson Williams is the X-factor for this unit. If he can finally live up to his first-round potential and stay on the field, they could have one of the best receiver tandems in the NFL.
Davante Adams is the headliner for Las Vegas, as the veteran has been considered a top-five receiver for the bulk of his career. He’s exceeded 1,100 receiving yards in five of his last six seasons and has led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice in that span. Even as he enters his age 31 season, Adams is a force to be reckoned with. Jakobi Meyers is an underrated secondary option whom the Raiders have the pleasure of having in their offense as well. His yards per catch average was better than Adams’ and he caught 67% of his targets on the year. Tre Tucker and Michael Gallup are two other notable receivers on the Raiders roster.
As for New York, Garrett Wilson is a rising star who should finally get stable quarterback play with Aaron Rodgers returning to full health. Even with QB turmoil over his first two seasons, Wilson has gone over 1,000 yards in each campaign. On top of Wilson, the Jets added Mike Williams into the fold and drafted Malachi Corley.
Tier 3: Dynamic duos
The Seahawks combination of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett has been a strong pairing for the past few years. While they should continue to be a solid duo in 2024, there is some question regarding Lockett. He is coming off his worst season since his third year in the league and will be 32 around the start of the year. It’s possible Jaxon Smith-Njigba takes a Year 2 leap and, if that’s the case, there’s an argument to push them into the tier above.
Tampa Bay continues to have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as its top two wideouts after reaching an extension with Evans this offseason. The veteran has gone over 1,000 yards in all 10 of his seasons and just led the NFL in receiving touchdowns. Meanwhile, Godwin is coming off his third-straight 1,000 season.
Tennessee rounds out this smaller group of star veteran duos with DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley, the latter of whom it signed in free agency. Hopkins exceeded 1,000 yards in his first season with the Titans while Ridley also went over this threshold with the Jaguars after missing the previous year due to a gambling suspension. While both are a bit long in the tooth, they should be able to make Will Levis‘ life much easier as he’s set to become the full-time starter.
Tier 4: Veteran-led
These receiver groups are deep, and the common thread is that they are led by veterans. We’ll start with the Bears, who have the highest upside of the tier. Keenan Allen, who was acquired in a trade with the Chargers, may be entering his age 32 season but is coming off a stellar 108-catch, 1,243-yard season. He will be the savvy vet who helps bring along Caleb Williams along with fellow receivers D.J. Moore and rookie Rome Odunze.
Similar to the Bears, the Commanders are ushering in a rookie quarterback and are giving him some solid weapons, including Terry McLaurin. Even without stable play under center, McLaurin has established himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL with four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Former first-round pick Jahan Dotson should also see an uptick in production as he enters Year 3.
The Browns receiver room doesn’t have a lot of flash but does have a couple of capable veterans. Amari Cooper is coming off a season where he reached a career-high of 1,250 yards. They also have Elijah Moore coming into his second season with the team (640 yards in 2023). Further bolstering the unit, Cleveland pulled off a trade for former Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy this offseason as well. Jeudy has yet to live up to his first-round draft potential and hasn’t logged a 1,000-yard season, but this change of scenery could help get him over that threshold.
The Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley in free agency, but still have some solid receivers. Christian Kirk, who is entering his seventh season in the league, should continue to be a favorite target of Trevor Lawrence, but the team also signed Gabe Davis in free agency and selected LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Panthers offense in 2023 left little to be desired, but Adam Thielen was a bright spot, catching 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll remain an outlet for Bryce Young, but the Panthers also spent the offseason enhancing the talent around their former No. 1 overall pick, including trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette in the first round.
Tier 5: Up-and-comers
This group is young and has plenty of talent, but probably needs another season to move higher up these tiers. Starting with Atlanta, it’ll enjoy better quarterback play under Kirk Cousins, which could set Drake London up for a breakout Year 3 campaign. The addition of Darnell Mooney was also an underrated move. Mooney is only 26 and already has a 1,000-yard season on his résumé despite playing with subpar quarterbacks. Rondale Moore is also just 24 years old and could be a speedy outlet for Cousins in the passing attack.
As for Green Bay, Christian Watson is the elder statesman of the group and he’s only 25. He battled injuries last season and was limited to nine games, but, when healthy, is a speedster. Beyond Watson, Romeo Doubs is 24 entering his third season and had eight touchdowns in 2023. Maybe the most exciting receiver on this team, however, is Jayden Reed. He was sensational as a rookie, particularly over his final eight regular season games where he caught 75.9% of his passes for 460 yards and five touchdowns. That put him on a 17-game pace of double-digit touchdowns and nearly a 1,000 yards.
Chris Olave is the star of New Orleans’ receiver room after he had a 2023 season where he finished 17th in receiving yards with 1,123 and had 87 catches. That said, Rashid Shaheed had a mini breakout in his second season, headlined by a 153-yard game in Week 8. A.T. Perry is an interesting Year 2 breakout candidate, but the Saints also have serviceable veterans on the roster like Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown to round out the room.
The Colts are in a similar spot to the Falcons, in my estimation, as they have some young talent who could see them jump up a few tiers if things break right. Of course, Michael Pittman is the star of the group and just inked a three-year, $71.5 million extension this offseason. The two receivers to keep an eye on who could help this unit — and Anthony Richardson — explode in 2024 are Josh Downs and rookie Adonai Mitchell.
Tier 6: QB dependents
This group of receivers is interesting. The reason why I feel good about them may solely be based on the confidence I have in their quarterbacks elevating them and squeezing every ounce of talent they have. That was certainly the case a season ago with the Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes helped led them to a second-straight Super Bowl title. It didn’t seem to matter who was out at receiver for Kansas City as Mahomes willed his team to another Lombardi Trophy. This offseason, however, the Chiefs did address the room by adding veteran Hollywood Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round. That certainly heightens the ceiling, but I’d rather wait and see how they perform before vaulting them up too high. We’re also throwing into account the possible uncertain status of Rashee Rice due to his off-the-field issues.
With the Ravens, they have a two-time MVP throwing them the football, so it does make life easier. I expect Zay Flowers to push towards a 1,000 yards this coming season as he enters Year 2. I’m also bullish on rookie Devontez Walker, who was selected in the fourth round. Meanwhile, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor won’t blow you away, but they are capable receivers.
The Bills completely overhauled their receiver room this offseason after letting Gabe Davis leave in free agency and then trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans. They signed a bunch of veterans in free agency including Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Chase Claypool, while bringing back Khalil Shakir. Again, those players on their own are not going to strike fear in secondaries. However, when you factor in Josh Allen throwing them the football, it does change the calculus a touch. Really, the X-factor in this group will be rookie Keon Coleman, who could be in for a heavy workload out of the gate.
Finally, Justin Herbert — under the guidance of new head coach Jim Harbaugh — instills some blind confidence into their receiver room. Like Buffalo, L.A. saw two veterans depart after it released Mike Williams and traded away Keenan Allen. Now, it is left with Josh Palmer and former first-round pick Quentin Johnston as holdovers from last year, while it added Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey in the second round. The Chargers also signed D.J. Chark last month, which was a savvy late-spring addition. Given Herbert’s talent, this room should be able to produce even if they aren’t the flashiest bunch in the league.
Tier 7: Developmental stage
These are the teams that have some pieces but are still in the developmental stages. The Cardinals have arguably the most intriguing receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., whom they drafted No. 4 overall. He was billed as a generational receiving prospect and could very well establish himself as a star by the end of this year, but we’d like to see how he meshes with Kyler Murray before we crown him. Michael Wilson, a third-round pick in 2023, flashed as a rookie.
The Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson but still have George Pickens as an up-and-coming third-year player. He already has a 1,000-yard season under his belt, but there are some questions beyond him on Pittsburgh’s depth chart. Roman Wilson is an intriguing slot prospect after being selected in the third round out of Michigan but is currently an unknown at the NFL level. Meanwhile, Van Jefferson is on his third team in two seasons.
The Giants are building what I view as a fun receiver room if everyone reaches their potential. Similar to Harrison and the Cardinals, Malik Nabers has the ability to turn into a top-10 receiver in the NFL. He’ll be the No. 1 option, but the club also has veterans Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson. Jalin Hyatt showed some flashes as a deep threat during his rookie season but will look for more consistency as he heads into Year 2.
Denver traded away Jerry Jeudy, which paves the way for former second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. to see more targets as he gears up for his sophomore campaign. While the 22-year-old has upside, there are questions elsewhere on the receiver depth chart. Courtland Sutton had 10 receiving touchdowns in 2023, but he struggled with ball security, losing three fumbles. Josh Reynolds had a solid year for the Lions last season but has a limited ceiling. Meanwhile, Tim Patrick is coming off a torn Achilles and hasn’t played since the 2021 season.
The Patriots tried to land Calvin Ridley in free agency to establish a No. 1 receiver but were unsuccessful in that pursuit. As a result, that remains one of the biggest holes on their roster. Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster and K.J. Osborn are solid veterans, but the hope is that second-year receiver DeMario Douglas (slot) and rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker emerge as viable starters.
