• George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel feature for the 49ers: And then there is running back Christian McCaffrey, an elite receiving threat in his own right.
• After ranking No. 32 in 2022, the Bears place in the top five ahead of 2024: Chicago’s unprecedented receiving corps turnaround is highlighted by the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze this offseason.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: Use PFF’s fantasy football mock draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations to get ready for your live draft!
Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes
PFF’s offseason positional rankings roll on with the NFL’s top receiving corps. We’re not just talking wide receivers; this includes wideouts, tight ends and running backs who affect the passing game.
After plenty of shake-ups via the 2024 NFL Draft and free agency, this is how we stack up the units for the upcoming season.
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | C | G | DI | EDGE | LB | CB | S
No pass-catching unit can stack up with the 49ers’ receiving talent. Not only do they have wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, both top-10 players in PFF’s receiver rankings heading into the season, but they also have George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey to lean on in the passing game.
San Francisco easily earned the best team receiving grade in 2023, at 91.0, with no other club eclipsing 86.0. Throw in Jauan Jennings and rookie Ricky Pearsall, and it feels like the 49ers are stocked with an embarrassment of receiving riches.
The Dolphins ranked second to the 49ers in team receiving grade in 2023 (85.7). Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle make up a big piece of that pie, with Hill earning the top receiving grade in the league last year (94.0) and Waddle recording an elite 90.6 mark.
Jonnu Smith doesn’t move the needle a ton in the receiving game at tight end, but running back De’Von Achane earned a 77.1 receiving grade last season. Hill and Waddle alone keep this group in the top five.
A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith form one of the top wide receiver duos in the league. Over the past two years, Brown has earned an elite 91.2 receiving grade and Smith has earned an 81.7 mark.
Tight end Dallas Goedert is also a factor with a 78.2 receiving grade and six touchdowns since 2022. The Eagles then added running back Saquon Barkley this offseason to round out a very strong receiving corps.
The Bears went from having one of the least impressive receiving corps to one of the most impressive in two years.
At wide receiver, they boast a top trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze. Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett will feature at tight end, and the newly signed D’Andre Swift is a pass-catching threat at running back. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will have a plethora of options in 2024.
After trading for Stefon Diggs, the Texans leap into the top five for receiving corps.
Diggs has long been one of the top receivers in the league, even if he had a down year in 2023. Nico Collins had a major breakout season last year, and then-rookie Tank Dell looked good when healthy. The Texans are as deep as any team at wide receiver, rounding out their room with John Metchie, Robert Woods, Noah Brown and more.
Houston also has good receiving options in tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Joe Mixon.
Justin Jefferson is PFF’s No. 1 receiver heading into the 2024 season. Jordan Addison flashed in 2023 as a good WR2 when healthy, and T.J. Hockenson has established himself as a top-five tight end, earning an 82.4 PFF receiving grade last season.
The Vikings added Aaron Jones to the depth chart this offseason, a productive pass-catcher over the past five years.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has established himself as one of the league’s most reliable and productive pass-catchers, earning elite receiving grades in each of the past two seasons.
Sam LaPorta looked like a top-five tight end in 2023, and an expected uptick in receiving production from wide receiver Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs should have Lions offense cooking once again in 2024.
Puka Nacua‘s emergence vaults the Rams into the top 10, if nothing else because of how effective and productive both he and Cooper Kupp have proven to be when healthy.
Nacua was a record-setter last season, and Kupp won the receiving triple crown the last time he was fully healthy. The team’s receiving grades outside of them are low, but those two are good enough to carry the unit.
The Bengals entered last season No. 1 on this list, but things look different for them heading into the 2024 campaign. Ja’Marr Chase is still a top-three or top-five wide receiver at worst, but Tee Higgins did not have as strong of a 2023 season as he did in 2022 and is entering the season without a long-term deal.
Cincinnati also no longer has Joe Mixon, a good pass-catching back, or Tyler Boyd, a solid veteran WR3.
The Seahawks finished 2023 with the fifth-highest team receiving grade, buoyed by a trio of wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Plus, running back Kenneth Walker earned a 71.0 receiving grade.
The tight end position has been lacking in Seattle, but the team’s wide receivers and depth keep this group in the top 10.
Despite their ages, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Over the past three seasons, they have earned cumulative receiving grades of 82.3 and 83.9, respectively. Both finished with receiving grades above 78.0 last season, as well.
Throw in running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, who should both bring plus ability in the passing game, and young receivers Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan, and there is a good group in Tampa Bay.
It’s hard to know what to expect from the Titans’ passing game this year, but they have a handful of intriguing names.
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins might not be at his peak but is still a good player, as is newcomer Calvin Ridley. Treylon Burks is a wild card that could put this group over the top, and the Titans signed veteran Tyler Boyd this offseason to raise the floor.
Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, who earned a 74.6 receiving grade in 2023, are viable receiving options out of the backfield.
We’re buying into the Falcons’ potential with Kirk Cousins now at quarterback.
Wide receiver Drake London has back-to-back seasons of earning 78.0-plus receiving grades, and tight end Kyle Pitts hasn’t played as poorly as the narratives might indicate, earning receiving grades above 72.0 in all three seasons with poor quarterback play.
Atlanta added Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore for some improved team speed, and the offense can also rely on Bijan Robinson’s receiving ability out of the backfield. The best is yet to come for this group.
Three Packers wideouts — Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks — earned 70.0-plus PFF receiving grades in 2023, aided in no small part by quarterback Jordan Love‘s emergence.
Romeo Doubs was right below that, at 68.4, and tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft were both above 64.0. Green Bay lost the running back receiving ability of Aaron Jones but brought in Josh Jacobs. This is a very deep group of young pass-catchers.
How high do the Cowboys deserve to be on this list, knowing it’s basically just CeeDee Lamb? Lamb ranked third in the NFL last year with a 91.4 receiving grade. He led the league in targets, ranked second in receiving yards, tied for third in receiving touchdowns and tallied the most first-down catches. He was unstoppable.
Brandin Cooks is coming off his lowest receiving grade (70.1) since his rookie season, and while Jalen Tolbert could step up, that’s merely conjecture at this stage. Tight end Jake Ferguson did earn a good receiving grade (73.4) last season. However, it’s difficult to put much stock into Ezekiel Elliott’s return, although he can be a decent pass-catching option.
Even with Travis Kelce, the Chiefs finished 2023 with just an 18th-ranked team receiving grade. They have since gone out and upgraded in the form of Hollywood Brown, Mecole Hardman and Xavier Worthy. If Rashee Rice can build on what he did last season with the new names around him, this should be a better unit.
The question with the Raiders and their place on this list is how much Davante Adams can carry this group. Because beyond him, it is rough.
Even Adams struggled to produce at his usual level in 2023, earning an 81.0 receiving grade. The Raiders have drafted tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers over the past two years, but their potential impact in 2024 is an unknown. Jakobi Meyers was solid for Las Vegas in 2023, but he will have to be even better in 2024 to open things up for Adams.
This spot could be too low for the Browns, led by wide receiver Amari Cooper (80.1 PFF receiving grade in 2023) and tight end David Njoku (70.4).
Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman have yet to make their mark in Cleveland, and now Nick Chubb’s availability and overall status are unknown after his season-ending injury in 2023. Jerry Jeudy, who Cleveland acquired via trade this offseason, hasn’t lived up to his Alabama hype.
The Browns’ receiving corps has a higher ceiling than some of the teams ranked near them, and this will be a big “prove it” year.
Garrett Wilson is a star receiver, and a fully healthy season from Aaron Rodgers should only highlight that even more.
Breece Hall is a very good receiver out of the backfield, but outside of him, there are a lot of unknowns. Mike Williams, while a solid flier signing, is recovering from a torn ACL. Perhaps better quarterback play will elevate everyone on the team. Time will tell.
Inexperience and new faces keep the Commanders from ranking higher, but they appear to be building a strong offense. Terry McLaurin is a stud, Jahan Dotson can be a solid WR3 and rookie Luke McCaffrey is a unique big slot receiver.
Add Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott from the tight end room, and now Austin Ekeler out of the backfield, and this is a sneakily fun receiving corps.
The Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. as their WR1, filling a major need and elevating the outlook of the rest of the group.
Tight end Trey McBride led the team in 2023 with an 80.5 receiving grade, and any uptick in production from wide receivers Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson and running back James Conner would make this a fairly strong group.
The Colts all of a sudden have an impressive wide receiver room. Michael Pittman Jr. returns to take on the “X” role, from which he earned receiving grades above 70.0 in each of the past two seasons. Rookie Adonai Mitchell could play a big part as a vertical-stretching flanker on the outside with Josh Downs, who earned a 71.0 receiving grade in 2023 as the main slot player.
Tight end Mark Andrews‘ injury in 2023 significantly lowered the ceiling of the Ravens’ receiving group. Andrews, who comes in at No. 3 in PFF’s tight end rankings ahead of the 2024 season, is joined in the tight end room by a good running mate in Isaiah Likely.
Zay Flowers earned a 75.6 PFF overall grade as a rookie and should continue to be a big player, but Baltimore will need more from Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor to ascend this list.
Chris Olave is the top receiver in New Orleans now, having earned receiving grades above 80.0 in each of his first two seasons. He is paired with Rashid Shaheed, who finished 2023 with 16 explosive catches of 15 yards or more.
Running back Alvin Kamara remains a steady presence as a receiver out of the backfield, even if he’s getting up there in age. He managed 75 catches and a 78.4 PFF receiving grade last season.
Although they signed Gabe Davis, the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley, which is likely a net negative. Rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. could really raise the ceiling of this group, but asking him to be the team’s top receiver in Year 1 is a tall order. Tight end Evan Engram led the team in receiving grade last year, but it was just a 73.2 mark.
George Pickens came in at No. 30 on PFF’s pre-season wide receiver list and leads the pack in Pittsburgh with Diontae Johnson no longer there. Rookie receiver Roman Wilson should get a good amount of playing time this year, too.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is coming off a 68.8 PFF receiving grade, and running back Jaylen Warren posted a 72.9 mark in 2023. It’s a decent group with a lower ceiling after Johnson’s departure.
The Bills’ losses of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis (much more Diggs than Davis) make it difficult to place them any higher on this list. Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel could be a nice trio in the long-term, but that’s outside of our scope here.
Buffalo’s tight end room does give the receiving corps a boost, headlined by Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Running back James Cook didn’t grade well as a receiver last season (54.3 grade), but he does have good ability in that area.
The Giants’ receiver room will go as rookie Malik Nabers goes. If he is a star, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt could all look like great complementary pieces.
After Darren Waller‘s retirement, Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson are the main options at tight end. Subbing out the pass-catching abilities of Saquon Barkley for Devin Singletary is a downgrade, as Singletary hasn’t brought much in the receiving game in his career.
The Panthers’ receiver room improved this offseason, with the team acquiring Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette. However, it is still a group that has a lot to prove.
Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall, Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders could step up, but we have to see it to move the Panthers up these rankings, as they ranked 30th in team receiving grade in 2023.
Jerry Jeudy is no longer a Bronco, so it’s Courtland Sutton‘s room to command. The team brought in Josh Reynolds and drafted Troy Franklin to find their WR2, and Marvin Mims can be a deep-threat option.
Denver got good receiving production from their running backs last season, as both Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin earned receiving grades above 80.0 in 2023.
Boy, the Chargers receiving options don’t look good this year. The team lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett and Austin Ekeler from last season’s depth chart, and first-rounder Quentin Johnston did not look the part in 2023.
The Chargers still have Johnston and Josh Palmer, and they did sign D.J. Chark and draft Ladd McConkey and Brenden Rice. Someone has to step up big from that group.
The Patriots fielded the 28th-ranked receiving corps by PFF grade last year. Their highest-graded pass-catcher was departed tight end Pharaoh Brown.
The team’s second- and third-highest-graded receivers in 2023 were Demario Douglas and Hunter Henry. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker should get a good amount of looks early on. At running back, New England brought in Antonio Gibson, who is a good pass-catcher.
Ultimately, this is a low-ceiling group for 2024. But the long-term outlook is decent.
