Grading All 32 NFL Team’s By Their Starting Wide Receiver Duo
The NFL has increasingly become a passing league, stubbornly slanted toward favoring the offensive side of the ball with a litany of recent rule changes. As such, team’s have shifted toward stockpiling elite talent at wide receiver in order to give their franchise quarterbacks the best possible chance to be successful in the ever-competitive professional ranks.
But how does each pass catching pair stack up to the rest of the league?
Today we take a look at grades for every NFL team by their projected starters at wide receiver entering the 2023 season…
Arizona Cardinals
2022 Stats
Marquise Brown – 12 games, 67 catches on 107 targets for 709 yards with 3 TD
Rondale Moore – 8 games, 41 catches on 56 targets for 414 yards with 1 TD
When healthy, the Arizona Cardinals diminutive duo make up for their size deficiencies by winning with separation—Moore using his quickness to get by defenders in open space and Brown possessing elite deep speed to create chunk plays down the field. While both players are certainly suitable options in the passing game, the Cardinals lack of a true alpha out wide severely hurts their overall grade.
Grade: C
Atlanta Falcons
2022 Stats
Drake London – 17 games, 72 catches on 117 targets for 866 yards with 4 TD
Mack Hollins – 17 games, 57 catches on 94 targets for 694 yards with 4 TD
After setting career highs across the board last year with the Raiders in Las Vegas, Hollins signed with Atlanta this offseason and the special teams star looks to have secured a starting role as a solid secondary option for the Falcons opposite their second-year stud receiver. London was absolutely electric as a rookie for Atlanta and looks to build on his initial success as the likely focal point of the Falcons passing game in 2023.
Grade: C+
Baltimore Ravens
2022 Stats
Rashod Bateman – 6 games, 15 catches on 28 targets for 285 yards with 2 TD
Odell Beckham Jr. – DNP
A first-round pick of the Ravens in 2021, Bateman has struggled to live up to his lofty draft pedigree with injuries plaguing both of his first two seasons, as the Minnesota product has appeared in just 18 of 34 possible regular season games. OBJ signed in Baltimore this spring after spending a year recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. The Ravens hope both can return to pre-injury form in 2023 but keep an eye on rookie speedster Zay Flowers—this year’s first-round pick from Boston College who could easily wind up as the WR1 in the Charm City before season’s end.
Grade: C+
Buffalo Bills
2022 Stats
Stefon Diggs – 16 games, 108 catches on 154 targets for 1,429 yards with 11 TD
Gabriel Davis – 15 games, 48 catches on 93 targets for 836 yards with 7 TD
Offseason drama aside, Bills superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs will again lead the explosive Buffalo passing attack as the favorite target of quarterback Josh Allen in 2023. Fourth-year pro Gabe Davis took another step forward last year after being used mostly as a rotational deep threat over his first two NFL seasons, but struggled with week-to-week consistency as a full-time starter on the outside in 2022. If Davis can take an additional leap this upcoming season, the Bills dynamic duo could quickly rise in the rankings.
Grade: B+
Carolina Panthers
2022 Stats
DJ Chark – 11 games, 30 catches on 52 targets for 502 yards with 3 TD
Adam Thielen – 17 games, 70 catches on 107 targets for 716 yards with 6 TD
Aging veterans Chark and Thielen top the initial wide receiver depth chart in the Panthers new-look offensive attack and their vast experience should help rookie quarterback Bryce Young assimilate quickly to the NFL game. Both former 1,000 yard receivers and Pro Bowlers, the Carolina duo may not retain the biggest name recognition in 2023 yet remain satisfactory but middling selections as security blankets for the Panthers developing first-year passer.
Grade: C
Chicago Bears
2022 Stats
DJ Moore – 17 games, 63 catches on 118 targets for 888 yards with 7 TD
Darnell Mooney – 12 games, 40 catches on 61 targets for 493 yards with 2 TD
Mooney was a massive disappointment last season coming off a breakout 2021, struggling along with the rest of the Bears offense before missing the final five games because of a torn ligament in his ankle. To upgrade an otherwise abysmal offense around quarterback Justin Fields, Chicago made a blockbuster trade this offseason—acquiring a legitimate number one target from the Carolina Panthers in Moore. The former Maryland Terrapin star had three straight seasons of at least 1,100 receiving yards before a down year in 2022, and instantly adds some much needed juice to the Bears previously pitiful passing attack.
Grade: B
Cincinnati Bengals
2022 Stats
Ja’Marr Chase – 12 games, 87 catches on 134 targets for 1,046 yards with 9 TD
Tee Higgins – 16 games, 79 catches on 109 targets for 1,029 yards with 7 TD
One of only a handful of NFL clubs boasting two bonafide number one pass catchers, the Bengals have surrounded quarterback Joe Burrow with an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver. Both players missed time during last season’s slate—nevertheless managing to hit the thousand yard mark together for the second consecutive campaign and remain one of the premier receiver combinations in all of pro football entering 2023.
Grade: A+
Cleveland Browns
2022 Stats
Amari Cooper – 17 games, 78 catches on 132 targets for 1,160 yards with 9 TD
Donovan Peoples-Jones – 17 games, 61 catches on 96 targets for 839 yards with 3 TD
The Browns enter 2023 with one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league, led by the ever-consistent Cooper. The former fourth-overall selection from 2015 turned in perhaps his best campaign as a pro in his first season with Cleveland, playing every game while catching the most touchdowns of his career. Peoples-Jones also set career-highs last season, but will enter a contract year with the most competition he’s ever faced for targets after the Browns traded for slot receiver Elijah Moore and drafted Tennessee jump-ball specialist Cedric Tillman in the third-round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Grade: B
Dallas Cowboys
2022 Stats
CeeDee Lamb – 17 games, 107 catches on 156 targets for 1,359 yards with 9 TD
Brandin Cooks – 13 games, 57 catches on 93 targets for 699 yards with 3 TD
Lamb broke out in a big way last year—setting new career marks in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns for the Cowboys in his third NFL season. The former first-round pick should again be a top flight receiver for Dallas in 2023. Joining Lamb out wide will be well-traveled veteran deep threat Brandin Cooks, a consistent producer who has thousand yard seasons with every team he’s played for—now with his fifth NFL franchise as he enters his tenth year in the league.
Grade: A
Denver Broncos
2022 Stats
Jerry Jeudy – 15 games, 67 catches on 100 targets for 972 yards with 6 TD
Courtland Sutton – 15 games, 64 catches on 109 targets for 829 yards with 2 TD
In an absolutely atrocious 2022 for the Broncos offense, Denver’s talented yet oft-injured wide receiver pairing put together respectable but ordinary seasons. Now fully healthy, Sutton and Juedy should feature heavily in the foreseeably improved Broncos passing attack, with Hall of Fame head coach and offensive mastermind Sean Payton now calling the shots in Denver.
Grade: B
Detroit Lions
2022 Stats
Amon-Ra St. Brown – 16 games, 106 catches on 146 targets for 1,161 yards with 6 TD
Marvin Jones – 16 games, 46 catches on 81 targets for 529 yards with 3 TD
Quickly developing into one of the league’s top playmakers, St. Brown appears poised to top his previous output and again lead the Lions offense in 2023. His projected running mate, former first-rounder Jameson Williams, will miss the first six games of the upcoming slate following a gambling suspension—leaving elder-statesman Marvin Jones as the solid but unspectacular secondary option out wide as the reliable veteran returns to Detroit after spending two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Grade: B-
Green Bay Packers
2022 Stats
Christian Watson – 14 games, 41 catches on 66 targets for 611 yards with 7 TD
Romeo Doubs – 13 games, 42 catches on 67 targets for 425 yards with 3 TD
Both Packers receivers saw significant snaps as rookies, with each showing strong potential in spurts but struggling with consistency in their introductory seasons. Watson was a big-play waiting to happen in 2022 and while the slender speedster had some issues with drops, he still managed to snag the most touchdowns of any rookie besides Washington Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson—with whom he shared the honor. Doubs profiles primarily as a possession type receiver and both young pass catchers should improve with full-time roles in their sophomore seasons as Jordan Love attempts to replace Aaron Rodgers at quarterback in Green Bay.
Grade: C+
Houston Texans
2022 Stats
Nico Collins – 10 games, 37 catches on 66 targets for 481 yards with 2 TD
Robert Woods – 17 games, 53 catches on 91 targets for 527 yards with 2 TD
Now with his fourth franchise entering his eleventh NFL season, Woods is a steady and serviceable presence for a rebuilding Texans team that will feature a rookie quarterback under center in 2023. Undoubtedly marked for more of a rotational role at this point in his career after a decade-long run as an elite second option—Woods should help mentor Houston’s exciting young pass catching corps that features a ton of underrated talent. Collins will attempt to breakout in his third pro season, as the 6-foot-4 prototype from Michigan competes with 2022 second-rounder John Metchie III and this season’s third-round selection Tank Dell for targets in a crowded but generally unproven receiver room.
Grade: C-
Indianapolis Colts
2022 Stats
Michael Pittman – 16 games, 99 catches on 141 targets for 925 yards with 4 TD
Alec Pierce – 16 games, 41 catches on 78 targets for 593 yards with 2 TD
The entire Colts offense regressed significantly last season, including Pittman who managed to set a career-high in catches but saw a disappointing dip in yards and touchdowns in his third year as a pro. Pierce was a pleasant surprise as a rookie and now looks like a lock to inherit a majority of the 91 targets vacated by Parris Campbell, who signed with the New York Giants this summer. Indianapolis enters the new season with a plethora of questions on offense, including a rookie signal caller that profiles as a major project as a passer after only thirteen college starts at Florida. Young and unproven, the new-look Colts offense likely repeats as one of the league’s worst in 2023.
Grade: C+
Jacksonville Jaguars
2022 Stats
Calvin Ridley – DNP
Christian Kirk – 17 games, 84 catches on 133 targets for 1,108 yards with 8 TD
Kirk set personal bests in nearly every statistical metric last season in his first year with the Jaguars, helping propel quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s breakout 2022 campaign as the top target in Jacksonville. The Jaguars traded for Ridley while he was still serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy last season, and the former superstar wide receiver specimen eyes a return to peak form after spending more than a year away from football.
Grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs
2022 Stats
Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 17 games, 42 catches on 81 targets for 687 yards with 2 TD
Kadarius Toney – 9 games, 16 catches on 20 targets for 171 yards with 2 TD
Kansas City’s offense runs through two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and his favorite target in star tight end Travis Kelce, as the wide receivers were reduced to complementary rotational roles for the Chiefs in 2022. With leading receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as well as Mecole Hardman each leaving in free agency, a whopping 135 targets are up for grabs in Kansas City entering 2023. Veteran speed demon Valdes-Scantling returns for his second year as a solid situational deep threat and stable presence in an otherwise inexperienced crop of pass catchers, while Toney gives the team a versatile weapon that they can use a number of ways (as we saw during last year’s Super Bowl). Kansas City will likely spread the wealth again this upcoming season as they continue to develop young talent at wide receiver with Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross, and rookie Rashee Rice all showing enormous potential behind the veterans out wide.
Grade: C-
Las Vegas Raiders
2022 Stats
Davante Adams – 17 games, 100 catches on 180 targets for 1,516 yards with 14 TD
Jakobi Meyers – 14 games, 61 catches on 96 targets for 839 yards with 3 TD
Adams proved without a doubt he can perform no matter who is his quarterback, as the perennial All-Pro led the league in touchdown receptions in his first year apart from Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. With Jimmy Garoppolo replacing Derek Carr as the starter under center for Las Vegas in 2023, Adams is again primed to be the focal point of the passing offense for the Raiders in head coach Josh McDaniels second season in charge. Meyers joins Las Vegas after leading the New England Patriots in receiving each of the last two seasons and has great familiarity with McDaniels system from their time together in Foxborough.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Chargers
2022 Stats
Keenan Allen – 10 games, 66 catches on 89 targets for 752 yards with 4 TD
Mike Williams – 13 games, 63 catches on 93 targets for 895 yards with 4 TD
Prior to missing seven contests due to injury in 2022, Allen had been selected to five straight Pro Bowls and now back healthy, the route running savant should resume lead duties as the favorite target of newly-extended Chargers franchise quarterback Justin Herbert. Joining Allen out wide, Williams returns for his seventh year with the team and the super-sized contested catch specialist should also be back to full strength after missing four games last season. With both of their aging superstar receivers representing obvious injury risks, the Chargers drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft and the rookie from TCU could instantly have a big role in the high-powered Los Angeles passing game in 2023.
Grade: A+
Los Angeles Rams
2022 Stats
Cooper Kupp – 9 games, 75 catches on 98 targets for 812 yards with 6 TD
Van Jefferson – 11 games, 61 catches on 96 targets for 839 yards with 3 TD
After becoming only the fourth player since 1966 to achieve the NFL receiving triple crown, Kupp won Offensive Player of the Year and became a first-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro as well as winning a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp followed his historic 2021 season by playing just nine games before finishing last year on IR after an ankle injury prematurely ended his sixth NFL campaign. Jefferson has been solid but unspectacular as a generally inconsistent outside option for the Rams and enters his third year looking to prove he can stay healthy and produce as a secondary receiver behind Kupp in head coach Sean McVay’s elaborate offensive scheme.
Grade: B-
Miami Dolphins
2022 Stats
Tyreek Hill – 17 games, 119 catches on 170 targets for 1,710 yards with 7 TD
Jaylen Waddle – 17 games, 75 catches on 117 targets for 1356 yards with 8 TD
The Miami Dolphins unstoppable duo at wide receiver is without question one of, if not the best combinations in the National Football League. With two of the league’s best deep threats terrorizing opposing defenses on a weekly basis, the Dolphins simply need to keep their young franchise quarterback healthy and upright to distribute the ball to their all-world pair of pass catchers.
Grade: A+
Minnesota Vikings
2022 Stats
Justin Jefferson – 17 games, 128 catches on 184 targets for 1,809 yards with 8 TD
KJ Osborn – 17 games, 60 catches on 90 targets for 650 yards with 5 TD
Widely considered the best wide receiver in the NFL after three record breaking seasons to start his pro career, Jefferson has been unstoppable outside for the Minnesota Vikings since he entered the league in 2020. With Adam Thielen moving on in free agency, Minnesota will likely turn to fourth year pro KJ Osborn and rookie first round pick Jordan Addison to absorb additional opportunities in the passing game along with talented tight end TJ Hockenson.
Grade: B+
New England Patriots
2022 Stats
JuJu Smith-Schuster – 16 games, 78 catches on 101 targets for 933 yards with 3 TD
DaVante Parker – 13 games, 31 catches on 47 targets for 539 yards with 3 TD
Fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs, Smith-Schuster signed with New England this summer and seems like the best bet to lead the Patriots in receiving in 2023. His running mate is likely veteran DaVante Parker, who is a solid player with starting experience and size but has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies since his breakout 2019 with the Miami Dolphins. Behind New England’s average elder-statesman starters, Kendrick Bourne will battle with speedster Tyquan Thorton for snaps in a predicted low-volume Patriots passing attack in 2023.
Grade: C+
New Orleans Saints
2022 Stats
Chris Olave – 15 games, 72 catches on 119 targets for 1,042 yards with 4 TD
Michael Thomas – 3 games, 16 catches on 22 targets for 171 yards with 3 TD
Olave was phenomenal as a rookie for the Saints in 2022, along with fellow rookie receiver Rashid Shaheed—while Thomas showed flashes of his once-dominant self before the veteran was shelved for yet another lengthy stint due to ongoing issues with his troublesome foot that have plagued the former All-Pro for the last three years. If Thomas can finally put together a healthy season for New Orleans and Olave continues his upward trajectory, the Saints duo could easily vault into the elite tier of receivers in short notice.
Grade: B+
New York Giants
2022 Stats
Isaiah Hodgins – 8 games, 33 catches on 42 targets for 351 yards with 4 TD
Wan’Dale Robinson – 6 games, 23 catches on 31 targets for 227 yards with 1 TD
The Giants pairing could be slightly better than expected as both young players showed flashes of promising potential in limited action–but more than likely end up in a wide receiver by committee situation in New York with veterans Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepherd and Parris Campbell as well as rookie third-rounder Jaylin Hyatt also pushing for snaps in 2023. Regardless of the largely lackluster receiver rotation, tight end Darren Waller will presumably be Giants top target in the pass game after New York acquired the former Pro Bowler from the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.
Grade: C-
New York Jets
2022 Stats
Garrett Wilson – 17 games, 83 catches on 147 targets for 1,103 yards with 4 TD
Allen Lazard – 15 games, 60 catches on 100 targets for 788 yards with 6 TD
After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, Wilson appears ready to take the leap into superstardom after New York traded for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers this summer. Rodgers will enjoy some familiar faces at receiver in the big-bodied Lazard as well as senior citizen slot man Randall Cobb to compete with holdovers Corey Davis and standout UDFA rookie receiver Jason Brownlee for targets in the totally revamped Jets aerial attack.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
2022 Stats
AJ Brown – 17 games, 88 catches on 145 targets for 1,496 yards with 11 TD
DeVonta Smith – 17 games, 95 catches on 136 targets for 1,196 yards with 7 TD
In his first season in Philadelphia, Brown was undeniably dominant as the favorite target of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts—setting career-highs in catches and yards while tying his personal best for touchdowns in a season. Smith also had a career campaign statistically, and the Eagles elite receiver pairing helped Hurts enjoy an MVP-caliber season under center for Philadelphia en route to a deep playoff run and Super Bowl appearance in 2022.
Grade: A+
Pittsburgh Steelers
2022 Stats
Diontae Johnson – 17 games, 86 catches on 147 targets for 882 yards with 0 TD
George Pickens – 17 games, 52 catches on 84 targets for 801 yards with 4 TD
Following a breakthrough 2021 season that saw him selected to his first Pro Bowl, Johnson stumbled through a nightmarishly inefficient effort last fall—leading the Steelers in targets but struggling mightily with drops and failing to catch a touchdown pass while playing in all seventeen games for Pittsburgh. Pickens showed inciting upside in a jaw-dropping rookie introduction and could develop into the top choice for Steelers second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett as Pittsburgh hopes to push for a return trip to the playoffs this upcoming season.
Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers
2022 Stats
Brandon Aiyuk – 17 games, 78 catches on 114 targets for 1,015 yards with 8 TD
Deebo Samuel – 13 games, 56 catches on 94 targets for 632 yards with 2 TD
Deebo Samuel took an enormous step back in 2022 after an All-Pro season the year prior, as running mate Brandon Aiyuk picked up the slack and set personal bests across the board serving as San Francisco’s top target in the passing game. While Samuel is a threat to score in a variety of ways, Aiyuk is by far the more polished receiver and having both young playmakers to go with tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey should help whoever ends up under center for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in 2023.
Grade: A
Seattle Seahawks
2022 Stats
DK Metcalf – 17 games, 90 catches on 141 targets for 1,048 yards with 6 TD
Tyler Lockett – 16 games, 84 catches on 117 targets for 1,033 yards with 9 TD
Another top contender for best WR duo, Metcalf and Lockett have been two of the most consistent receivers in football over the previous half decade—and last season were an integral
part of Geno Smith’s surprise revival as a starting-caliber NFL quarterback in Seattle. The Seahawks only added to their arsenal this offseason, drafting stud slot receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round of this year’s draft. The electric rookie from Ohio State should quickly force his way onto the field in Year 1 and Seattle looks to have a three-headed monster at wide receiver for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2022 Stats
Mike Evans – 15 games, 77 catches on 127 targets for 1,124 yards with 6 TD
Chris Godwin – 15 games, 104 catches on 142 targets for 1,023 yards with 3 TD
Evans is arguably the most consistent wide receiver to ever play in the NFL, with over one thousand yards in each of his first nine seasons—an NFL record. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice still holds the all-time marks for most consecutive thousand yard seasons with eleven, as well as the top spot for total thousand yard seasons with fourteen. While Evans will no doubt enter the Hall of Fame at the conclusion of his decorated career, the oversized receiver still remains among the best in the business and pairs perfectly with slithery veteran slot option Chris Godwin to form one of the most talented pass catching pairs in the NFL today.
Grade: A+
Tennessee Titans
2022 Stats
DeAndre Hopkins – 9 games, 64 catches on 96 targets for 717 yards with 3 TD
Treylon Burks – 11 games, 33 catches on 54 targets for 444 yards with 1 TD
After missing the first six games of the 2022 season due to a suspension, Hopkins played incredibly well considering the Cardinals comical quarterback situation last season before sitting
out the final two games of the slate with Arizona out of contention. The Cardinals surprisingly parted ways with the sure-handed wideout this summer, and Hopkins signed with the Tennessee Titans where he will be the main option in the passing offense for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Burks got off to a slow start last year as a rookie, but the former first-round pick showed some flashes of elite ability during his rollercoaster introductory campaign and will now get the chance to learn and develop behind a future Hall of Fame receiver in Hopkins.
Grade: B-
Washington Commanders
2022 Stats
Terry McLaurin – 17 games, 77 catches on 120 targets for 1,191 yards with 5 TD
Jahan Dotson – 12 games, 35 catches on 61 targets for 523 yards with 7 TD
Terry McLaurin enters his fifth NFL season as the undisputed top target in the nation’s capital—now with four consecutive campaigns of one thousand receiving yards on his resume. Easily a top ten NFL wideout in his own right, McLaurin is flanked by versatile veteran Curtis Samuel and second-year sensation Jahan Dotson as Washington prepares to unveil a drastically different offense in 2023— with Sam Howell stepping in as the Commanders full-time starter at quarterback and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy taking over play calling duties in the District.
Grade: B+
Grading All 32 NFL Team’s By Their Starting Wide Receiver Duo
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