The AFC got absolutely embarrassed by the NFC when the Patriots got destroyed by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, but the chasm between the two conferences might even be greater when it comes to the discrepancy in top-end talent at wide receiver.
All of that to say: The AFC is a lot worse than the NFC at WR entering the 2026 season.
For the NFC, the issue was not only picking just five guys to sort out among the best at the position in the conference, but how to organize all five of them stacked up against each other. For the AFC, the issue almost starts with finding the right five guys to pick.
But that's exactly what we've done here, picking the top five WRs in the AFC for the 2026 season and stacking them up against each other as training camps continue around the league.
NFL Power Rankings: Top 5 wide receivers in the AFC for the 2026 season
5. Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
Believe it or not, Jaylen Waddle has not made the Pro Bowl throughout the course of his entire five-year NFL career. As explosive and dynamic as Waddle is as a player, and as good as some of those Miami Dolphins' offenses were, that's pretty shocking.
The former 1st-round pick out of Alabama was traded from Miami to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster deal this offseason, and he is expected to be that "missing piece' for the Denver offense in 2026.
Waddle brings an explosive element at the position the Broncos have lacked, and his presence on the field -- on top of his outside-inside versatility -- will help everyone in that Denver Broncos' offense be better for the upcoming season.
4. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Even though he's one of the smallest players on this list, Zay Flowers has been one of the most impactful receivers in the NFL since he got to the league in 2023.
Flowers has been targeted 342 times through his first three NFL seasons, and is coming off a career-high 1,211 yards on 86 receptions. Flowers has averaged over 14 yards per reception in back-to-back seasons, and is one of the NFL's biggest threats deep downfield.
On top of his ability as a deep threat, Flowers is one of the NFL's best in creating yards after the catch (8th-most in 2026) and he's extremely reliable. He had the 8th-highest catch rate (72.88 percent) of any receiver in the league last season.
Even without a fully healthy Lamar Jackson last year, Flowers still had a fantastic season. If Jackson is playing at his usual MVP level, Flowers will arguably be the one benefitting the most. Coming up on the end of his rookie deal, the timing could be perfect.
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