Star power. That’s what the AFC North has at the wide receiver position entering the 2025 season.
The likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf and now DeAndre Hopkins all reside in the AFC North.
Unfortunately, the likes of George Pickens and Amari Cooper no longer call the AFC North home. But top to bottom, the rugged division has quite a few big names and star talent at the receiver position to go along with some star quarterbacks.
The Bengals and Ravens should feel great about WR entering the season, while the Steelers and Browns have major concerns, even with clear-cut No. 1 options.
But there’s no denying that the position group is rather strong in the division. How does it shake out top to bottom?
Let’s take a look in this edition of Ranking The Rooms: AFC North WRs.
1. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Rolling out Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as a combination is deadly, and that makes the Bengals the easy choice for the No. 1 spot here entering the 2025 season.
The Bengals signed each to new deals this offseason, ensuring they’re in place for star QB Joe Burrow to continue to light up opposing defenses. Chase is coming off an incredible season in which he won the NFL’s triple crown, hauling in 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Opposite him, Higgins had 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns, doing so while missing some time due to injuries. Together, those two are a force to be reckoned with.
To Cincinnati’s credit, it has built some good depth behind them.
Andre Iosivas hauled in six touchdown passes last season and was a solid No. 3 receiver. Jermaine Burton was a mess off the field and the Bengals disciplined him multiple times, but he has high-end talent if he can just figure things out as a pro.
Charlie Jones is more of a special teams piece, but he can offer them an option in the slot. Kendrick Pryor, Isaiah Williams, Cole Burgess and Mitchell Tinsley are all battling for the final WR roster spot, while UDFAs Jordan Moore, Rashod Owens and Jamoi Mayes are battling for a practice squad job.
2. BALTIMORE RAVENS
Zay Flowers is steadily coming into his own as a No. 1 receiver and a game-breaker. Last season Flowers had his breakout year, hauling in 74 passes for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. He became the first Ravens receiver to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2021 and the first to make the Pro Bowl.
Along with Flowers’ strong year, the Ravens also saw Rashod Bateman find some consistency in 2024. He finished with 45 receptions for 756 yards and nine touchdowns with a career-best 16.8 yards per catch. He still had the occasional drop and dealt with some injuries throughout the season, but Bateman found his game as a true downfield threat and thrived.
With the top two in place, the Ravens swung big at receiver this offseason and landed veteran DeAndre Hopkins on a one-year deal. He’s nearing the end of his career, but he can be a serviceable security blanket in the middle of the field. He’s still a good route runner, too, but production has waned. Last season between Tennessee and Kansas City, Hopkins had just 56 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns with a career-worst 10.5 yards per catch.
He doesn’t need to be the Nuke of old, but he has to be a bit better than he was last season in two different settings if he wants to be worth the investment for the Ravens.
Behind that trio, Baltimore has some good pieces in place at receiver. Veterans Keith Kirkwood and Anthony Miller can provide some experience and stability, particularly on special teams. Tylan Wallace returns too after finding his game on special teams and generating some big plays as a receiver.
Baltimore also drafted LaJohntay Wester in hopes of the Colorado product being a dynamic slot option and punt returner, while Devontez Walker is back for Year 2 looking to take a step forward in the mold of Bateman as a downfield threat.
Malik Cunningham, Xavier Guillory, Dayton Wade and Jahmal Banks will battle for practice squad roles.
3. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Trading George Pickens after the draft and not having a clear-cut No. 2 at the moment is concerning, but having DK Metcalf as the true No. 1 option is a huge boost for the Steelers.
Metcalf is a better player than Pickens and fits into what Arthur Smith wants to do in the passing game. He should be able to win downfield, win after the catch and will put in effort as a blocker in the run game, too.
Behind him, Robert Woods and Calvin Austin III will vie for the No. 2 role. Also, don’t rule out second-year pro Roman Wilson, who played just five snaps as a rookie and missed a ton of time with a high-ankle sprain and a hamstring injury. Woods was signed after the draft and before the Steelers traded Pickens. It’s unclear what he has left in the tank, but he brings veteran experience.
The Steelers are much higher on Austin than many are, and he had a solid season in 2024. Hauling in 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns, he found ways to hit the big shot downfield time and time again. He needs to take another step forward this season to become a more well-rounded receiver.
Veterans Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller are on the roster as well, and Skowronek should have a role on special teams. He had some moments offensively last season, too, and seems to be a favorite among coaches and teammates. Miller made some clutch plays at times last season, including a big catch to help beat the Browns in Week 14. He has an uphill battle for a roster spot though this time around.
Lance McCutcheon and Brandon Johnson, and UDFAs Roc Taylor and Ke’Shawn Williams round out the receiver room and will battle for jobs, either at the bottom of the roster or on the practice squad.
3. CLEVELAND BROWNS
It doesn’t look all that pretty on paper, but it might just be functional enough in Kevin Stefanski’s offense for the Browns to get by at receiver.
Jerry Jeudy is the clear-cut No. 1 and had a terrific 2024 season, hauling in a career-best 90 receptions for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns. He had great success with Jameis Winston under center, but Winston is off to the New York Giants so Jeudy has to continue to perform at a high level with a new quarterback.
The problem is, after his career year, teams are going to be circling him within the game plan, and there’s not much behind him.
The Browns did sign veteran Diontae Johnson, and theoretically he remains a talented receiver who knows how to get open with the best of them. But he went through four teams last year after the Steelers traded last March, going from the Panthers to the Ravens to the Texans and back to the Ravens to end the year. Now he’s in Cleveland with uncertainty at quarterback and his NFL career possibly coming to an end due to the headaches he causes.
But if he can get right in Cleveland, he could be a nice complementary No. 2 piece to Jeudy. The talent is there.
Cedric Tillman and David Bell bring big, physical presences at receiver for the Browns. Tillman had a nice season last year, recording 29 receptions or 339 yards and three touchdowns. He missed much of the second half of the season though, so 2025 is a big year for him.
Michael Woods II and Jamari Thrash return for another year, too, and are looking to take a step forward. The two combined for just 10 receptions last season, but opportunity knocks in a big way this season for both.
Veteran DeAndre Carter profiles as a slot receiver and key special teams piece in the return game.
Kaden Davis and a number of rookie UDFAs in Cade McDonald, Kisean Johnson, Gage Larvadain, and Luke Floriea will compete for practice squad jobs this offseason.
2024 AFC North WR rankings:
No. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 2 – Cleveland Browns
No. 3 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Related Items:Baltimore Ravens, Calvin Austin III, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf, Ja'Marr Chase, Jerry Jeudy, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rashod Bateman, Tee Higgins, Trending, Zay Flowers
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