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Quincy Milton projects and ranks all 32 starting NFL wide receiver for the 2025 season. From Ja'Marr Chase to Tetairoa McMillan, see where each wide receiver falls.
32. Tetairoa McMillan - Carolina Panthers
Tetairoa McMillan is a fantastic prospect but he is still an unproven rookie. McMillan is stepping into a situation in which he will be asked to shoulder a huge receiving load. He may be able to do so, but he is not as highly touted as other rookie wide receivers in recent years. Time will tell what he can accomplish.
31. Jakobi Meyers - Las Vegas Raiders
Jakobi Meyers is a solid veteran wide receiver whom the Patriots are likely still kicking themselves for not re-signing a few years ago. The truth is, Meyers falls so low on this list because he is more of a No. 2 option. He is not a player that is going to dominate defenses but we have seen him play great ball opposite an elite receiver in Davante Adams.
30. Michael Pittman Jr. - Indianapolis Colts
Michael Pittman Jr. has always been a good, but not great, wide receiver. While quarterback Anthony Richardson has not been accurate enough to support Pittman’s production, he has had solid quarterbacks in the past. He may end up being a wide receiver stuck in mediocrity for his career.
29. Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a season in which he played poorly and then blew out his knee. Just two seasons ago, Aiyuk was an All-Pro. His injury and 2024 struggles will keep him down on this list until he can prove otherwise.
28. Calvin Ridley - Tennessee Titans
Calvin Ridley will return as the No. 1 option for rookie quarterback Cam Ward in 2025. Ridley is still a solid route runner with great speed. Unfortunately, he could not get on the same page with quarterback Will Levis last season. If he can with Ward, Ridley will certainly climb this list based on talent alone.
27. Jayden Reed - Green Bay Packers
Jayden Reed is listed as the Packers’ No. 1 wide receiver and he is a great Swiss army knife of a player. However, the drafting of Matthew Golden in the first-round in April could knock Reed down the depth chart. He will look to take a massive third-year leap to secure his spot as the Packers’ No. 1 option.
26. Stefon Diggs - New England Patriots
Stefon Diggs was once one of the Top-3 best wide receivers in the NFL. A couple of years of aging and a torn ACL have changed that. However, Diggs is still a great route runner and savvy veteran. He has a chance to stabilize the Patriots’ wide receiver corps this season and help advance the career of quarterback Drake Maye.
25. Khalil Shakir - Buffalo Bills
Khalil Shakir is a great player who fits well in the Bills’ offense. He is more of a No. 2 option, and the Bills are likely hoping that second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman takes a big step forward. For now, Shakir remains in the lead of this wide receiver room.
24. Chris Olave - New Orleans Saints
Chris Olave is very talented, but has been stuck in quarterback purgatory throughout his career. That may not change this season with the retirement of Derek Carr. Olave will now have to attempt to make do with a rookie Tyler Shough at the helm.
23. Marvin Harrison Jr. - Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr. will look to take over in Arizona as their clear No. 1 option in the passing game. He was expected to take the league by storm as a rookie in 2023, but he fell short of expectations. He was never on the same page as quarterback Kyler Murray, and that connection will define both players for the next several years.
22. Zay Flowers - Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers is a great player for the Ravens’ offense, but they could still use a big target. However, Flowers has game-breaking juke ability and speed that perfectly complements Derrick Henry‘s hammer in the running game. The Ravens likely have no plans to change up a good thing.
21. Jerry Jeudy - Cleveland Browns
Jerry Jeudy took the league by storm in 2024 when he finally broke out after years of mediocrity. The former first-round wide receiver will now deal with yet another starting quarterback. The Browns have many players in the stable, and it truly could be anyone. Jeudy did his damage with Jameis Winston chucking the ball around in 2024, so time will tell if the breakout will stick.
20. DK Metcalf - Pittsburgh Steelers
DK Metcalf is headed to Pittsburgh after six seasons in Seattle. Metcalf still does not have a viable option at quarterback and frankly probably will not before the season starts. The grass is not always greener so time will tell how things play out for Metcalf this season.
19. Courtland Sutton - Denver Broncos
Courtland Sutton originally broke out several years ago. However, years of injuries and poor quarterback play slowed his development. With head coach Sean Payton and young quarterback Bo Nix in town, Sutton is displaying that he can be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.
18. Rashee Rice - Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice had an unfortunate injury early in the 2024 season that derailed his breakout. However, Rice was positioned to record big numbers had he stayed healthy. While fellow wideout Xavier Worthy emerged in Rice’s stead, the Chiefs need someone to occupy the space tight end Travis Kelce operates in now that he is in decline. Rice is perfectly suited to pick up in 2025 where he left off in 204
17. Garrett Wilson - New York Jets
Garrett Wilson is filled with talent, but he has never quite put it all together. Granted, he has played with average to below-average quarterbacks throughout his career. With his old college signal caller, Justin Fields, coming to town this year, Wilson will look to assert himself as one of the league’s best wide receivers.
16. D.J. Moore - Chicago Bears
D.J. Moore is the classic mid-level wide receiver. He is not elite enough to transcend poor quarterback play, but he is good enough to raise the level of play from quarterbacks. With new head coach Ben Johnson in town, hopefully, Moore can have a true breakout season.
15. Ladd McConkey - Los Angeles Chargers
Ladd McConkey was a pleasant surprise in 2024 for a Chargers team that was in dire need of playmakers in the receiving game. He racked up 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns as quarterback Justin Herbert‘s new go-to option. The sky is the limit for this kid.
14. Tyreek Hill - Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill significantly fell from grace in 2024. After years of dominance in both Miami and Kansas City, Hill failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2019, when he only played 12 games. Perhaps he will rebound, but the wheels could have fallen off the “Cheetah.”
13. Terry McLaurin - Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin had by far his best season in the NFL in 2024. Now that he has a reliable quarterback in Jayden Daniels, McLaurin should be a high-end producer for the next few years of his prime.
12. Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out in a big way in 2024. With DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett gone, JSN is the unquestioned No. 1 option in the passing game. If he can develop a nice connection with new quarterback Sam Darnold, Smith-Njigba could be the next great Seahawks wide receiver.
11. Drake London - Atlanta Falcons
Drake London finally took a big leap forward in 2024 and could hit a new high in 2025 with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. When Penix took over at the end of last season, he heavily targeted London. While that was likely in part due to Penix’s inexperience, it is certainly a recipe for success.
10. Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans is timeless and historic. He continues to rack up 1,000-yard seasons, and he has another chance to do so in 2025. His rapport with quarterback Baker Mayfield is undeniable, and Evans should continue to produce as long as Mayfield continues to play like he has in recent seasons.
9. Malik Nabers - New York Giants
If it weren’t for Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Malik Nabers would have set the rookie record for receptions. The guy was a target machine, and he could go insane in 2025 with an improved quarterback situation in New York.
8. A.J. Brown - Philadelphia Eagles
A.J. Brown continues to play like a top-10 option at the position. The Eagles do not need Brown to produce huge numbers in every game, but when they do need him, he always delivers. Brown should continue to play at a peak level for at least another few years.
7. Brian Thomas Jr. - Jacksonville Jaguars
Brian Thomas Jr. came out hot in 2024. He scorched opposing defenses with several long touchdown receptions, and he quickly became the Jaguars’ No. 1 option. Pairing Thomas with rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter should be a deadly combination.
6. Puka Nacua - Los Angeles Rams
With Cooper Kupp gone, it is officially the Puka Nacua show in Los Angeles. Nacua has displayed high-level talent over the last couple of seasons. He has proven that he should have been drafted in the first round in 2023. He is still quite young and should only continue to improve.
5. Nico Collins - Houston Texans
Nico Collins has ascended to new heights since quarterback C.J. Stroud arrived in 2023. He has outplayed his contract number and should continue to dominate as he enters Year 5.
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown - Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown is arguably the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL. He never seems to have a down game, and he is always where he should be on the field. Not to mention, St. Brown is about as tough as they come. He will continue to lead the Lions’ receiving game at a high level.
3. CeeDee Lamb - Dallas Cowboys
The next great No. 88 in Dallas, CeeDee Lamb continues to ascend to new heights. Despite the absence of quarterback Dak Prescott for much of last season, Lamb demonstrated that he is in the conversation as the best wide receiver in the league because of what he was able to do with backups.
2. Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson is in lock-step with Ja’Marr Chase on this list but he will have to adjust to a first-time starter in quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season. Jefferson is every bit as talented as Chase and they could feasibly switch positions on this by season’s end.
1. Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase is the current king of the wide receiver position. The reigning Triple Crown-winner will have every opportunity to run it back as long as his college buddy in quarterback Joe Burrow, is healthy this season.
