As NFL fans, we always love to discuss the best offensive skill players in the NFL. It’s a hobby type of thing where we can debate with our friends/co-workers about who the best players are at their positions.
The wide receiver position has become especially deep over the past few seasons, with elite classes coming out of the NFL Draft.
I set out to rank the current top 50 wide receivers in the NFL, taking into account their current situation, route-running skill, and plenty of other ratings.
NFL Wide Receiver Power Rankings 50-41
50. Allen Lazard, New York Jets
49. JuJu Smith-Schuster, New England Patriots
It felt like Smith-Schuster lost a step last season, despite putting up over 900 yards receiving.
He was tied to Patrick Mahomes though, and now he goes to Mac Jones in New England. Can he showcase his full skillset there?
48. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens has proved to be an ANIMAL in downfield contested-catch situations, but struggled to do much more in his rookie season in the big leagues. His sophomore season will be a big test as to whether he can act on his prodigious talents.
47. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
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46. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Addison is the first of two rookies in these rankings, and he gets into the top 50 here because of his skilled route-running and history of producing at multiple programs in college on different paths. He should be an immediate producer in Minnesota.
45. Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
44. Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
43. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders
42. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
41. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
The remaining rookie on this list, JSN, was described as “better than us” by his former teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris OIave, both of whom were also first-round picks and feature later on this list.
Despite only having one real season of production in college, Smith-Njigba profiles as a very steady producer with near-elite agility metrics, so look for him to contribute right away.
NFL Wide Receiver Power Rankings 40-31
40. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
39. Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
There are now a couple more names in the mix for targets in Baltimore, but with pass-happy Todd Monken now the Ravens’ OC, I’m looking for Bateman to show us fully why he was a first-round pick a few years ago. He’s a very solid route-runner with some burst and soft hands.
38. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals
37. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
I don’t think time has sapped all of Thomas’ skills, as he started out last season alright before getting injured again. Maybe his demeanor has changed a bit since new QB Derek Carr arrived in town?
36. Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
35. Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens
What version of Beckham will we get this season? He looked very solid for the Rams on their run to a Super Bowl victory, showing that he can still move fluidly despite numerous injuries in recent seasons.
His chemistry with Lamar Jackson should not fall by the wayside as the two are reported to be close friends.
34. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
33. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Can the young wide receiver build on a solid yet unspectacular rookie season in an effort to become one of the better receivers in the league? Bijan Robinson now arrives for this offense, so it is fair to wonder how much run London will get to showcase his talents in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy attack.
32. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
NFL Wide Receiver Power Rankings 30-21
30. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
With Sean Payton arriving in Denver, will Jeudy finally live up to the immense talent level he showed while playing at Alabama? Jeudy has been the subject of trade rumors, but should be able to take advantage of a wide receiver room in flux with the creative Payton in town.
29. Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys
28. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
Moore has a ton of talent.
However, he slides in these rankings over concerns his skills will be minimized playing in Chicago, where the offense has been decidedly more run-heavy over the beginning of Justin Fields’ career.
27. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
26. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
25. Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
A determined Ridley noted that “with Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville, I’m putting up 1,400 yards this season” in his Players’ Tribune article, promising that he would come back strong from last year’s season-long suspension due to gambling.
Ridley is one of the sharpest route-runners in football, so don’t doubt his commitment here.
24. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
23. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson is a constant high-target player, and his stats the past couple seasons really don’t take into account his high talent level.
He continually gets nicked by rankers because of drops and low touchdown numbers, but he has not had solid quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
22. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
The Sun God rapidly keeps rising up boards, and he could very well be looked at as a top-15 player by next season.
He gets dinged a bit for me by really only being a slot player, but showed a ton of growth and range in his most recent season with over 1,100 receiving yards.
21. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
NFL Wide Receiver Power Rankings 20-11
20. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Wilson is going to be a superstar — that much we were able to tell from his rookie season.
Now that Aaron Rodgers has arrived in the Big Apple, we might see an elite season from the young stud.
19. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf is still learning some of the intricacies of route-running, but he has taken a big step forward from his first couple seasons where he was solely a big-play threat.
He still is, but now he has added the ability to dominate in the short-to-intermediate level of the field, which should terrify all defenses.
18. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Another rookie who had a terrific inaugural year in 2022, Olave now gets a quarterback upgrade in Derek Carr.
Look for him to build on his solid start with even more flair this upcoming season.
17. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
Allen has long been one of the gold standards in NFL route running by wide receivers.
He remains smooth and calculated into his 30s, and he still has Justin Herbert throwing the rock to him.
16. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Waddle has proved that he is much, much more than just a quick slot receiver, playing outside flanker and notching over 1,200 receiving yards last season.
He is an extremely dynamic playmaker that defenses struggle to cover.
15. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith is fast becoming one of the best route-runners in the NFL, and he mixes that ability in with his skill in contested catches.
Despite being on the thinner side, he displays impressive body control and should ascend into the top 10 of wide receivers this season.
14. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett may be the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL, a smooth route-runner with incredible hands.
Despite getting up there in age, he has been a dependable weapon year after year, and that shouldn’t change anytime soon.
13. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb is starting to come into his own in the NFL, and showed it last season by taking over the WR1 role for the Cowboys with ease.
The 24-year-old still struggles from time to time playing the outside role, but he’s only getting better with age.
12. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Godwin falls into that same category of receivers who are insanely underrated as he’s struggled with injuries from time to time, but he’s capable of being one of the smoothest catchers of the football in the league.
The Penn State alum caught 100 balls for the first time last season and will be a safety blanket for either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask this season.
11. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
This might be a bit of a surprise to some, but McLaurin flies WAY under the radar when evaluating wide receivers. He may be one of the best route-runners in the league, but he has been saddled with bad quarterback play year after year.
This year could be another struggle, but McLaurin should still find a way to exceed 1,000 receiving yards just like each of the last three seasons.
NFL Wide Receiver Power Rankings 10-1
10. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another surprise here as some people forget that Evans has a current streak of NINE straight 1,000-plus-yard seasons, which is just remarkable consistency.
Evans is not just a jump ball receiver, as he’s efficient in all three levels of the field.
9. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel could definitely be higher on this list, but so much of his potential stems from the pieces around him.
His abilities are immense though, as he can line up at any receiver position as well as in the backfield and simply dominate, running wild around the field.
8. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
Hopkins is starting to get up there in age, but his hands and route-running remain as good as ever.
Despite only playing in nine games last season, he averaged nearly 11 targets and 80 yards per game.
7. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp is coming off a season-ending ankle injury last season, but should be as good as new this season with Matthew Stafford hopefully coming back at full strength. Kupp can be unstoppable when healthy, especially in Sean McVay’s elite offensive scheme.
Knowing this, betting Kupp to lead the league in receiving yards once again feels like a great pick to rely on.
BET PICK: Cooper Kupp Lead NFL in Receiving Yards (+1100)
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6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Brown had a career year for the Eagles last season, with almost 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns scored. He was dominant from nearly every position on the field and was only held up by nagging leg injuries at times.
The Eagles are in great hands with him and Smith as their wide receiver duo, and it might be the best in the league.
5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
Diggs continues to be his normal incredible self, with another stellar statistical season.
He should be able to dominate with less attention on him this season as the Bills added Dalton Kincaid in this year’s draft to play a hybrid slot WR/TE positional role.
4. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
What can we say about Hill that we haven’t already?
He makes highlight reel play after highlight reel play, and despite noting that he wants to retire after his contract expires, he continues to show no signs of slowing down.
3. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase is fast becoming one of the mega-stars of the NFL, and despite a hip injury costing him a portion of the season last year, he had some great weeks down the stretch.
His close friendship with quarterback and LSU teammate Joe Burrow can’t be ignored. The two should be the face of the Bengals for years to come.
2. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
The class at the position still, Adams is everything you want in a wide receiver. He’s one of the best route-runners the position has ever seen, and his hands can corral almost any ball.
It will be VERY interesting to see how he plays with newcomer Jimmy Garoppolo, the first quarterback in Adams’ career who hasn’t been inclined to throw the ball deep.
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
There’s really no other option than to rank Jefferson first at this point, as he’s just ascended to the top by brute force. We’ve watched Jefferson evolve from a prospect who was rumored to only be able to play the slot, to a megastar that plays any receiver position needed at an extremely high level.
From the highlight-reel catches to the double teams he’s able to defeat, Jefferson should be the best receiver in football for potentially years to come.
