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The wide receiver position has never been more important in the NFL, as the modern wide-open passing offenses have placed extra importance on high-level pass-catchers. Teams can rarely get away with having mediocre wide receiver rooms and in many cases, a team needs at least two good-to-great players at the position to rank among the top NFL offenses.
We're back to dive into the power rankings of the top-32 wide receiver duos in the NFL heading into 2023. Some elite wideouts carry their respective teammates on this list, while others are hampered by mediocre players opposite them in the formation. A handful of teams have two Pro-Bowl caliber guys, while others lack one receiver even close to the Pro Bowl bubble.
The offseason is always a fun time for these debates and rankings, so let's dive into it!
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Elite Pairs
1.) Tyreek Hill; Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Hill and Waddle combined for 194 receptions, 3,066 yards, and 15 touchdowns in their first season as a pair. Both are lightning-quick and create nightmares for defensive coordinators. Until Hill shows signs of regression, the Dolphin duo deserves the No. 1 spot.
2.) Ja'Marr Chase; Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have the undisputed best WR trio in the league if you add in Tyler Boyd, but they fall just one spot short of the top overall duo. Chase has 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns through two seasons, while Higgins has seen at least 108 targets and racked up at least 908 yards in all his first three campaigns. Based on youth, this would be the top duo to start a franchise with.
3. A.J. Brown; DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Many questioned how Brown and Smith would have enough volume to produce as teammates in the Jalen Hurts-led offense, but the young Eagles smashed those concerns. The former SEC receivers totaled 183 receptions for 2,692 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns for the offensive juggernaut. We knew Brown was capable of being a number one wide receiver, but Smith proved he's one of the best in the game in 2022.
Tier Two Duos
4.) DK Metcalf; Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle pairing has been largely underrated in recent years, mostly because many believed Russell Wilson was elevating them. However, they didn't miss a beat with Geno Smith – and it's apparent they're the ones doing the elevating. Lockett continues to stack 1,000-yard seasons as he hits age-30, while Metcalf could just now be entering his super prime. When Lockett regresses, look for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to potentially keep the Seahawks near the top of this list.
5.) Mike Evans; Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans has played nine seasons in the NFL and has never fallen short of 1,000 yards in a season. Meanwhile, Godwin continues to be one of the league's best slot receivers and posted 1,023 yards despite being banged up for much of the 2022 season. These two will be tested with Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask under center, but both have excelled with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick in the past.
6.) Calvin Ridley; Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ridley has a 1,300-yard season on his resume playing next to Julio Jones, but the Jags' duo could move up or down as the 2023 season rolls on. If Ridley is rusty after over a year away from the game, their place in the rankings could be too bullish. However, Kirk broke out last season as Trevor Lawrence's top receiver, posting 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions. This pairing has a chance to be special.
7.) Keenan Allen; Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
Allen and Williams have both had huge-upside games and seasons throughout their NFL careers, but neither can seem to stay healthy and produce at the same time. Now, Allen is 31 and Williams is 28, so we could see a sharp decline from the Chargers' duo. For now, tied to Justin Herbert, we should expect them to remain a top-10 WR1/WR2 paring.
Elite WR1, Questionable WR2
8.) Justin Jefferson; Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson is largely viewed as the best wide receiver in the NFL after posting 1,809 yards at just 23 years old in 2022. Jordan Addison is a highly-regarded wide receiver prospect coming into the Vikings' offense, but it's too early to push this duo any higher up the ranking until the rookie produces. This pair could crack the top five by season's end.
9.) Stefon Diggs; Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
Diggs continues to be a high-level producer as Josh Allen's best wide receiver, but Davis can't seem to take the next step as a reliable and consistent WR2. Now, Diggs is getting up in age, and time is running out for Davis to become that guy. That said, Diggs' excellence and Davis' unmatched boom weeks keep them inside my top 10.
10.) CeeDee Lamb; Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb established himself as a true number-one wide receiver after Amari Cooper was traded to Cleveland. The former Sooner caught 107 passes for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns and was still productive in games with Cooper Rush under center. Cooks totaled just 699 yards in 13 games for the Houston Texans, but he's due for a bounce-back campaign in the high-powered Cowboys' offense.
11.) Davante Adams; Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders
Adams smashed in his first season without Aaron Rodgers, leading the NFL in touchdown grabs with 14 and racking up 1,516 yards on 100 receptions. Meyers has been a consistent possession receiver for the New England Patriots, but we'll see how he looks next to a bonafide alpha at the position.
Good-to-Great Duos
12.) Deebo Samuel; Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel is one of the most exciting players in the NFL, regardless of position and Aiyuk quietly posted 1,000 receiving yards in the low-volume 49ers' passing offense last year. These two would be higher in a "playmaker duo" list, but as far as pure receivers go, they're just outside the top 10.
13.) Chris Olave; Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Olave posted 1,000 yards as a rookie catching passes from Andy Dalton for most of the season, so he looks to be a rising star at wideout. Meanwhile, Thomas can't stay on the field, but he's been a big producer when active. If Thomas can play more than half the season, they could both boom in Derek Carr's new offense.
14.) Garrett Wilson; Allen Lazard, New York Jets
Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors in 2022, racking up 1,103 receiving yards from the right arms of Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White. With Aaron Rodgers under center, expectations are sky-high for the former Buckeye. Lazard is just a mid-level No. 2 WR, but he's good enough to keep the duo from tanking in the rankings.
15.) Amon-Ra St. Brown; Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
St. Brown has mightily outproduced his fourth-round draft capital, totaling 196 receptions for 2,073 yards and 11 touchdowns through two seasons. He joins Michael Thomas and Justin Jefferson as the only three wideouts in NFL history to have at least 195 receptions in the first two seasons of a career. Simply put, he's an elite slot receiver and has been ever since entering the league. Meanwhile, Jameson Williams has elite speed and should be a high-end field stretcher, but his six-game suspension for gambling will make us wait to see just how good he is.
16.) Terry McLaurin; Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
McLaurin has averaged 1,070 receiving yards per year through four NFL seasons, despite playing with a long list of mediocre quarterbacks. He's arguably a top 10 wideout in the NFL and will be complemented by former Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson for the foreseeable future. Dotson was a polarizing prospect, but he flashed with seven touchdown grabs in a lackluster passing offense as a rookie. This duo is another one that could ascend big time heading into 2024.
17.) DeAndre Hopkins; Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee was firmly at the No. 32 spot with Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as its top two options, but the acquisition of Hopkins changed their fortunes. All of a sudden, the Titans have a little bit of hope for a productive passing game to complement the Derrick Henry rushing attack. Hopkins is 31 years old, but his advanced metrics were still elite in his shortened 2022 campaign. If he remains a top-15 NFL wideout and Burks breaks out, this could be a special pairing.
18.) Cooper Kupp; Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp took the league by storm in 2021, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in a nuclear Rams' offensive attack. The 2022 Rams were a disaster, but he was still on pace for a monster season before suffering a season-ending high-ankle sprain after just nine games. He could regress after the injury at age-29, but for now, we'll assume he's still going to be dominant. However, Van Jefferson can make a case for one of the worst number two wideouts in the NFL, so this duo can't go any higher in the pecking order.
19.) Amari Cooper; Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Cooper exceeded expectations with the Browns in 2022, posting 1,160 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Jacoby Brissett was his QB for most of the year, but he continued to produce as he did in Dallas and Oakland. Moore has tantalizing upside after a strong rookie season in 2021, but his less-than-ideal 2022 resume is cause for concern.
20.) DJ Moore; Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
Moore posted three straight 1,100-plus yard receiving seasons from 2019-2021 with a washed-up Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, and Sam Darnold at QB. He resembles the likes of Allen Robinson and Terry McLaurin as players who produce no matter how bad the QB situation is. With Chicago, he'll have a chance to see the best QB play of his career if Justin Fields can take a step forward. Mooney posted a 1,000-yard campaign in 2021 but is trending down after a poor 2022 showing before he suffered a broken ankle.
21.) Diontae Johnson; George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson is an elite target earner, seeing no fewer than 144 looks over the last three seasons. However, his big-play upside is limited and he hasn't proven to be a game-changer. He's very good, but he hasn't ascended into the "great" territory. Meanwhile, Pickens looks to be a polar opposite player. He has splash play and spectacular catch ability, but his 16.3% target rate (87th among WRs) as a rookie left a lot to be desired.
Lots Of Question Marks
22.) Jerry Jeudy; Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Sutton has struggled to return to 2019 form when he posted 1,000 yards, but Jeudy could be ascending into his prime.
23.) Michael Pittman Jr.; Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Pittman broke out as a second-year player with Carson Wentz under center but felt the effects of the lifeless Colts' offense led by Matt Ryan in 2022. Pierce posted a respectable 593 yards in his rookie campaign, but he's likely a career third wideout.
24.) Odell Beckham Jr.; Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Beckham hasn't played football since February of 2022, posted 1,000 yards in a season since 2019, or eclipsed six touchdown grabs since 2016. He's a fun player with a big name, but at 30 years old, his best days could be way behind him. Bateman has flashed in his limited action, so he's a wild card too.
25.) Drake London; Mack Hollins, Atlanta Falcons
London ranked second among all NFL receivers with a 32.4% target rate as a rookie, foreshadowing a bright career ahead of the former USC standout. Hollins has just over 1,400 yards since entering the league in 2017 and Kyle Pitts will serve as a top-two target in the passing game instead of him.
26.) Christian Watson; Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
Watson took the league by storm in the middle of the 2022 season, scoring eight touchdowns in four weeks (Week 10-13). However, we'll have to see how he and Doubs look with Aaron Rodgers out and Jordan Love in.
27.) Marquise Brown; Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Brown was on pace for a big 2022 season before the injury bug hit and has a 1,000-yard campaign on his resume. He may be one of the most underrated wideouts in the NFL, but Moore hasn't done enough to justify getting excited about the duo.
28.) JuJu Smith-Schuster; Tyquan Thornton, New England Patriots
Smith-Schuster is far removed from his 1,400-yard season in 2018 but was fairly productive for the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs last season. Thornton is a relative unknown since he had a limited role as a rookie.
Bottom-Tier Duos
29.) Adam Thielen; D.J. Chark, Carolina Panthers
Thielen had a great run for the Minnesota Vikings playing alongside Stefon Diggs and then Justin Jefferson, but his efficiency has declined and he'll likely disappoint playing with a rookie QB in his age-33 season. Chark has been nothing more than a low-volume field stretcher for most of his career.
30.) Kadarius Toney; Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kansas City Chiefs
Toney continues to get hype since he's playing with Patrick Mahomes, despite posting just 591 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 19 NFL games. MVS is great at stretching the field, but he's not a legitimate weapon each week. We'll see if Rashee Rice or Skyy Moore can crack the target pecking order and improve the perception of the Kansas City receiving group.
31.) Robert Woods; Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Woods looked like a shell of his former self in 2022 with the Tennessee Titans and Collins is an unproven asset at this point in his career.
32.) Isaiah Hodgins; Darius Slayton, New York Giants
Daniel Jones had an impressive season in 2022, taking the Giants to the NFC Divisional Round. However, it was the lack of legitimate receivers that made his season stand out. Darren Waller should operate as the top option in the passing game in 2023.
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