The wide receiver position is arguably the deepest position group in the NFL. Therefore, it is hard to make a ranking of the top NFL receivers without someone getting snubbed or ranked too low. Never before has there been so much depth and top-tier talent at the position. Of course, by nature, the wide receiver position is one of the most fun positions to watch due to the fact they are usually at the receiving end of the biggest plays in the sport.
Dallas Cowboys star wideout CeeDee Lamb has been on a tear as of recently. He has been the best receiver over the last month, and it led to him claiming his stake as the best receiver in football.
“I'm the top receiver in the game,” Lamb said. “There's no question about it. If there is, I'll see you again next week.”
So, is there validity behind Lamb's comments? We decided to rank the best wide receivers in the NFL to find out. It is also worth mentioning Mike Evans' name as an honorable mention. Evans has been one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history, but the position group is so talented right now that he just missed out on being ranked one of the 10 best receivers in the NFL.
10. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Being ranked 10th on this list seems low for Cooper Kupp, considering he had one of the best receiver seasons ever in 2021. That year, he became only the second player to win the triple crown in the 21st century after leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. His 1,947 receiving yards that season were the second-most ever.
Kupp has been good since then, but he has been hurt often and hasn't come close to reaching the heights he did in 2021. Therefore, he can only rank 10th on the list of the best receivers in the NFL right now.
Kupp missed the first four weeks of this season due to injury, but he has returned to his dominant ways since coming back. Still, even in only five games, his 23 receptions and 364 yards are low for his standards.
Matthew Stafford is expected to return to action, though. That is sure to help Kupp, as the two share some of the best quarterback/receiver chemistry in the history of the sport. He does have to compete for targets with Puka Nacua these days, though, which won't necessarily help his statistics.
9. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown came onto the scene strong last season, and his production has carried over into 2023. The third-year player out of USC has been a massive part in turning the Detroit Lions into one of the better offensive teams in the league. He had 106 catches for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns last season, and he has a chance to surpass those numbers this year.
St. Brown is not the most dynamic athlete, nor does he have a massive frame, considering he stands 6-feet tall. He is a jack of all trades, though. St. Brown is more than proficient at route-running, with his hands, in the speed department, and with his timing.
His 65 catches and 821 receiving yards this season both rank inside of the top 10 despite the fact that he missed a game due to injury and has already had his bye week. St. Brown has been the most impressive receiver in the NFL over the last month of anyone not named Lamb.
8. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
Keenan Allen is seemingly always underrated despite being one of the most consistent players over the last number of years. Allen is regularly one of the league leaders in receptions. He has the third-most receptions since entering the league in 2013, and he leads the league in receptions this year.
Allen is a silky-smooth player who is easily one of the best route-runners in the league. He is 31 years old, and the Chargers drafted a receiver in the first round, so many people thought his game would see regression this year. That has not been the case, and he has stepped up in a big way in Mike Williams' absence.
7. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
For years, many experts pegged Davante Adams as the best player in the league. There have always been a couple of players above him (at least in my opinion), but there is no doubting that he has been one of the best receivers in the NFL for a long time. While he no longer has Aaron Rodgers (or his college and former Raiders teammate Derek Carr) throwing him the ball, Adams has still managed to be productive with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Adams is a big body and is always one of the biggest threats in the red zone. In fact, he led the league in receiving touchdowns with 14 last year. That is a feat that the six-time Pro Bowler accomplished in 2020 as well. He has had some bad games this year, though, as the Raiders have struggled to get him the ball, as he has dealt with frequent double teams.
For that reason, Adams is not currently ranked in the top five of this list.
6. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow got off to a slow start to start this season, but that doesn't negate the fact that they have been one of the best pairings over the last few seasons. Chase has since come on strong, and he has grinded his way up all the way to near the top of the statistical leaderboards this season, even after the slow start.
Chase has 69 receptions and 821 receiving yards this season. Those numbers rank fourth and seventh, respectively. Chase is one of the best deep threats in the league, and his big-play ability is matched by few.
5. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb might not be the best receiver in the NFL like he claims, but he is certainly close and has definitely been playing like the best over the last month. Thirty-four of his 68 receptions and 500 of his 975 receiving yards this season come over the last three weeks of the season. Lamb has been unstoppable during that stretch, and he is only getting better.
Still, it would be a stretch to rank him above any of the top four NFL receivers in the league, considering their production over the last handful of seasons.
4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
A.J. Brown is the best yards-after-the-catch player in football. He gets a lot of catches, but he is even better when the ball is in his hands. That is a big reason why he was fourth in yards last season (1,496) and is second in yards this season (1,005).
Brown is like a running back with the football in his hands, but don't get it twisted: he is still elite at other aspects of being a receiver. Brown's route-running and jump-ball ability have made life easier for Jalen Hurts.
3. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have a high-octane offense that likes to take shots down the field. They couldn't run that type of system without Stefon Diggs. The speedster known for the Minneapolis Miracle is one of the best downfield targets in football. His 73 receptions and seven receiving touchdowns are both the second-most in the league.
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Some thought that Justin Jefferson was on the path to surpassing Tyreek Hill as the best wide receiver in the NFL. His injury prevented him from doing so, but Jefferson is still an absolute force. Jefferson had 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards last season. Both of those marks led the NFL.
Jefferson is expected back for Week 11, so he will have a chance to improve his stock. However, he will be without Kirk Cousins. Jefferson's quarterback tore his Achilles, though Josh Dobbs has been in admirably.
1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill is simply too fast for the rest of the NFL. The Miami Dolphins offense has been the best in the league because Hill is the ultimate bailout option. His 1,076 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns both lead the league.
On top of the unmatched speed, Hill also has sure hands. On top of that, the receiver lined up opposite of him (Jaylen Waddle) helps to form arguably the best receiving duo in the NFL. Waddle's presence may open things up some more for Hill, but he would likely be at the top of an NFL receivers ranking even without his teammate; he is that good.
This was proved true by his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs. Many thought that Hill would fall of without Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce around him, but that has been anything but the case.
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