It’s that time of year when we present the bottom 5 wide receiver groups entering the 2023 NFL season. The NFL Draft has concluded and while free agency is an ongoing process there are always several teams that did not add enough weaponry to their receiver rooms. Let’s take a look at the 5 teams that made the list and explain why they ranked so poorly.
Before we start with the first team, take a look at our rankings from last year;
- Chicago Bears (3-14 record)
- Baltimore Ravens (10-7 record, postseason loss in Wild Card)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8 record, postseason loss in Divisional Round)
- Tennessee Titans (7-10 record)
- Green Bay Packers (8-9 record)
Most of these teams made additions that kept them off the 2023 list or their current receivers played well enough in 2022 to convince us otherwise. Let’s take a look at the newest bottom 5 wide receiver units entering the 2023 NFL Season.
5 worst wide receiver groups in the NFL in 2023
No. 5 Worst receiver group in the NFL: Kansas City Chiefs
- Kadarius Toney
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Skyy Moore
- Rashee Rice
- Justin Watson
- Richie James
It might be odd that the first team on this list is the reigning Super Bowl Champions but alas, the receiver room on paper just does not look ideal. This may be the weakest group of receivers quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had thus far in his career. The general consensus is that Mahomes’ best receiver is tight end Travis Kelce and he is still on the roster for 2023.
But as far as strictly wide receivers go, the expectation was that general manager Brett Veach would have traded up to trade one of the top receivers in the draft or secure one through free agency. DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City would have been an earthshaker in the AFC West if it had come to fruition.
The fact of the matter is that of the four returning wide receivers from 2022 (Toney, Valdes-Scantling, Moore, Watson) accounted for 6 of the 41 receiving touchdowns in that season. Kelce attributed 12 to that list so having him on the field is crucial. The re-signing of running back Jerick McKinnon was also a crucial move as he contributed 9 touchdowns last season as well.
But as far as the wide receiver position goes, the Chiefs are not putting an abundance of talent on the field. Rice is a rookie, James is a smaller receiver on a new team, and the likes of Cornell Powell and Justyn Ross are unknowns at this point.
The benefit the Chiefs have over every other team on this list, and most teams in the league for that matter, is superior coaching. Andy Reid is an elite coach and offensive mind and he is armed with one of the best quarterbacks of this generation. The Chiefs will continue to do a lot with a little but you cannot ignore the fact that the wide receiver room is lacking talent and durability.
No. 4 Worst wide receiver group in the NFL: New York Giants
- Sterling Shepard
- Darius Slayton
- Parris Campbell
- Isaiah Hodgins
- Wan’dale Robinson
- Jalin Hyatt
The New York Giants have been absent a true number one wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr left town. They have categorized other receivers as the “number 1” guy but those players have never truly fit the role. An individual that commands double teams or at least the best cornerback on every play regardless of where they line up has not been a reality in New York.
The Giants, specifically quarterback Daniel Jones and head coach Brian Daboll, had a masterful season in 2022 despite their shortcomings at the receiver position. Jones led the Giants into the playoffs and surprisingly beat the Minnesota Vikings to advance to the divisional round against the Philadephia Eagles. The Eagles brought the Giants back down to earth and limited them to only seven points in a 7-38 thrashing.
The Giants relied heavily on their run game, specifically running back Saquon Barkley, who contributed over 1,000 rushing yards. As far as receiving goes the Giants did not have a single receiver breach 1,000 yards. Slayton led with 724 yards and two touchdowns and James with 569 yards and four touchdowns.
The issues with the Chiefs are similar to the Giants in many ways. The Chiefs and Giants both lack a true number one wide receiver, but with superior coaching (Reid & Daboll) and elite tight ends (Kelce & Waller) they should be fine.
The Giants, similar to the Chiefs, were considered candidates to draft a receiver in the first round but the Giants also opted to go with defense. The Giants did draft Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt in the third round who provides a deep speed threat to the Giants’ offense. Hyatt definitely filled a need for the Giants offense but his route running can be improved upon.
The Giants don’t have the worst receiver room in the NFL but they certainly don’t have the best. Waller will be a huge help for Jones but seeing him with a truly elite receiver would be a sight to see.
No. 3 Worst wide receiver group in the NFL: Atlanta Falcons
- Drake London
- Mack Hollins
- Scotty Miller
- Frank Darby
- Penny Hart
Holy lack of depth. Drake London is a special talent and if properly utilized he and Kyle Pitts can be absolutely unstoppable. The receivers after London are what is troubling. Hollins was a great fill-in for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 due to Hunter Renfrow’s lingering injuries.
Hollins and Derek Carr met for 690 yards with 4 touchdowns in 2022. Hollins also had the benefit of having Davante Adams lining up alongside him who commanded a significant amount of defensive attention. It would be beneficial to note that Derek Carr is an overall better quarterback than the Falcons’ current starter, Desmond Ridder.
London finished the 2022 season under 1,000 receiving yards with 866 yards and four touchdowns. The second receiver after London was Olamide Zaccheaus who logged 533 yards, although Zaccheaus is currently on the Philadelphia Eagles roster for 2023. Besides Hollins backing up London, the Falcons will be relying on Scotty Miller, Frank Darby, and Penny Hart. The short version is of those three receivers Miller is the only one to break 100 receiving yards, and he finished his 2022 season with 185 receiving yards in 15 games.
The Falcons actually have a number one receiver in Drake London and a formidable rushing attack with rookie back Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allegier. If the Falcons use Kyle Pitts properly he will add a considerable boost to the receiving corps.
The biggest issue with the Falcons, and the reason for their appearance on this list is if either Pitts or London go down the receiving room is barren of any significant talent. A majority of NFL rosters have an array of WR2s and WR3s in case their starters go down. The Falcons have a collection of WR4s and London.
Head Coach Arthur Smith should add some actual depth to this squad sooner rather than later.
No. 2 Worst wide receiver group in the NFL: Houston Texans
- Robert Woods
- Nico Collins
- John Metchie III
- Nathaniel “Tank” Dell
- Amari Rodgers
- Noah Brown
The Houston Texans were the talk of the town in Kansas City after their performance at the draft. The Texans selected quarterback CJ Stroud with the 2nd pick overall and then traded back up to take defensive end Will Anderson with the 3rd overall pick.
The issue is the Texans traded away their top receiver, Brandin Cooks, who was very vocal about wanting to leave Houston. Cooks didn’t go far and landed with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2022 the Texans operated on a wide receiver “bye committee” system where four of their receivers hauled in between 481-699 yards. Three of the four receivers are no longer on the team and one of those contributors was tight end Jordan Atkins (now a Cleveland Brown). The only true receiver remaining is Nico Collins who played in only ten games last season and hauled in only 56% of his targets.
The Texans did pick up wide receiver Robert Woods who had a less-than-productive season in Tennessee in 2022. Woods ranked 99th in average yards per completion with 9.9 and 76th in yards with 527 and two touchdowns. Not exactly WR1 stats but based on experience he will be called upon frequently in Houston.
The Texans did draft Nathaniel “Tank” Dell at Stroud’s request but Dell will inevitably deal with growing pains in Houston as a rookie in a mediocre offense. The Texans, like the Falcons, lack depth and the receiving corps depends on Metchie III’s recovery.
The hope is that several of these understated receivers can step it up. Stroud’s presence should elevate everyone’s game but he will be experiencing growing pains himself in his first season in the NFL.
No. 1 Worst wide receiver group in the NFL: Tennessee Titans
- Treylon Burks
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Kyle Philips
- Chris Moore
- Racey McMath
- Colton Dowell
The Tennessee Titans not only claim the #1 spot for the worst wide receiver group in the NFL, but they are also the only team on this list that was named last season as the 4th worst.
As stated earlier Robert Woods was the top receiver in Tennessee in 2022 and that is unfortunately not saying much. The Titans’ offense ran through running back Derrick Henry as it normally does. The Titans were fortunate enough to have Henry for every game except one, against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, which they lost.
Without Robert Woods, the Titans’ leading receiver (not tight end) in 2022 would have been rookie Treylon Burks who played in only 11 games and secured one touchdown with 444 receiving yards. With the departure of Woods, the now-sophomore receiver Burks will have to step up significantly in 2023.
The Titans relied heavily on tight ends Chigoziem Okonkwo and Austin Hooper in the passing game, both of which contributed 450 and 444 receiving yards. Hooper is no longer on the team and per this exercise, Okonkwo does not qualify as being in the “receiving room.” Westbrook-Ikhine had his best average yards per completion in 2022 with 15.9 but hauled in only 50% of his targets.
The AJ Brown trade to the Eagles is looking worse every day despite the Titans taking Treylon Burks with the first-round pick they received in exchange. The Titans only had six draft picks in 2023 and elected not to select a wide receiver until the 7th round where they took Colton Dowell from UT Martin. Dowell has the physical characteristics to be a successful receiver but that will be determined once the season actually begins.
The Titans receiving offense is scary, and not in the cool/intimidating sense of the word. The lack of quality depth and the reliance upon an injury-prone second-year receiver makes the Titans the ideal candidate to have the worst receiving corps in the NFL in 2023.
There you have it, the 5 worst wide receiving groups in the NFL leading into the 2023 NFL season. Congratulations if your favorite team made it off the list this year and my apologies if your team claimed a spot on the rankings.