This NFL offseason was filled with a flurry of trades and wide receivers were at the forefront. With so many receivers switching jerseys, the hierarchy of wide receiver rooms has shifted.
Sidenote: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have appeared on this list but Chris Godwin currently has no timetable for a return after suffering a torn ACL in Week 15 of last season.
5. Minnesota Vikings
In just his second year in the NFL, Justin Jefferson finished second in receiving yards with 1,616 and he’s only going to get better as time goes on. However, the reason that the Vikings aren’t higher on this list is Adam Thielen.
He’s one of the more remarkable wide receiver stories in recent memory, but he’s turning 32 before the season starts. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Thielen have a bounce back year after facing injuries last season, but wide receivers usually face the back half of their careers when they hit their early 30s.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders arguably made the biggest splash during the offseason, acquiring All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. Derek Carr isn’t Aaron Rodgers by definition, but he’s coming off a season where he threw for 4,804 yards, the most passing yards he’s thrown in a season.
Due to that fact, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow had his most productive year he’s had in his three seasons in the league, catching for over 1,000 yards. The Raiders’ offense may be more run-heavy with Josh McDaniels as head coach, so it should put less pressure on Carr which could improve his play under center and in turn his wide receivers’ production.
3. Miami Dolphins
Well, all the Dolphins’ wide receiver room needs now is the Flash to reach supersonic speed. It seems like the front office was not content with having one of the fastest receivers in the league, but elected to have two instead.
The Dolphins made the blockbuster trade to acquire Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs in order to put quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the best situation to succeed. With Jaylen Waddle and Hill both catching for over 1,000 yards last season and the pairs’ blazing speed, Tagovailoa is set up for a make-or-break year for the Dolphins.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp. That’s it. No, but in all seriousness Kupp had one of, if not the greatest wide receiver years of all time. On his way to a Super Bowl win and the Super Bowl LVI MVP, Kupp caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns to put a bow on one of the most memorable individual seasons in NFL history.
The Rams also added to their wide receiver depth in the offseason, signing former Bears’ wide receiver Allen Robinson. Robinson had a forgettable year last year with the inconsistent quarterback play, but he should be able to return to form in an offensive-friendly system with Sean McVay at the wheel.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
What else needs to be said about this group? Their number one wide receiver was rookie Ja’Marr Chase who had the most receiving yards in Bengal history with 1,455 and is on his way to becoming the NFL’s best receiver. The Bengals WR2, Tee Higgins, is coming off a year where he caught 74 passes for 1,091 yards, while also catching four passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl LVI.
Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that their slot receiver, Tyler Boyd, put up more than 800 yards for the fourth consecutive year last season. The Bengals’ wide receiver group is one that can attack defenses on the outside just as well as they do the inside and all signs point to this group being the most lethal this season.
