As we continue the offseason rankings in the NFL, it’s time we discuss one of the most important positions with wide receivers.
From speedsters who dominate by blowing past opposing cornerbacks to tough wideouts who can haul in tough catches, there are some remarkably talented players at the position.
Wide receivers are a quarterback’s best friend; they open the door to some explosive plays and change the game with a big catch, and today we’re going to rank the 10 best players at the position.
Taking in recent seasons and looking a bit towards the future to project performance, here are the 10 best WRs in the NFL as we head into the 2025 season.
READ MORE: NFL 2025 Top 10 Power Rankings Entering the Summer
10. Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL: Pro Bowl Games-NFC Practice
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Mike Evans has never been the best receiver in the NFL, but he always finds himself in the top 10 in prominent receiver categories and is a reliable threat year-in and year-out. This feels like the perfect spot on a list for someone with Evans’ unmatched consistency, and while there are some concerns with his age and injuries last year, I don’t believe it’s time to start fading the future Hall of Famer. The Buccaneers have remained an elite offense in the post-Brady era, and while Baker Mayfield has been great, a huge reason for that is the contributions of their six-time Pro Bowl WR.
9. Nico Collins – Houston Texans
NFL: Houston Texans Minicamp
Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Injuries have limited the dominant volume stats in terms of yards and touchdowns, but on a per-rate basis, Nico Collins is a brilliant receiver who has emerged as a true number one option. Prorated across 17 games, his past two seasons would pace him for 1,450 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns, the kind of numbers that would push him closer to the fifth spot than the 10th spot on this list. Collins is a threat anytime he’s left in single-coverage, and he’s one play away from breaking a game wide open for the Texans.
8. Malik Nabers – New York Giants
NFL: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Malik Nabers had a remarkable rookie season, as despite not playing a full 17 games and dealing with one of the worst QB rooms we’ve seen in recent NFL history, the LSU star was seventh in receiving yards. He broke the rookie record for total receptions at the ripe age of 21; he was the fifth-youngest player in the NFL last season, and with a year of production under his belt and a sharp veteran QB like Russell Wilson throwing the ball to him, we could see a top-three caliber season that pushes him into the highest tier at the position.
7. Puka Nacua – Los Angeles Rams
NFL: Los Angeles Rams at New York Jets
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Rams nailed the selection of Puka Nacua in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he remained a star despite a mild injury that sidelined him for six games. He is a brilliant slot receiver who does an excellent job of getting open and creating explosive plays for Super Bowl QB Matthew Stafford. You may be watching a QB-WR duo that will both find their names in Canton when their careers are all said and done, and while Nacua will be switching to a new number with Davante Adams on the team, he’s still LA’s best WR.
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown – Detroit Lions
NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown dominated once again for the Detroit Lions, as while he didn’t put up the numbers we saw in 2023, he was still one of the top WRs in the league. He won’t let you forget that there were 111 players taken before him in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he’ll also torch your favorite cornerback while reminding you of how underrated he was in that draft class. Across the last three seasons, he is sixth in receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns, and he’ll aim to make 2025 his fourth-consecutive season with 1,000 or more receiving yards.
5. Tyreek Hill – Miami Dolphins
nfl: new york giants at miami dolphins, xavier mckinney
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Tyreek Hill had a dip in production last season, but you have to wonder whether he was all that engaged in a season where the Miami Dolphins fell out of contention swiftly. He dealt with a terrible QB room for most of the year and his production reflects it, but I’m banking on what we’ve seen in Miami thus far to call the 2024 season an outlier. Here are the concerns that keep him from being higher on this list; while it’s possible that Hill just checked out, one has to wonder if he can just flip the switch back on, and entering his age-31 season, I wonder if his speed will hold up.
4. CeeDee Lamb – Dallas Cowboys
Nov 12, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) makes a touchdown catch past New York Giants safety Bobby McCain (21) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
CeeDee Lamb hauled in about 600 fewer yards in 2024 than he did in 2023, but he played two fewer games and didn’t have MVP-caliber Dak Prescott, but rather a regressed version who was sidelined for most of the year with injury. If the Cowboys want to win, they’ll need better QB play, but I’m not going to hold that against Lamb entering 2025, as his resume speaks for itself. Even in a year where a lot worked against the 2020 first-round pick, he still managed to rack up 1,194 yards and haul in six touchdown catches, and with a healthy offense in 2025, he could be an OPOY contender.
3. A.J. Brown – Philadelphia Eagles
NFL: Super Bowl LIX-Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
A.J. Brown doesn’t play in an offense that’s pass-heavy and he missed four games last year, and yet he still hauled in 1,079 yards with seven touchdown passes. With the Eagles, he has averaged 1,458 yards and nine passing touchdowns per 17 games, as he’s helped elevate that Philly offense to two Super Bowl Appearances with a win in the big game this past season. He’s dominant, underrated, and when Jalen Hurts has a chance to get the ball to him, NFL defenses begin falling over themselves in fear that he’ll deliver a crushing blow to their odds of winning.
2. Ja’Marr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals
Syndication: The Enquirer
Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ja’Marr Chase won the NFL Triple Crown last season, leading the league in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns to be named a first-team All-Pro. He is off to an insane start in his career, racking up at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons while having 46 total receiving touchdowns. Chase has averaged 1,488 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 108 catches per 17 games in his career to this point, and all signs point to him playing more like he did in 2024 if he can stay healthy.
1. Justin Jefferson – Minnesota Vikings
NFL: NFC Wild Card Round-Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams
It would take a special player to be ranked a spot ahead of the reigning triple-crown winner, and special is the only word one could use to describe Justin Jefferson. He is simply the best player at his position, averaging 96.5 yards per game across his career which is the best mark in NFL history. Jefferson averages 1,641 yards and nine receiving touchdowns per 17 games in his career, and even last year he racked up over 1,500 yards with 10 touchdown catches. This is the most dominant pass-catcher in the NFL right now, and he’s another LSU alumni who leads a list full of them.