Top wide receiver corps in the NFL | 1-5
Which wide receiver corps sits at the top of the NFL?
5) Seattle Seahawks
D.K. Metcalf is a freak of nature, and Tyler Lockett has been one of the most underrated receivers in the league for years now. Behind them, however, are a bunch of unknowns.
Russell Wilson had a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting Lockett in 2018. Since then, he’s remained above 120. Lockett and Metcalf have complementary skill sets that work well to accentuate Wilson’s strengths.
Metcalf is the 6-foot-3, 230-pound monster in the closet that can burst out with 4.33 speed and stack your cornerback vertically while debris from the door flies everywhere. He can snap off that vertical route and stop to fight back to the quarterback well, and he’s improved his horizontal route breaks from his rookie to sophomore season.
Lockett is the undersized guy who wins with separation quickness and the ability to rarely ever drop a pass. A few popped up in 2020, but he’d shown he has some of the best hands in the game prior to that.
Behind them, it’s unclear what they’ll have in other options. They drafted D’Wayne Eskridge in Round 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, so he’ll presumably be the guy, but he’s a rookie who was probably a bit overdrafted. Beyond that, there’s nothing to write home about.
That just goes to show that Metcalf and Lockett alone make this one of the top wide receiver corps in the NFL.
4) Tennessee Titans
The Titans are the supercharged version of the Seahawks. They have an up-and-coming superstar in A.J. Brown, and they just traded for the best receiver of this generation in Julio Jones. Now, that alone is enough to outpace Seattle, but their third option is also better or at least proven.
Before the trade, the Titans would have struggled to even be in consideration for the end of the list despite Brown’s talent. That’s because, behind WR3 Josh Reynolds, there is a sea of unknowns. They only trail a team with four solid options and two teams with unmatched receiving trios.
I don’t think people understand just how good a healthy Jones still is and how he can help the Titans contend in the AFC. He’s still probably the best all-around receiver in the NFL when he’s not playing an entire season on a strained hamstring as he did in 2020.
Brown is on quite a trajectory himself. Jones shouldn’t take too much volume away from Brown, given the lack of other receiving options. The addition of Jones will also pull considerable defensive attention, and thus, quite possibly more efficient targets for Brown.
Add in Reynolds, who had a career-high 52 catches on 81 targets in 2020 for the Los Angeles Rams, and you have a respectable third option.
3) Buffalo Bills
From top to bottom, the Bills have one of the best receiving corps in the league. They have Stefon Diggs, who is arguably the best receiver left on the list. Cole Beasley has been one of the most consistent slot players in the league for a while now and is coming off a career year. Additionally, Emmanuel Sanders and Gabriel Davis as third and fourth options are outstanding for the Bills.
Diggs was finally set completely free in his move to Buffalo, and he went and led the league in receiving yards as a result. Oh, and he did that while catching 76.5% of the passes thrown his way.
Beasley went berzerk on and off the football field in the past 12 months. He’s even brought up a possible retirement from the game recently, after nearing 1,000 yards for the first time and hilariously being selected as an All-Pro.
Sanders was a solid option for New Orleans in 2020 with little behind he and Michael Thomas. Sanders is in a much more natural fit in Buffalo as the third or fourth option. Davis is a nice complement to the other three receivers, as he’s a great downfield and sideline receiver. He provides value on the vertical plane.
2) Dallas Cowboys
Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb, and Michel Gallup might very well prove themselves as the best trio of receivers in the NFL this season. They are unquestionably one of the top wide receiver corps in the league, and Lamb’s stock should only rise.
The narrative surrounding Cooper is fascinating. I expect the negative perspectives surrounding him are holdovers from his inconsistent days in Oakland and the wacky home vs. road splits he’s generated throughout his career.
Last year, Cooper showed why he’s a legitimate WR1 more than any time in the past. He was healthy and produced with four different quarterbacks throughout the season. He and Keenan Allen are the two guys in the NFL that just shouldn’t be able to run routes as violently as they do at their size.
Lamb is the perfect slot option in an offense that likes to attack the seams and on deep crossing routes. In 2020, he showed that he’s a consistent separator against man coverage and can find the soft spot in zones. Lamb suffered from drops in his rookie campaign, but that wasn’t an issue for him throughout his time at Oklahoma. It’ll be interesting to see how that progresses.
The biggest beneficiary of Dak Prescott’s return is Michael Gallup. Their rapport together is the best on the team. Dak’s downfield passing ability complements Gallup’s ability to separate late on vertical routes. Gallup’s role in the intermediate and deep areas was lost behind a completely depleted offensive line and horrific downfield passing.
1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This was impossible to argue heading into 2021. The Buccaneers have the top wide receiving corps in the NFL. What helps their case even outside their unbelievable top three is the production they get from Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson. The Cowboys have Cedrick Wilson, who’s flashed as a WR4 when healthy. Unfortunately, he’s largely been unable to stay on the field.
Nevertheless, this is about the big three. Mike Evans is the only receiver to begin his career with seven straight 1,000-yard seasons. He’s a big-play threat and one of the top-10 receivers in the league. However, he’s not even the most complete receiver on his own team. Still, Evans normally takes the defense’s best DB in coverage, given his traditional outside alignments.
Chris Godwin is a fascinating receiver. Nothing he does is particularly flashy — he just does absolutely everything well. Most receivers have that one elite trait that separates them.
I used to think Godwin’s success was interesting because I didn’t think he had that one trait. But he does; his versatility. He’s an efficient downfield pass catcher who can go up and snatch the ball. Godwin can separate against man coverage with good footwork. He also had an outstanding understanding of how to manipulate a defensive back’s leverage.
Then, there’s Antonio Brown. The man who, just about three years ago, was the best receiver in the NFL alongside Jones. He’s not that player anymore, but Tom Brady has gone to bat for Brown twice in the past few years. Thus, he obviously sees the value in Brown as a third option who still has the ability to separate.
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