Which quarterbacks have the best supporting cast in the NFL ahead of the 2022 season? Which ones have the worst? We rank them from worst to best.
There is no position more important in professional sports than the quarterback position. However, for NFL teams, the hard work simply begins with finding a quarterback to lead your franchise.
It doesn’t end until that quarterback is properly surrounded with capable talent. Following the chaotic and wildly entertaining 2022 NFL Draft, which teams have done the best (and the worst) jobs of surrounding their quarterbacks with talent?
We’re going to do our best to make every fan base as mad as possible by ranking them from worst to best.
Ranking the supporting cast for every NFL quarterback in 2022
32. Chicago Bears, Justin Fields
RB: David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert
WR: Darnell Mooney
WR: Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown
WR: Velus Jones Jr.
TE: Cole Kmet
The Chicago Bears were in a unique spot a year ago. It felt like former GM Ryan Pace and former head coach Matt Nagy were doing all they could to salvage their jobs by trading up to take Justin Fields.
The Bears moved on in 2022 to hire Ryan Poles from the Chiefs and Matt Eberflus from the Colts as the new brain trust.
Unfortunately, this longer-term rebuild for the Bears doesn’t include a drastic improvement in Justin Fields’ situation.
The Bears’ wide receiver group is as embarrassing as you will see in the NFL.
Tight end Cole Kmet has two touchdowns on 137 career targets.
Running back David Montgomery is going to be leaned on heavily because the primary backup running back is 2021 sixth-round pick Khalil Herbert.
I’m not considering offensive line play in this list, but if you factor that in, it only serves to make the Bears look worse here.
Justin Fields has the worst supporting cast in the entire NFL, and I don’t think it’s particularly close at this point.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence
RB: Travis Etienne, James Robinson
WR: Christian Kirk, Laviska Shenault
WR: Marvin Jones
WR: Zay Jones
TE: Evan Engram, Dan Arnold
Well, you can’t say the Jaguars aren’t trying to put a supporting cast around Trevor Lawrence.
At least, they’re throwing a lot of money around.
Not including the investments on the offensive line to re-sign Cam Robinson and sign free agent guard Brandon Scherff, the Jaguars shelled out a bunch of cash in 2022 to bring in Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram.
Christian Kirk doesn’t have a 1,000-yard season to his name yet, but he’s going to be counted on to be a dynamic slot player for the Jaguars after leaving the Arizona Cardinals.
Laviska Shenault oddly seems to be the odd man out in Jacksonville and there have been rumors he could be on the trade block.
Ultimately, it’s in the best interests of Doug Pederson and the Jaguars to keep Shenault and heavily involve him, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Letting go of DJ Chark and replacing him with Zay Jones was…an idea.
I don’t hate the risk/reward idea of bringing in Evan Engram as a big slot and Dan Arnold should still have a role this year after being acquired in the CJ Henderson trade last season.
At running back, Travis Etienne’s healthy will make or break the relevance of that particular unit. The former Clemson star has dynamic speed and looks good, at least in the hype videos the Jaguars have been posting this offseason.
30. Atlanta Falcons, Marcus Mariota/Desmond Ridder
RB: Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams
WR: Drake London
WR: Olamide Zaccheaus
WR: Auden Tate
TE: Kyle Pitts, Anthony Firkser
The Atlanta Falcons somehow narrowly missed being at the very bottom of this list.
Were it not for the question marks regarding the health of Travis Etienne and the status of Laviska Shenault, the Falcons would have undoubtedly been no. 31 on this list.
Actually, to give the Falcons some credit where it’s due, they have one of the most unique players in the league in Cordarrelle Patterson, who has somehow become an effective running back late in his pro career.
We know Patterson is a dynamic returner and can make plays in space, but the fact that he became a consistently featured runner last year led to a new contract in 2022.
I love the Drake London pick for the Falcons, regardless of their QB situation. London is going to make Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder’s life a lot easier with his massive catch radius.
The same could be said for Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Pitts, who certainly proved himself worthy of the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft.
With Pitts and London together this season should be fun, anyway. The Falcons’ depth at the skill positions is downright pathetic, however.
29. New England Patriots, Mac Jones
RB: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson
RB: James White, Pierre Strong
WR: Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton
WR: Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor
WR: DeVante Parker
TE: Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith
The New England Patriots let Josh McDaniels go to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason and they didn’t replace him.
That seems odd.
Young Mac Jones has one of the strangest to figure out groups of skill players in the entire NFL.
You like the tight end duo of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Especially with how heavily the New England Patriots emphasize the tight ends in their offense, that duo is pretty outstanding.
And expensive.
The Patriots swung a trade for former first-round pick DeVante Parker this offseason but he has largely failed to live up to the hype as an NFL receiver.
It feels like the Patriots are just loaded with WR3s, and WR4s, and maybe a solid WR2 sprinkled in there.
The Patriots are always deep at running back and this year is no different. They added Pierre Strong in the 2022 NFL Draft out of South Dakota State to make that unit even better.
The real Wild Card of this entire skill player group is wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, a second-round pick out of Baylor.
He has smaller hands than Kenny Pickett but also runs a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash. Can the Patriots find ways to take advantage of his vertical speed in 2022?
28. Houston Texans, Davis Mills
RB: Marlon Mack, Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead
WR: Brandin Cooks, Phillip Dorsett
WR: Nico Collins, Chris Conley
WR: John Metchie III, DaeSean Hamilton
TE: Brevin Jordan, Pharaoh Brown
I think the Houston Texans should be lower on this list, and you might wonder why I didn’t just put them lower.
After all, this is my list.
I think of the bottom five teams, Houston very easily has the best overall receiver in Brandin Cooks, who got himself a brand-new contract this offseason.
I love the aggressiveness to re-sign Cooks, and while I think you could easily argue a variety of the teams behind Houston to be above them here, I see the direction they are going and I like it.
Nico Collins had a year to learn and I think he’s going to be good in 2022.
John Metchie III is not as dynamic as some of his other Alabama teammates but he was still very productive the last couple of seasons. The Texans moved up to get him in round two of this year’s draft and he’s NFL-ready.
Brevin Jordan was largely considered a steal for the Texans in the 2021 NFL Draft and he lived up to that label with three touchdowns among his 20 catches as a rookie.
The running back trio including veterans Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead as well as rookie Dameon Pierce (who will be a popular fantasy football pick) is much more interesting than the group the Texans had a year ago.
27. Carolina Panthers, Sam Darnold
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard
WR: DJ Moore, Rashard Higgins
WR: Robby Anderson
WR: Terrace Marshall
TE: Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas
You could say the Carolina Panthers have arguably the “best of the worst” when it comes to a quarterback’s supporting cast in the NFL.
On paper, this group looks pretty good and borderline enviable.
In reality, the Panthers’ skill players simply cannot stay healthy. At least, starting with Christian McCaffrey, the team’s most important player.
The next time McCaffrey has 100 carries in a season will be the first time since 2019 that’s happened.
DJ Moore is an absolute stud and is borderline quarterback-proof, but he was limited to just four touchdowns last season.
Robby Anderson is a fine vertical threat but it sounds like the Panthers are desperate to trade him away to the highest bidder.
Terrace Marshall managed just 30 targets last season, an embarrassingly low number for a second-round receiver in today’s NFL.
I like the combination of Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas at tight end. The Panthers started to get him more involved later last season and I think he responded well.
Chuba Hubbard led the Panthers in rushing last season in McCaffrey’s stead, proving the Panthers should have a solid 1-2 punch if both guys are healthy.
Who is getting all these guys the ball? Sam Darnold? Matt Corral? Baker Mayfield?
The Panthers have decent talent but they need to figure out the right guy under center.
26. Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson
RB: JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards
WR: Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace
WR: James Proche
WR: Devin Duvernay
TE: Mark Andrews, Charlie Kolar, Isaiah Likely
When I tell you I struggled to put the Ravens this high…
I struggled to put the Ravens this high.
The Ravens seemingly always have a strong running game, but the injuries in 2021 were too much to overcome.
With JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards back in 2022, among others, that aspect of the offense should be greatly improved.
I would agree with the many folks out there calling Hollywood Brown overrated, but his departure amplifies the gaping hole the Ravens already had at receiver.
Mark Andrews really significantly raises the floor of the skill position players in Baltimore. He’s as good of a tight end as you will find in today’s NFL, and dependable.
It’s reasonable to project a big leap in year two from Rashod Bateman, who started off last year injured and had to work his way into the rotation.
Devin Duvernay is a great return specialist who will need to play a much bigger role offensively this season.
James Proche was someone a lot of NFL Draft folks liked coming out of SMU with his strong hands, but he has just 17 catches in his first two NFL seasons.
Tylan Wallace did almost nothing last season but again, provides some upside and potential.
The Ravens are probably too high on this list but Mark Andrews raises the floor considerably and the return of the running back group almost entirely gives Lamar Jackson a much better supporting cast than last year, when his primary help was (checks notes) Devonta Freeman.
25. New York Jets, Zach Wilson
RB: Breece Hall, Michael Carter
WR: Corey Davis
WR: Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios
WR: Garrett Wilson
TE: CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert
It’s probably weird for New York Jets fans to have to scroll through this many teams to finally find their favorite squad on a list like this.
A nice change of pace, to be certain.
There is an aspect of “unproven” about this group but there’s also tremendous talent and upside.
Starting at running back, I absolutely love the combination of Breece Hall and Michael Carter in an outside zone offense and I think the New York running game, with a vastly improved offensive line as well, is poised to break out.
Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and Garrett Wilson give you a dynamic trio of younger receivers with a combination of size, speed, explosiveness, and dominance at the catch point.
I love the makeover at the tight end position for the Jets this year, starting with free agents CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, two perfect scheme fits.
Then to add Jeremy Ruckert in round three of the 2022 NFL Draft?
Even though the Jets seemingly missed out on both Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel, the more cost-effective route didn’t treat them too bad, either.
24. Washington Commanders, Carson Wentz
RB: Antonio Gibson, JD McKissic, Brian Robinson Jr
WR: Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown
WR: Jahan Dotson, Cam Sims
WR: Curtis Samuel
TE: Logan Thomas, John Bates
The Washington Commanders are putting Carson Wentz in a pretty good position to succeed in his first year back in the NFC East.
The offensive line made big improvements last season for Washington, but it was abundantly clear that the skill spots needed upgrades and depth.
Logan Thomas has come crashing to earth a bit after his breakout season. Injuries have played a role there but I expect him to bounce back in 2022. He still had three touchdowns in just six games last season.
Terry McLaurin is one of the unsung stars of the NFL right now. He’s a dynamic weapon and he’ll be in line for one of these massive contract extensions rather soon.
In the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Commanders picked Jahan Dotson, who has some of the strongest hands in the draft in combination with dynamic speed.
If Curtis Samuel can stay healthy, this wide receiver group has a real shot to be arguably the most improved in 2022.
At running back, the trio of Antonio Gibson, JD McKissic, and now rookie Brian Robinson Jr. is one of the better trios you will find.
Robinson brings some really nice physicality to the group, even if the Commanders probably didn’t “need” to pick him where they did.
He’s the bully at running back the Commanders needed to pair with the shifty receiver McKissic and the all-around weapon Antonio Gibson.
23. New York Giants, Daniel Jones
RB: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida
WR: Kenny Golladay
WR: Kadarius Toney, Wan’Dale Robinson
WR: Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton
TE: Ricky Seals-Jones, Daniel Bellinger
If Daniel Jones doesn’t end up becoming a franchise quarterback, he won’t be able to blame it on the Giants’ lack of investment at the receiver position.
Although the team has suffered a wide variety of injuries in recent years, the Giants now have one of the deeper looking wide receiver groups in the NFL, starting with 2021 free agent pickup Kenny Golladay.
Golladay was largely a disappointment in 2021 with no touchdowns in 14 games and a catch percentage under 49.
Saquon Barkley’s health will be huge to the overall success of new head coach Brian Daboll’s offense in New York.
Kadarius Toney has been the subject some trade rumors which may only continue to heat up now that Wan’Dale Robinson was selected at pick no. 43 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Robinson and Toney may be redundant.
Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have been this team’s most productive receivers in recent years but they could also be trade chips.
I think Ricky Seals-Jones is underrated at tight end and Daniel Bellinger is an NFL-ready player coming out of San Diego State.
22. Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers
RB: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon
WR: Allen Lazard, Christian Watson
WR: Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers
WR: Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs
TE: Robert Tonyan, Josiah Deguara
The Packers should feel lucky I decided to put them this high on a list like this one.
Let’s start with the good here.
I love the duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon for this offense. Even though Aaron Rodgers has won back-to-back MVP awards, his running backs have played a crucial role.
Jones and Dillon combined for 444 touches this past season.
The Packers traded away Davante Adams, the best receiver in the NFL, instead of talking him into taking a massive deal to stay in Green Bay.
He was replaced with Sammy Watkins and rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
While I love Watson and Doubs as much as the next football fan, I can’t help but think the Packers downgraded there.
Allen Lazard has been a fine secondary option and Randall Cobb has spurts of play where he looks like the Cobb of old, but that’s all they are.
Robert Tonyan failed to repeat his stellar 2020 production and is back on a one-year deal.
If chemistry with the receivers is not right this year, or timing is off, or dropped passes plague the Packers, they’ll look back on trading Davante Adams as easily the dumbest thing they did while Aaron Rodgers was playing.
And that’s a long list.
21. Indianapolis Colts, Matt Ryan
RB: Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines
WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
WR: Alec Pierce
WR: Parris Campbell
TE: Mo-Alie Cox, Jelani Woods
The Colts are another team I felt like, did I put this team way too high?
I think the best justification for keeping the Colts out of the top 10 worst supporting casts for an NFL quarterback is the emergence of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and the fact that Jonathan Taylor could have easily been the NFL’s MVP last season.
Pittman is a big-bodied receiver who plays a pretty well-rounded and complete game. I think he’s only going to grow and get better.
The Colts added Alec Pierce in the draft, so they’ve got another option with size and speed to stretch the field vertically for new quarterback Matt Ryan.
Nyhiem Hines is a very effective change of pace back who certainly factors into the equation here.
Parris Campbell has only played 15 games in three seasons, severely limiting our ability to talk about his “potential” anymore. He’s still just 24 going on 25 this summer, so he can become a factor yet.
Mo-Alie Cox has six touchdowns over the last two seasons and is a pretty underrated tight end who is being joined by 2022 rookie Jelani Woods.
There may not have been a better athlete at the tight end position in this year’s draft class than the former Virginia product.
20. Detroit Lions, Jared Goff
RB: D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus
WR: Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds
WR: DJ Chark, Kalif Raymond
TE: TJ Hockenson
I dabbled with putting the Detroit Lions’ supporting cast for Jared Goff even higher on this list, and you should know that in case it irks you that they are in the top 20 to begin with.
I am slowly but surely loving the Lions’ skill position talent, starting with their revamped wide receiver room.
Last year, that group was a complete shambles.
This year, they look quite strong.
Amon-Ra St. Brown had a tremendous rookie season and looks like he will be the top targeted player in this offense in 2022.
I love the one-year flyer the Lions took on DJ Chark and they could afford to franchise tag or extend him next offseason if he returns to Pro Bowl form.
Re-signing Josh Reynolds was key as the Lions’ offense took off upon his arrival last year.
With Jameson Williams coming along well in his ACL recovery, what’s not to like about this Lions receiver room? Kalif Raymond proved last year that he’s more than just a return specialist.
He’s got some serious chops as an offensive weapon and the Lions brought him back because of that.
Rounding out the receiving threats with Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson?
The Lions have something brewing here.
At running back, D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams may not be leading your fantasy football teams, but they easily eclipsed 1,800 yards from scrimmage as a duo last year and combined for 10 touchdowns.
19. Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR: Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore
WR: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Josh Gordon
TE: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray
Kansas City Chiefs fans are probably going to be in an uproar over this, but somebody has to say it.
Without Tyreek Hill, the Kansas City Chiefs’ supporting cast for Patrick Mahomes just simply takes a substantial dip.
Hill is arguably the most dynamic receiver in the game. I have the utmost confidence in Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to keep this train chugging along, but there’s no doubt that the supporting cast is worse on paper now than it was a year ago.
Mecole Hardman simply hasn’t stepped up in the way that I think the Chiefs figured he would when he was picked in the second round out of Georgia. He’s done some good things for them, but he’s also struggled with drops.
Actually, so did Travis Kelce last year.
Hardman cut his drops from eight in 2020 to just two in 2021, a nice and needed improvement.
Kelce was credited with 10 drops last year, his highest total in the last four years.
Still, Kelce is one of the best players in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball and frankly, he’s the reason the Chiefs are as high as they are on this list.
I don’t love their running back group because neither Clyde Edwards-Helaire nor Ronald Jones inflicts a ton of fear as a featured runner.
Edwards-Helaire, a first-round pick, was out-touched last year by Darrel Williams.
I’m not a huge believer in JuJu Smith-Schuster, but it will be interesting, at the very least, to see what he can do with Mahomes throwing him the ball.
The redeeming player in the wide receiver group for Kansas City has got to be Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan. He’s not Tyreek Hill, but he’s a dangerous vertical threat.
The same can be said of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, although the receiver-needy Packers didn’t bring him back so what does that tell you?
18. Tennessee Titans, Ryan Tannehill
RB: Derrick Henry, Hassan Haskins
WR: Robert Woods, Kyle Philips
WR: Treylon Burks, Dez Fitzpatrick
WR: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
TE: Austin Hooper, Chigoziem Okonkwo
The Tennessee Titans traded away AJ Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft, and I honestly hated that move.
It wasn’t hardly two years ago that the Titans gave Ryan Tannehill nearly $120 million on a four-year extension, so why would you not take advantage of a clear competing window by re-signing one of your best draft picks in the last five years?
I don’t get it.
The Titans still have King Derrick Henry, arguably the best overall running back in the NFL. Henry suffered an injury this past season but an injury is truly the only thing that can slow him down.
This man has almost 5,000 yards from scrimmage and 45 total touchdowns in his last 39 regular season games.
Robert Woods takes over as the veteran of the receiver room moving from Los Angeles to Nashville. He is also coming off of injury and it’s hard to know what to expect from him in that regard.
If he’s fully healthy, Woods is one of the best blockers in the NFL, a tremendous route runner, and he’s very good after the catch.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine emerged for the Titans last year and will be relied upon to play a bigger role this season.
Rookie Treylon Burks was almost a one-for-one replacement for AJ Brown, although his pre-draft testing was not nearly as good as many thought or hoped.
Austin Hooper is a much-needed upgrade for the Titans at tight end and he’s a perfect scheme fit.
17. Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson
RB: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt
WR: Amari Cooper
WR: David Bell, Jakeem Grant
WR: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz
TE: David Njoku, Harrison Bryant
Of the teams near the middle or upper half of this list, I think it’s safe to say the Cleveland Browns have the worst wide receiver situation going on.
With all due respect to Amari Cooper, a fine player, there’s just not much here in terms of actual NFL production.
Do I like David Bell’s projection? Yes.
Donovan Peoples-Jones has made some splashes. So has Anthony Schwartz.
Jakeem Grant is a good return man.
The strength here is at running back and tight end. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are an outstanding and physical duo that can wear teams down over the course of four quarters.
David Njoku and Harrison Bryant are two very good receivers at the tight end position as well.
Deshaun Watson is stepping into a solid situation in Cleveland but the Browns still probably need to make an upgrade at receiver.
Cooper is best served in a WR2 role and if he’s the WR1 going into this season for the Browns, expectations will be unfairly high.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers, Kenny Pickett/Mitchell Trubisky
RB: Najee Harris, Benny Snell
WR: Diontae Johnson, Calvin Austin
WR: Chase Claypool, Miles Boykin
WR: George Pickens, Anthony Miller
TE: Pat Freiermuth
The Pittsburgh Steelers invest a lot in their skill position players on an annual basis, primarily through the NFL Draft.
I don’t know that there’s an official stat on this, but I would be willing to bet that the Steelers have invested more top 100 picks in the last 10 years on skill players than any other team in the league.
They develop these guys, and typically let them walk to other teams while other players are waiting in the wings.
It’s a constant and steady stream of talent development, much of which has been fostered by Ben Roethlisberger and his ability to include so many guys in the offense.
Now, Ben is gone.
The Steelers continued to invest in skill players in this year’s draft with George Pickens and Calvin Austin coming onto the depth chart via the 2022 NFL Draft, each bringing a vastly different skill set to the table.
Diontae Johnson is a fantastic all-around receiver whose struggles with drops are overshadowed by his playmaking ability.
Chase Claypool is a physical freak with an elite combination of size and speed as well as dominance at the catch point.
Pat Freiermuth became the clear TE1 last season with 60 receptions and seven touchdowns.
With Najee Harris as the team’s lead back, whoever is under center this coming season is going to have a really good opportunity to succeed and grow with the young skill talent around him.
15. Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard
WR: CeeDee Lamb
WR: Michael Gallup
WR: James Washington, Jalen Tolbert
TE: Dalton Schultz, Jake Ferguson
The loss of Amari Cooper hurts the Cowboys on a list like this.
Having Cooper gave Dallas one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL, and they are going to try to replace him by committee after also watching Cedrick Wilson walk out the door to the Miami Dolphins.
CeeDee Lamb is ready for an increased role, as is Michael Gallup. I’ve got no issues with that duo for Dallas and they are going to make Dak Prescott’s job a lot easier.
Dalton Schultz was a much bigger piece to this offense than people realize last season. The Cowboys franchise tagged him but also brought in a potential future successor with Jake Ferguson in the 2022 NFL draft.
The dart throws at receiver of James Washington and Jalen Tolbert are very interesting and I think they will thrive in Dallas’ offense.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard make up arguably the best duo at running back in the entire NFL. They each had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season.
14. Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins
RB: Dalvin Cook, Alex Mattison, Kene Nwangwu
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Adam Thielen
WR: KJ Osborn
TE: Irv Smith Jr.
The Vikings are close to the middle of this list, and it’s the power hitters on this list that raise it to “above average” status for me.
Although the Vikings lack a truly elite lineup here, they have some great pieces starting with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.
Even as Adam Thielen gets older, he’s still extremely effective when healthy and Kirk Cousins has built a good rapport with him since coming to Minnesota in 2018.
Justin Jefferson was rightly targeted about 10 times per game last season and he responded with over 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Vikings. He’s a superstar receiver and has been since he took the field for Minnesota.
Dalvin Cook is one of the game’s best running backs, and Alexander Mattison is a rock solid backup option who can play all three downs as well.
At tight end, Irv Smith Jr. is coming back from injury this season and should be able to re-establish himself to the form he showed in 2020 when he caught five touchdown passes.
The Vikings lack depth receiver and tight end but the top of their lineup is going to consistently get hits and drive in runs, so to speak.
13. Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray
RB: James Conner, Eno Benjamin
WR: DeAndre Hopkins
WR: Hollywood Brown
WR: Rondale Moore
TE: Zach Ertz, Trey McBride, Maxx Williams
Although the six-game suspension for DeAndre Hopkins is a factor here, the Arizona Cardinals have built a pretty impressive supporting cast for former number one overall pick Kyler Murray.
While I think the Ravens made the right choice by trading Hollywood Brown for a first-round pick, I also see the tremendous value he will bring to the Arizona Cardinals, especially now with Hopkins suspended.
Rondale Moore showed off his playmaking abilities as a rookie but not in an overly efficient way. It felt force-fed and the numbers reflect that as Moore barely cracked seven yards per touch.
Zach Ertz was re-signed after being acquired in a trade and he won’t be alone at the position this year as the Cardinals used their top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Colorado State’s Trey McBride.
I absolutely love that pick for Arizona and love the idea of McBride getting opportunities in the open field in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
At running back, the headliner is obviously James Conner who was re-signed to a multi-year deal after racking up 18 total touchdowns last year.
Conner is not the most dynamic runner, but he certainly knows his way to the end zone.
12. Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts
RB: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott
WR: AJ Brown, Zach Pascal
WR: DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor
WR: Quez Watkins
TE: Dallas Goedert
The Philadelphia Eagles went from being somewhere in the 20-15 range of this list all the way up into contention for the top 10 with one move in the 2022 NFL Draft.
I absolutely loved the trade general manager Howie Roseman made to go and get AJ Brown, one of the best receivers in the league, especially after the catch.
Pick no. 18 overall and a compensatory third-round pick for Brown?
It may have been the biggest heist of the 2022 NFL Draft, and there were plenty of other contenders.
Adding Brown along with stellar rookie and former Heisman winner DeVonta Smith will drastically improve the Eagles’ offense, not just because of how dynamic those two are but because of the opportunities that will open up for Dallas Goedert.
At running back, I love the Eagles’ group including Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell.
Gainwell and Boston Scott each had 100 touches and combined for 13 touchdowns last season and Sanders, shockingly, didn’t score a single time.
The Eagles didn’t have a single player last year with 1,000 yards from scrimmage. I think they’ve got the potential to have four — at least — in 2022.
11. Los Angeles Chargers, Justin Herbert
RB: Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller
WR: Keenan Allen, Josh Palmer
WR: Mike Williams
WR: Jalen Guyton
TE: Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty
The Los Angeles Chargers just miss out on the top 10 of this list, but that’s not to say they don’t have a group of players here worthy of a top 10 distinction.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams could very well be the top wide receiver duo in the NFL.
Allen’s game has become borderline dominant through the years as he is always open playing inside or outside.
Mike Williams has become much tougher to cover with his ability to win vertically and at a much higher rate in contested catch situations.
I don’t love the Chargers’ wide receiver depth and am a little disappointed they didn’t prioritize that area a bit more heavily in this year’s draft or free agency.
Austin Ekeler, when healthy, is about as dynamic of a receiving back as you will find. How did the rest of the NFL let the Chargers get Isaiah Spiller in round four to pair with him?
Spiller didn’t test well but I bet he becomes a significant piece of the Los Angeles offense sooner rather than later.
At tight end, the Chargers replaced Jared Cook (who replaced Hunter Henry) with Gerald Everett, a very solid pass-catching option to go along with Donald Parham and Tre’ McKitty.
Overall, there’s not much to scoff at with this group other than the lack of ideal receiver depth.
10. New Orleans Saints, Jameis Winston
RB: Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram
WR: Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith
WR: Chris Olave
WR: Marquez Callaway
TE: Taysom Hill, Adam Trautman
I’ve given the New Orleans Saints a lot of grief for their offensive skill positions, but on paper, this unit is one of the top 10 in the NFL, in my opinion.
The presence of a healthy Alvin Kamara and a healthy Michael Thomas push this group significantly up the list, because New Orleans had arguably one of the worst groups a season ago without Thomas in the lineup.
That absence allowed Marquez Callaway to emerge a little bit and the Saints went out in the 2022 NFL Draft and got Ohio State’s Chris Olave.
Olave brings big-time speed and elite route-running skills to the position. Chalk up another handful of huge Ws for Ohio State receivers coach Brian Hartline, who continues to get his guys ready for the NFL.
The combination of Kamara and Mark Ingram in the backfield is about as good as you will get in today’s NFL.
At tight end the Saints had former second-round pick Adam Trautman increasing his role last year, and now he will be joined by offensive weapon Taysom Hill, who is making a “position switch” full-time.
9. Seattle Seahawks, Drew Lock
RB: Kenneth Walker, Rashaad Penny
WR: DK Metcalf
WR: Tyler Lockett, Freddie Swain
WR: D’Wayne Eskridge
TE: Noah Fant, Will Dissly
Whether it’s Drew Lock or perhaps Baker Mayfield, someone is getting one of the best and most dynamic groups of offensive weapons in the league.
This Seahawks team will be able to rely on the duo of Kenneth Walker and Rashaad Penny at the running back position, along with their other depth in the backfield.
Walker was one of the top backs in all of college football this past season, showing off his physicality, toughness, and speed. Penny had a breakout of sorts in 2021 and was finally able to stay healthy for a longer stretch of games.
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett make up one of the top duos at receiver in the league while the Seahawks will expect 2021 second-round pick D’Wayne Eskridge to take a big leap forward in 2022.
At the tight end position, the Seahawks added Noah Fant through the Russell Wilson trade. When used properly, Fant is one of the best YAC tight ends in the league.
Will Dissly is primarily a blocker but he can find soft spots in coverage and contribute as a receiver as well. The Seahawks are paying him pretty big money in 2022, signing him to a deal worth $8 million per year.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady
RB: Leonard Fournette, Giovani Bernard, Rachaad White
WR: Mike Evans, Breshad Perriman
WR: Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden
WR: Justin Gage, Tyler Johnson
TE: Cameron Brate, Cade Otton
I struggled to drop the Buccaneers’ group all the way to no. 8 overall.
You can see just by looking at this unit how talented they are.
Chris Godwin is coming off of an injury, which factors into this ranking for the time being.
Rob Gronkowski, at the time of this post being written, is also not back in the fold just yet. Even though I expect him to be, it affects the Bucs’ ranking for now.
Leonard Fournette, Giovani Bernard, and Rachaad White make up a very nice trio of backs for the Bucs to split carries between.
I like the addition of Justin Gage this offseason and the Bucs have some dependable, tested depth with Scotty Miller, Breshad Perriman, and Tyler Johnson.
Jaelon Darden needs to take a step forward this season, his second in the NFL.
I liked Cade Otton coming out of Washington in this year’s draft and I think he’s one of the readiest to contribute rookies at the position in terms of playing the traditional “Y” tight end role.
Overall, the headliners of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are tough to top here when both are healthy.
7. Denver Broncos, Russell Wilson
RB: Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon
WR: Courtland Sutton, Travis Fulgham
WR: Tim Patrick, Kendall Hinton
WR: Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler
TE: Albert Okwuegbunam, Greg Dulcich
The Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson in the 2022 offseason, which gives their skill position groups all a substantial boost up the list.
This list isn’t about just how good the skill position talent is because of the quarterback, but just how good they are independent of the quarterback.
There’s been a lot of talent developed in Denver in recent years, but the Broncos haven’t gotten much fanfare because of poor quarterback play.
Courtland Sutton is a legitimate WR1.
Tim Patrick has emerged as a sure-handed, steady target with outstanding size and the ability to win at the catch point.
Jerry Jeudy creates separation easier than just about any receiver in the league.
KJ Hamler, when healthy, has dynamic speed.
Albert Okwuegbunam takes over as the TE1 with Noah Fant off to Seattle, but the Broncos also added Greg Dulcich in the 2022 NFL Draft as a possible TE1 option this year or down the line.
Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon might just be the best running back duo in the league, each with the ability to contribute on third downs effectively.
6. Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa
RB: Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin
WR: Tyreek Hill, Erik Ezukanma
WR: Jaylen Waddle
WR: Cedrick Wilson, Preston Williams
TE: Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe
The biggest question mark for the Miami Dolphins right now is at the running back position.
That was an area they prioritized in free agency with Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, two guys that haven’t really been featured backs before but could work very well in tandem.
The short passing game might become an extension of the running game and we could see the Dolphins’ wide receiver group lead the NFL in carries out of the backfield.
Tyreek Hill is coming over from the Chiefs and gives the Dolphins one of the most dynamic playmakers in the entire NFL. Nobody in the league plays as fast as Hill.
Jaylen Waddle is on a similar level when it comes to play speed, and having both of those guys in the same offense is downright scary.
Cedrick Wilson is a solid all-around receiver but the true third piece of this Dolphins passing attack is 6-foot-7 tight end Mike Gesicki, a unicorn of an athlete whose speed and explosiveness in combination with his height are downright terrifying.
There are absolutely no excuses for Tua Tagovailoa in 2022.
5. Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen
RB: Devin Singletary, James Cook, Zack Moss, Duke Johnson
WR: Stefon Diggs, Isaiah McKenzie
WR: Gabriel Davis, Khalil Shakir
WR: Jamison Crowder
TE: Dawson Knox, OJ Howard
The Buffalo Bills have one of the most well-rounded rosters in the NFL and Josh Allen has reaped the benefits of that.
Allen could be in line to stake his claim as QB1 of the NFL this season with his create-a-player skills at the game’s most important position.
Allen has elite arm talent, elite athleticism, and his game took a leap forward into the elite category as soon as the Bills acquired Stefon Diggs.
Remember when Buffalo’s trade for Antonio Brown was nullified because of Brown’s unwillingness to play there? That ultimately helped lead to the Stefon Diggs trade. Sometimes, you’ve got to count your lucky stars.
Diggs is truly one of the best receivers in the game.
We all saw how dynamic Gabriel Davis can be as he absolutely shredded the Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary in the playoffs.
Jamison Crowder in the slot has got to be one of the most underrated pickups any team made in 2022.
Getting OJ Howard at a discounted rate adds even more athleticism and juice to the absolute arsenal the Bills have assembled.
The biggest question mark here is with the running back position. Is James Cook going to be the RB1? Fantasy football players may not like the timeshare but Cook has a chance to really emerge in Buffalo.
4. Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow
RB: Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, Chris Evans
WR: Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Thomas
WR: Tee Higgins
WR: Tyler Boyd, Trent Taylor
TE: Hayden Hurst, Drew Sample
The Cincinnati Bengals have the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL, and that nearly helped get them their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
Ja’Marr Chase was one of the most dynamic rookies in league history, regardless of position.
Tee Higgins has really emerged as a WR1a on the outside and Tyler Boyd continues to be a threat from the slot.
At the tight end position, the Bengals lost CJ Uzomah to the New York Jets and replaced him with former first-round pick Hayden Hurst. Ultimately, that could end up being an upgrade. Hurst had nearly 600 yards and six touchdowns in the 2020 season before splitting time with Kyle Pitts in Atlanta last season.
At running back, the Bengals have a 1-2 punch that can really wear teams down with Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.
The primary issue here for the Bengals is depth at the wide receiver position. What would this team do if Chase or Higgins missed extended time with an injury?
3. Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford
RB: Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Kyren Williams
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Allen Robinson
WR: Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell
TE: Tyler Higbee, Kendall Blanton
It seemed like Odell Beckham Jr. was destined to return to the Los Angeles Rams as he skied over the Cincinnati Bengals secondary for the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI.
Unfortunately, fate intervened and Beckham suffered a torn ACL.
That paved the way for the Rams to go out and make a blockbuster move in free agency to sign former Jaguars and Bears star Allen Robinson in free agency.
Allen Robinson with a star quarterback and one of the best offensive minds in the league in Sean McVay?
Yes, please.
Van Jefferson has developed into a very solid all-around option at the receiver position while Tyler Higbee has grown into a decent TE1 option.
If Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson are both healthy, the Rams can certainly do some damage in the running game. I’m highly intrigued by the addition of Kyren Williams as well.
2. San Francisco 49ers, Trey Lance/Jimmy Garoppolo
RB: Eli Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price, Trey Sermon
WR: Deebo Samuel
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, Danny Gray
WR: Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud
TE: George Kittle, Ross Dwelley
FB: Kyle Juszczyk
For the time being, the San Francisco 49ers still have arguably the best supporting cast for a quarterback in the NFL.
If I were to extend the criteria for this, you could include arguably the best coaching staff in the league as well as maybe the best left tackle in the league.
Just looking at skill position players, this 49ers group is dynamic and Shanahan knows how to use them.
This group is a major reason why a team with Jimmy Garoppolo at the QB position was able to make it all the way to the Super Bowl two years ago and all the way to the final four this past season.
Deebo Samuel doesn’t want to play in San Fran anymore, but he may not have a choice in 2022.
Brandon Aiyuk has really come into his own and Jauan Jennings emerged last season as a viable secondary threat for Jimmy Garoppolo.
George Kittle remains one of the best tight ends in the game and Kyle Juszczyk is one of the most versatile chess pieces in the NFL today.
Whoever is under center for San Francisco, at least as long as Deebo is in the picture, has an elite situation to work with.
1. Las Vegas Raiders, Derek Carr
RB: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Zamir White
WR: Davante Adams, Mack Hollins
WR: Hunter Renfrow
WR: Bryan Edwards, Demarcus Robinson
TE: Darren Waller, Foster Moreau
No team in the NFL has a scarier group of offensive skill players than the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders had an incredibly tumultuous 2021 season, which included head coach Jon Gruden stepping away, Henry Ruggs being involved in a tragic accident resulting in his incarceration, and plenty of other off-field issues.
This team moved on from GM Mike Mayock and brought in a couple of former New England Patriots — Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels — to comprise the new brain trust in Sin City.
One of the first orders of business for those two?
Trading for Davante Adams.
The Raiders seemingly struck gold on this deal and landed arguably the game’s top receiver. Derek Carr was already dangerous enough with Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards as his top targets.
With Adams in the fold, the Raiders now have the best group of skill players in the NFL.
Is the offensive line a finished product? I don’t think so, but we’re fixing to find out how much that actually matters. It’s probably good enough with how quickly Carr gets the ball out.
This is going to be a brutal group to defend especially with the size and speed of Mack Hollins as well as Demarcus Robinson coming off the “bench”.