Youth has certainly been served at the wide receiver position around the league in recent years. Dating back to 2021, three of the last five NFL Offensive Rookies of the Year, as well as three of the last five NFL Offensive Players of the Year have been wideouts.
In 2025, those honors went to Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, respectively.
Meanwhile, there’s one 2026 first-round draft choice and four proven veterans on the following list. Are any of them destined for an award-winning campaign?
Power ranking the 5 best offseason moves at wide receiver
5. KC Concepcion (Cleveland Browns)
Regardless of who winds up as the team’s starting quarterback(s) this season (the Browns have had 42 of them dating back to 1999), this playmaker will not only be a big asset on offense but could also contribute on special teams. The 24th overall pick in April’s draft gained 1,450 total combined yards and scored 12 touchdowns (9 receiving, 1 rushing, 2 punt returns) in 13 games in his lone season at Texas A&M in 2025.
4. Mike Evans (San Francisco 49ers)
Injuries have been a big part of the Niners' offseason. And it’s worth noting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-time leader in catches, receiving yards, and total touchdowns comes off a 2025 campaign in which he was limited to a career-low eight games. Still, Evans should prove to be a valuable asset to quarterback Brock Purdy and an offense that finished fifth in the league this past season in aerial yards per contest.
3. D.J. Moore (Buffalo Bills)
The 24th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Panthers spent the past three seasons in the Windy City after being dealt to the Chicago Bears in 2023. Moore has missed only two games in his eight-year career—none since 2020. He’s amassed 608 catches for 8,213 yards and 41 TDs, and totaled 11 grabs for 116 yards and two touchdowns in two playoff games in 2025. He will make life much easier for quarterback Josh Allen.
2. Jaylen Waddle (Denver Broncos)
The reigning AFC West champions bolstered their pass-catching corps by dealing for this one-time first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. A season ago, Waddle finished second on the team with 64 catches but led the ‘Fins in receiving yards (910) and tied for the club lead with six TD receptions. He and eight-year pro Courtland Sutton should make a potent 1-2 combination, much to the liking of quarterback Bo Nix.
1. A.J. Brown (New England Patriots)
There was plenty of suspense and intrigue this offseason regarding a move that was rumored for months and finally transpired in June. The 29-year-old pro owns an impressive resume with 524 grabs for 8,029 yards and 56 TDs in a combined seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. The Pats gave up a first-round pick in 2028 and a conditional fifth in ’27. The three-time Pro Bowler is reunited with coach Mike Vrabel.
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