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With passing in the NFL increasing year after year, the wide receiver position has never been more important, and it showed this offseason. The receiving trio of Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, and Kenny Golladay will all be paid handsomely next season. The next tiers of receiving weapons, which includes the likes of Will Fuller V., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Corey Davis have all been snagged up as well. Several teams are still in need of wideouts, which fortunately for them can be addressed in the upcoming NFL draft.
Much like this free agency class had a trio of elite receivers, the draft has three names at the top of the list for wide receiver. These are LSU's Ja'Marr Chase and Alabama's Jaylen Waddle and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. All three have the potential to be number one options at the next level.
There is a noticeable drop-off after them, but the next round of players should still be solid in the NFL, such as Rashod Bateman of Minnesota, Florida's Kadarius Toney, and Chase's teammate, Terrace Marshall, Jr.
It must be noted that one of the best receivers in this NFL draft class is listed as a tight end. Kyle Pitts from Florida is an athletic marvel and can easily beat defenders in one-on-one matchups with his crisp route-running. He is the only tight end regularly projected to be drafted in the first round.
Below are five teams that should pick a receiver in the 2021 draft.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have one of the best, young receivers around in AJ Brown. The sophomore put together back-to-back 1,000 receiving yards seasons, despite playing in a run-first team with Derrick Henry. As good as Brown and Henry are and even with the addition of Josh Reynolds from the Los Angeles Rams, the offense could use more pieces in the passing game.
Tennessee's receiving corps was one of the best in the league. However, the team lost wideout Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency. Underrated slot receiver Adam Humphries was released. Suddenly, what was once a strength of the team is looking more and more like a question mark. Targeting a wideout in the NFL draft becomes key for the Titans.
Detroit Lions
It remains to be seen whether Jared Goff will be the long-term starting quarterback for Detroit. Nonetheless, the front office needs to give him a fighting chance by adding some weapons to the offense.
Last year, the team had Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones. Jr., and Danny Amendola. When these guys are on the field, the Lions can put up points on just about any team. The key point in the previous statement is “when they are on the field.” This group has a history of injuries and now, Golladay and Jones are with different teams with Amendola expected to follow suit.
Depending on how the NFL draft shapes up, the Lions can trade down and snag one of the top three receivers, while using the extra picks in building up depth for their pitiful defense.
Baltimore Ravens
No other team in the NFL had more rushing yards than the Ravens. Despite Lamar Jackson's ability to scorch defenses with his legs, the team needs another receiving option after Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and tight end Mark Andrews. Head coach John Harbaugh discussed an “Anquan Boldin” type of receiver can be a big boost to the offense.
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Looking towards the NFL draft for a physical receiver will help round out the offense and make opposing teams respect Jackson's arm more.
Philadelphia Eagles
Regardless of who will be playing under center for Philadelphia next season, the team could use a high-upside draft pick at the receiver position. Last season, the Eagles were at the bottom-five of passing yards. The declining play of Carson Wentz can be blamed for that, but he was also working with one of the worst receiver corps in the league.
The unit has young pieces, so there is a chance for improvement. However, if the front office is not high on the unit, they may decide to use an early-round NFL draft pick to fix it.
Green Bay Packers
Davante Adams is one of the best receivers in the league and finished last season with 1,374 receiving yards earning him a spot in the First-Team All-Pro selection. Despite playing in just 14 games in the regular season, he led the league in receiving touchdowns with 18. Aaron Rodgers' next receiving options are Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Both are solid options but combined they had fewer receiving yards than Adams.
Green Bay is regularly getting bounced in the NFC Championship and getting a high-end, complementary receiver to Adams could help fix that. Selecting a receiver in the NFL draft will ensure some sense of continuity, as none of the aforementioned receivers are signed past the 2021 season.
