3. AJ Brown, New England Patriots
There is a reason why the AJ Brown blockbuster at the beginning of June was talked about for so long before it actually happened.
Although there was plenty of drama while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown is simply one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
During his time with both the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles, Brown proved to be the type of player who can be a quarterback's "easy button" at the receiver position. And because he also knew that, he didn't like it when he wasn't getting targets. Despite his frustration, he still had the 11th-highest target share (27.25 percent) of any WR in the NFL last season, and is taking over a role vacated by Stefon Diggs -- as Drake Maye's WR1 -- which was just over 21 percent of the Patriots' target share.
Could there be more frustration in Brown's future?
Regardless, Brown has the size, speed, strong hands, and after-the-catch abilities to be one of the best in the NFL once again in 2026. And he's going to an offense that was the NFL's best last year in the vertical passing game.
2. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Nico Collins has made back-to-back Pro Bowls for the Houston Texans. He's logged three straight 1,000-yard seasons. He averaged over 15 yards per reception last season, the best year of his NFL career so far.
And it feels like we're just scratching the surface.
Collins is such a dynamic weapon for the Texans at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds. He's got the size you covet from a WR1, and he's absolutely elite when he gets the ball in space. One of the areas where Collins really sets himself apart from other receivers in the NFL is the fact that he simply doesn't drop passes. He had just one dropped pass last year overall, and has just 8 drops on 454 career targets.
The Texans need to get him more and more involved in the offense. His target share last season was slightly lower than Deebo Samuel's target share with the Commanders.
1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Since he got to the NFL in 2021, Ja'Marr Chase has been nothing short of a cheat code at the wide receiver position. He has averaged 1,490 yards per 17 games played along with 12 touchdowns per 17 games played.
Chase has been a 1st-team All-Pro in back-to-back seasons for the Bengals, and has had to deal with his star quarterback being out with injuries in two of the past three seasons.
There is nothing Ja'Marr Chase can't do at the receiver position. No receiver in the AFC had more receiving yards last season, and he was 2nd in the NFL in receptions. He's able to win every type of way with elite route running, great top-end speed, and instincts with the ball in space.
There might not be a better all-around receiver in the entire NFL.
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