Ranking the 5 best, 5 worst WR rooms in the NFL after free agency frenzy

The NFL is all about offense. More specifically, the passing game. With few exceptions, modern NFL offenses just don't revolve around running backs any more, which means that for teams that want to win, a top-end set of wide receivers is a must.

This past round of free agency and April's NFL Draft highlighted this. Calvin Ridley jumped AFC South teams, moving from the Jaguars to the Titans on a four-year, $92 million deal. Gabe Davis replaced him in Jacksonville, leaving the Bills for three years and $39 million. Three receivers were selected in the first nine picks of the draft, with six in total coming off the board in the first round to tie the NFL record.

Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown recently broke the bank with record contract extensions, and other receivers, such as Tyreek Hill and Ja'Marr Chase, are likely to soon follow suit. It's clear that other than quarterback, NFL teams are prioritizing the receiver position above all others.

OTAs were just recently completed, and minicamps for most teams have already begun. The season isn't far off, so with that in mind, which teams have the best and worst wide receiver groups in the league?

Ranking the best wide receiver rooms in the NFL

In going through the depth chart of every team, it's clear just how difficult it is to pick the very best receiving corps in the league.

Teams such as the Browns, who now feature a dynamic trio of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore, didn't make the cut, nor did the Seahawks, who have a formidable triumvirate of their own in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Other teams have a Pro Bowl-quality pairing, but lack the depth needed to rank in the top five. This includes the Eagles, who could very well be number one if they found a third running mate for AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Vikings, who have arguably the best receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson and a standout rising second-year pass-catcher in Jordan Addison, are in a similar boat. Honorable mention also goes to the Bengals' duo of Chase and Tee Higgins, and the Bucs' combo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Now that we've gotten the best of the rest out of the way, let's dive in to the top five receiver groups in the NFL. We'll start with the defending NFC champs.

5) San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall

It's a testament to just how terrifying the San Francisco 49ers offense is that they boast a top-five receiver room and still have the NFL's most dynamic running back in Christian McCaffrey, a premier tight end in George Kittle, one of the game's top offensive minds in Kyle Shanahan, and Brock Purdy, who is well on his way to challenging Kurt Warner as the best quarterback success story in NFL history.

This exercise is just about the receivers, though, and San Fran has a couple of great ones in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel is the ultimate Swiss Army knife, a player that is just as dangerous on a jet sweep as he is catching a screen pass or a deep post. Only Tyreek Hill can challenge him as an open-field runner, and Shanahan always makes sure to take full advantage of his varied skill set.

As one of the league's most technically impressive route runners, Aiyuk is the perfect complement to Samuel's game-breaking YAC ability. The sheer number of weapons on the San Francisco offense can sometimes obscure the fact that Aiyuk is one of the best receivers in the league, but make no mistake, he would put up ridiculous numbers if he was on a team with fewer options.

Jennings recently re-signed, and though it went under the radar compared to some of the bigger names on the market, he's vital to the Niners' success. He's a ferocious blocker, and he can often be seen locking up his man as Samuel or McCaffrey break a long one. He's also a clutch third-down target for Purdy, and he became just the second player to ever catch a touchdown and throw for one in the same Super Bowl when he did it this past year against the Chiefs.

Pearsall is a first-round draft pick out of Florida with a predilection for highlight reel plays. His selection by GM John Lynch might seem like overkill for an offense that already has it all, but with rumors that Aiyuk, who seemed disgruntled after the Super Bowl, could be on the move, Pearsall provides insurance that Shanahan's machine can keep humming as intended.

4) Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson

What will Puka Nacua do for an encore after the best rookie season by a wide receiver in NFL history? The Los Angeles Rams' fifth-round pick out of BYU stole took the No. 1 job and ran with it as Cooper Kupp battled an early-season hamstring injury, quickly gaining the trust of Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. He was named a Second Team All-Pro after finishing the year with 105 catches, 1,486 yards, and six touchdowns.

Kupp has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, but when healthy, he's an uncoverable monster. His 2021 season, when he put up 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns on the way to winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, is one of the best seasons of all-time by a wide receiver. If he's fully healthy this upcoming season, there's no limit to what he and Nacua can do together.

The presence of Nacua and Kupp doesn't leave many targets to go around for the rest of the offense, but Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson are still quality receivers that are capable of making big plays. They combined last year for 65 grabs and over 850 yards, and either is capable of stepping into the No. 2 role if Kupp goes down again.

3) Houston Texans: Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Noah Brown

One year with CJ Stroud under center was all it took for the Houston Texans to start thinking "Super Bowl or bust." Houston pushed all its chips to the middle of the table this offseason by acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Bills, giving Stroud a former All-Pro to throw to on top of what was an already-impressive wide receiver room.

Diggs' numbers were down last year, but persistent rumors that he was unhappy in Buffalo indicate that a change of scenery might bring about a return to excellence for him. Unlike in Buffalo, he'll have the chance to face single coverage more often in Houston, thanks to the presence of Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Collins exploded onto the scene as the Texans' No. 1 receiver last year, more than doubling his career totals with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. His play was so good that the Texans rewarded him with a three-year, $72 million extension this offseason.

Tank Dell was just a rookie last year, and before a broken fibula cut his season short, he had already established himself as one of most dangerous deep threats in the league. His road to recovery was prolonged after being shot in the leg in April, but he's already back practicing and should be ready to resume his field-stretching role when the season begins.

For a fourth receiver, Noah Brown has incredible upside, which he showed in posting 13 catches and 325 yards in back-to-back last-second victories over the Bucs and Bengals last year. If anyone above him on the depth chart were to miss time, the Texans would hardly miss a beat.

2) Chicago Bears: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott

No team in the NFL had a better offseason than the Chicago Bears. Not only did GM Ryan Poles draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the draft, he worked overtime in making sure that the former USC quarterback had no shortage of weapons to throw to by trading for Keenan Allen and drafting Rome Odunze.

Allen and incumbent No. 1 receiver DJ Moore are the best route-running combo in the league, and their ability to get open will be key in transforming a Bears offense that hasn't been near the top of the league in a literal lifetime. Moore was outstanding as the Bears' only credible threat last season, proving that he was much more than just a throw-in to the deal with the Panthers that also netted the Bears Williams. His 96 catches, 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns were all career highs.

Allen has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL for years, and his presence as the Bears' nominal number two is a tremendous upgrade after Darnell Mooney disappointed last year before signing with the Falcons in March.

Odunze is one of the highest-graded receiver prospects to come along in years, and behind-the-scenes videos showed that Poles had him at No. 2 on his big board behind Williams. The former Washington Husky lit it up in college last year as Michael Penix Jr.'s top target, and he's already shown great chemistry with his new quarterback. Odunze projects as a No. 1 receiver in the pros sooner rather than later.

Scott didn't do much in his rookie year, but the Bears are still high on his ability to be a deep threat, especially now that he has a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron and a pure passer in Williams to get him the ball.

1) Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr., Braxton Berrios

Though there are many outstanding receiving corps in the league, the Miami Dolphins' pass-catchers stand above the rest because they are simply uncoverable. Tyreek Hill is the fastest player in the NFL, and a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. He didn't quite reach his stated goal of becoming the first receiver to eclipse 2,000 yards this past season, but his 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns still led the league.

Hill's brilliance leaves Waddle as the second weapon in Mike McDaniel's explosive offense, but on many teams, he'd receive top billing. Waddle has gone over 1,000 yards all three years in the league, and he led the NFL in yards per catch in 2022. He's fantastic after the catch, and few corners can stay with him when he turns on the jets.

Hill and Waddle are already an embarrassment of riches for an innovative mind like McDaniel's, and that's to say nothing of the speed the Dolphins have in the backfield with Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane. Now Odell Beckham Jr. is in town on a one-year deal, and he's about as overqualified a third receiver as it gets. He's no longer the guy that he was in the early part of his career, but he looked great in Baltimore with limited opportunities last year. Hill and Waddle soak up so much attention that Beckham is sure to thrive. Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft aren't big names, but they're dependable security blankets for Tua Tagovailoa.

Ranking the worst wide receiver rooms in the NFL

As impressive as the above groups of receivers are, there are others that just can't hope to produce in nearly the same way. In today's NFL, that's a death sentence for an offense, and as a result, each of the following teams' quarterbacks will face an uphill battle this coming year.

5) Carolina Panthers: Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo

The Carolina Panthers' offense scored the fewest points in the NFL last year, and while No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young shouldered most of the blame, the reality is that he never stood a chance thanks to a dearth of quality players to throw to.

Carolina hired Dave Canales, a highly regarded offensive mind, as its new head coach to cure its offensive ills. His presence should give Young a chance to develop in his sophomore season, as will the arrivals of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis on the offensive line.

The Panthers also bolstered their receiver room by trading for former Steeler Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette out of South Carolina, but this is still a bottom-five unit. Adam Thielen was the lone bright spot last season, but he'll be 34 by time the season starts. Johnson is a solid player, but it's unclear if he's an upgrade over DJ Chark, who left to sign with the Chargers after L.A. traded away Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Legette has promise, but Carolina hasn't fared well with finding receivers in the draft, as recent selections Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall are both still on the team but have yet to do much.

4) Buffalo Bills: Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Khalil Shakir

A dire cap situation forced the Buffalo Bills to make drastic changes this offseason, and one of the results is a new-look receiving corps. Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans, while Gabe Davis walked to sign with the Jaguars. In their place are more affordable options, including former Commander Curtis Samuel, former Chief Marques Valdez-Scantling, and rookie second-rounder Keon Coleman.

Bills fans will try to talk themselves into this being an addition by subtraction situation after Diggs underperformed through much of last year. Davis has always been wildly inconsistent, but he was capable of the occasional breakout game.

It may be true that Diggs and Davis' best years in Buffalo were behind them, but it's difficult to argue that Samuel or Valdez-Scantling are anything more than third options at best. Samuel played behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson on a middling Washington offense, and Valdez-Scantling was unable to produce big numbers even with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Coleman has potential, but he was the seventh receiver taken in the draft, so it's unfair to expect similar production to Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Khalil Shakir caught 39 balls last year and might be the second-best receiver on the team when the season begins.

When you have Josh Allen as your quarterback, your offensive outlook is pretty good regardless of who else is around him, even if Chase Claypool has been your best receiver in camp, which should inspire confidence in nobody. The Bills became more of a running team last year, and that figures to continue in 2024. Thanks to Allen, the offense should still be scary, but it won't be because of his receivers.

3) Denver Broncos: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Josh Reynolds, Troy Franklin

The Denver Broncos tore it all down, and it's going to be a slow climb back to contention. Jerry Jeudy was dealt to the Browns, and rumors persist that Courtland Sutton could still be traded before the season starts. Russell Wilson is also out after a failed match with head coach Sean Payton, paving the way for rookie Bo Nix to take over.

Sutton is solid, but he's only gone over 1,000 yards once in his career. Still, losing him would truly put the Broncos at the bottom of the league in terms of receivers, because the cupboard is pretty bare behind him.

Josh Reynolds is in town on a bargain contract after a little over two years with the Lions. Reynolds had his moments in Detroit, but that was on a high-powered offense where he could operate in space thanks to the attention defenses had to pay to Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Marvin Mims is still a project. The former Oklahoma Sooner was drafted near the end of the second round last year, but never really made an impact in his rookie year. He'll look to improve on his 22 catches.

There's optimism that rookie Troy Franklin could step up, but most of that seems to be tied to the fact that he was Bo Nix's teammate in college. We'll see if that chemistry can translate to the pros.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers: George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has been dominated with quarterback news. Out are Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, and in are Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to hopefully mark a new era for Mike Tomlin's offense.

George Pickens emerged last year as a legitimate threat, leading the league in average yards per catch with 18.1. He'll need more than 63 receptions to be considered a true No. 1, but the good news for Steelers fans is that he should get every opportunity to do that now that Diontae Johnson is gone to Carolina.

The bad news is that beyond Pickens, things are looking bleak in the Steel City. Van Jefferson may be the team's second option, but he managed just 20 catches in 17 games for the Rams and Falcons last year. In four years in the league, he's never even averaged three catches per game. Calvin Austin II was a forgotten member of the Pittsburgh offense last year, but after his 17-catch rookie season, he'll be thrust into a larger role. Roman Wilson is a third-round rookie that has to fight just to see the field.

If the Steelers are smart, they'll look elsewhere for a No. 2 receiver.

1) New England Patriots: Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, KJ Osborn

Many people are high on Drake Maye's pro potential, but his rookie year is going to be a real learning experience.

DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne, the New England Patriots' top two receivers last year, had under 1,000 yards ... combined. KJ Osborn actually posted similar numbers as the third option in Minnesota, so maybe there's hope that he can be the number one if given more opportunities in New England.

Ja'Lynn Polk had an extremely productive senior year at Washington, but he was the Huskies' second option behind Rome Odunze. Now with the Bears, Odunze has the luxury of learning behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. The Patriots don't have a veteran with anything resembling the track record of Moore or Allen, which means Polk will be thrown into the fire on a team that as of now is the favorite to end up with next year's number one pick.

The Patriots made a run at Calvin Ridley this offseason but lost out to the Titans for his services. There's still time to pull off a trade for someone like Courtland Sutton or Tee Higgins, or to sign one of the free agent receivers that are still out there, like Michael Thomas, Hunter Renfrow or Corey Davis. Even with a major move, though, Jerod Mayo's club will still rank near the bottom in skill position talent.