Ranking the 10 Best Current NFL Wide Receivers

Key Takeaways

• Players like Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb solidified themselves as top wide receivers in the NFL during their rookie contracts and scored big extensions over the offseason.
• Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams face uncertainty as they enter their 30s but are still among the best wideouts in the game.
• Cooper Kupp is back in the top 10 after a strong opening-week performance.

Great NFL wide receivers come in all shapes and sizes. Some win with speed or size, while others win with technique. In rare cases, a receiver may possess all of these qualities and threaten defenses in a multitude of ways.

Although quarterback play and scoring, two predictors of wide receiver performance, were down in 2023, production from superstar pass catchers was at an all-time high. Here are the top 10 wide receivers entering Week 2 of the 2024 season.

1 Justin Jefferson

Jefferson has the attributes to go down as one of the best receivers ever

Injuries may have hampered Justin Jefferson in 2023, but nothing can stop him from being the No. 1 ranked receiver to open up 2024. Despite only appearing in 10 games for the Minnesota Vikings and leaving multiple contests early, the LSU alum still posted another 1,000 receiving-yard season and was a reliable target for Kirk Cousins and the slew of backups who filled in for him.

Jefferson is a fluid mover and has outstanding body control, allowing him to adjust to errant passes. Simply put, there isn’t a receiver as complete as a healthy Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson caught four passes for 59 yards and a score in the Vikings’ Week 1 victory over the New York Giants. Even with Sam Darnold at quarterback, it’s hard to imagine anything less than another spectacular season from the LSU product.

2 Tyreek Hill

Hill’s athleticism makes him a one-of-one talent

Yes, Tyreek Hill is a speedster, a true burner unlike anything we’ve seen in the NFL. However, there’s so much more to his greatness than simply being the fastest player on the field.

Hill plays much bigger than his size might suggest thanks to his play strength and ability to highpoint the ball. His thicker build and stronger lower body also allow him to break tackles without losing balance.

Most importantly, Hill’s speed is universal and isn’t just observed when running in a straight line. He has excellent lateral quickness and can change direction and speed at will. The biggest question surrounding Hill is how his game will age.

An undersized receiver who wins primarily on athleticism doesn’t seem like someone built to play at a high level into his 30s. Having turned 30 in March, Hill is putting that theory to the test this fall in his third season with the Miami Dolphins.

Hill’s 2024 season is off to a good start. He hauled in seven passes for 130 yards and a score in the Dolphins’ comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

3 CeeDee Lamb

Lamb recently scored a massive extension

CeeDee Lamb had one of the best statistical seasons for a wide receiver in Dallas Cowboys history, yet no one wants to talk about it. Perhaps it’s because Dallas laid an egg in the postseason yet again, or that he isn’t as exciting a player as others on this list. But no matter how you spin it, Lamb made it clear that he is one of the game’s best.

The Cowboys’ offense relied heavily on Lamb in 2023 and fed him 181 targets. Despite this increased workload, his efficiency shot up, recording the highest success rate and catch percentage of his career.

While Lamb needs to be more comfortable dealing with physicality at the line of scrimmage, his ability to get open consistently and manipulate space makes him a top-three receiver.

Lamb was mostly held in check against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. He brought in five passes for 61 yards and will likely be more heavily involved in the coming weeks.

4 A.J. Brown

Brown has become an all-around difference-maker

For years, A.J. Brown was among the league’s most puzzling players, someone who was rich in physical traits but lacked high-end production.

Since moving to the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown’s numbers have begun to match his talent. Furthermore, he has become a more dependable target who doesn’t just win with sheer size and strength. He posted the lowest drop rate of his career in 2023 and was used more in the short and intermediate pass game.

Brown will always be best suited for longer-developing pass plays, but showing he can make a difference in additional areas is proof that he’s become a multi-faceted threat. Brown looked extra explosive against the Green Bay Packerslast Friday. He caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown.

5 Ja’Marr Chase

Chase is still knocking off the rust after a contentious offseason

After a record-shattering rookie campaign in 2021, Ja’Marr Chase has endured a fair bit of turbulence with the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed five games in 2022, and Joe Burrow missed much of the 2023 season. If everything goes according to plan, 2024 will mark the first time in three years that both Burrow and Chase were healthy for a full season.

As a player, everything that made Chase a dynamic rookie remains. He’s one of the most dangerous players after the catch and can make plays at all three levels. Additionally, his telepathic-like connection with Burrow allows him to make plays even when he is well-defended.

Frankly, Chase looked like someone who hadn’t gotten the necessary reps in the preseason. He still caught six passes for 62 yards but didn’t seem like his usual self. If Chase doesn’t get up to speed quickly, his ranking will suffer.

6 Amon-Ra St. Brown

St. Brown is a great pure slot receiver

Amon-Ra St. Brown is a challenging player to rank. On the one hand, he can’t win the way other receivers on this list can. But on the other, it can be argued that the other receivers can’t do what he does for the Detroit Lions. In an offense filled with explosive playmakers, St. Brown was the single most valuable skill position player.

Ben Johnson mostly had him in the slot and funneled him targets, giving him 164 on the year. St. Brown lives in the intermediate area and lacks the speed to consistently win downfield, but he doesn’t need to.

St. Brown had an uncharacteristically quiet game against the Rams in Week 1. While it’s too early to be seriously concerned, without a high number of targets, it will be difficult for St. Brown to make a major impact on games.

7 Davante Adams

Adams may be starting to slow down

There is a chance that Davante Adams has begun to show his age, but there’s an equal possibility that his 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders was plagued by poor quarterback play and coaching.

Playing with Aaron Rodgers for eight years made life easier for Adams. Now, he doesn’t have that luxury, as Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II are the two top QBs on the Raiders’ depth chart.

Adams has the skill set to age like a fine wine. He still has one of the best release packages in the league and has a snap to his routes that typically shakes defenders. Adams caught five passes for 59 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers. He remains the team’s most potent offensive weapon, but it may not be enough to keep the Raiders in games.

8 Cooper Kupp

The 2021 Offensive Player of the Year makes his return to the top 10

Cooper Kupp makes his return to the top 10 after a great Week 1 performance for the Los Angeles Rams. Kupp’s talent has never been in question. He’s a power slot receiver with precise route running, strong hands, and better athleticism than anyone wants to give him credit for.

When Kupp is in the lineup, he’s one of the hardest receivers to guard. He’s a calculated player who will adjust his routes in response to the defense’s coverage, and it doesn’t hurt that he has one of the game’s brightest offensive minds drawing up plays for him.

With Puka Nacua expected to be out for the next month or so, Kupp could be seeing 2021 levels of volume. Assuming he can stay on the field, there’s no reason to think he can’t handle it.

9 Brandon Aiyuk

Aiyuk is worth every bit of his new extension

In an offense that includes George Kittle and Deebo Samuel Sr., the San Francisco 49ers made Brandon Aiyuk the focal point of their passing attack a season ago.

The Arizona State alum has grown into one of the best route runners and separators in the league. He doesn’t need Kyle Shanahan’s innovative concepts or trickery to get open, as his surgical routes and sudden breaks are enough for him to find space.

After a contract dispute that lasted nearly the entire offseason, Aiyuk and the 49ers finally came to terms on a four-year, $120 million deal. Aiyuk was upstaged by the rest of San Francisco’s offense in Week 1 and should see more touches in the 49ers’ upcoming contests.

10 D.J. Moore

Moore consistently puts up numbers despite dealing with poor quarterback play

DJ Moore has dealt with abysmal quarterback play his entire career, yet has topped 1,100 receiving yards in four of his last five seasons.

In 2023, Moore recorded career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns for a Chicago Bears team that ranked 28th in total passing offense. His ability to thrive in suboptimal environments is primarily due to his prowess against man coverage.

He can blow by defenders on vertical routes, forcing corners to give him cushion, and when they do that, he can run an in or a slant, which allows him to use his after-the-catch ability. Moore could have better instincts when facing zone coverage, but he is one of the hardest one-on-one assignments in all of football.

Moore was the Bears’ leading receiver in Week 1, which is promising for his future productivity, but Caleb Williams needs to do a much better job of getting his top wideout the football.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless stated otherwise.