The wide receiver depth in the NFL is at its highest in recent memory. Nearly every team boasts at least one, if not two, quality receivers. Still, this year’s free-agent class is headlined by some of the most recognizable names at the position.
Players like DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, and Stefon Diggs are all entering the offseason as free agents. However, one analyst suggests it might be younger, faster receivers who command premium contracts, potentially overtaking their veteran counterparts.
The Surprise Wide Receiver Who Could Command a Big Contract
For many, the 2024 season was the year of the running backs. Players like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley captured attention at a position many thought had lost its value in the modern NFL.
However, wide receivers were not far behind. Standouts like Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and rookies such as Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers lit up the field with their elite playmaking. As this year’s free agency begins, veteran receivers headline the market.
Yet, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes the value of the position has shifted. “On a receiver market chock-full of older vets (Amari Cooper, Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins), there could be a premium on faster weapons.”
Breer cited Tutu Atwell as an example. Atwell signed a $10 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams in 2025, and Breer believes the next name to follow this trend could be former New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton.
Ranked 41st on PFSN’s list of top-100 free agents, Slayton is projected by Breer to command a big contract. “It was reflected in Tutu Atwell getting a one-year, $10 million deal for 2025 from the Los Angeles Rams, which floored other teams and could foreshadow the New York Giants’ Darius Slayton getting a deal in the eight-figure-per-year range.”
Slayton was no longer the Giants’ top receiver in 2024, with the emergence of rookie Malik Nabers. However, he still ranked third on the team with 573 receiving yards and led New York in yards per reception with 14.7.
As a big-play threat, Slayton could serve as a valuable second or third option on a receiving corps. Teams like the New England Patriots, lacking a competent wide receiver group, or contenders like the Houston Texans looking to add depth, could consider Slayton as a critical acquisition.
The value of Slayton’s next contract remains to be seen, but if Breer’s predictions are accurate, he could emerge as one of the surprise signings of the offseason.