As the 32 teams in the NFL conduct their OTAs (offseason training activities), the league inches closer to the start of the 2024 regular season. Hope is high for nearly everyone. There are no wins and no losses yet so fans can think "This is the year!"
As we get closer to watching the real games that matter, we take a look at some of the best players around the league. We look at the ten best players at the different positions. Today, we will look at the wide receivers.
Rankings are popular among fans. Everyone wants to see where their players rank among all the players at their positions. If there are a number of their favorite players ranked among the best it gives hope for them.
The wide receivers can make or break a quarterback's career. Here are the top ten receivers in the NFL in 2024.
The wide receivers are the quarterback's favorite targets. When they do their jobs the quarterback looks good. When they don't, then the quarterbacks look bad. The best ones can make all kinds of catches. If the quarterback gets it anywhere near a good receiver the completion has a good chance of getting made.
Here are the top ten wide receivers in the league for the 2024 season.
10. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Just a couple of seasons ago, Cooper Kupp had arguably the greatest season any wide receiver had in NFL history. He had 191 targets and caught 145 of them (75.9 percent catch percentage). Additionally, he had 1,947 receiving yards. That was the second-highest total in NFL history, second only to Calvin Johnson's 1,964 yards in 2012. He averaged 114.5 yards per game and had 16 touchdowns.
The last two seasons have not been kind to Kupp, however. Injuries have cost him 13 games in those seasons. He had just 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns combined in those two seasons. Also, he is 31 years old. Father time is creeping up on him.
Kupp could take advantage of the two down seasons and have a big bounce back season. The Los Angeles Rams have a rock star in the making in Puka Nacua. Nacua had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time. He had 105 catches for 1,486 receiving yards, averaging 14.2 yards per catch.
Opposing defenses will zero in on Nacua so Kupp could find himself in a lot of one on one matchups. He could feast on that. He has a great ability to always get open, even when the defense knows he is getting the ball. If he gets open when he is double teamed imagine what he can do when he is in a one one one matchup.
9. DJ Moore, Chicago Bears
DJ Moore had an incredible 2023 season. He had career highs in catches (96), yards (1,364), touchdowns (8), yards per game (80.2) and catch percentage (70.6 percent). He did that despite having a struggling quarterback, Justin Fields, throwing to him.
Moore is used to dealing with subpar quarterback play. He started his career with the Carolina Panthers, who had a bunch of quarterbacks because most of them struggled. He still became one of the top receivers in the league. The Chicago Bears traded for him and he became even better.
There are questions as to what Moore can do with a rookie, Caleb Williams, throwing him the ball. While Williams is a rookie, he is a very talented quarterback. There is no better receiver to help Williams develop and succeed. Moore runs excellent routes and nearly always where he is supposed to be. He also has the ability to create separation from the defensive back, giving Williams space to get the ball to him.
The Bears also have two other excellent receivers in Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. However, Moore will be Williams' top target and he could top what he did in 2023.
8. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel is the Swiss Army knife for the San Francisco 49ers. He can line up all over the field and kill a defense. Put him in the backfield and he can run it down your throat or catch a pass out of the backfield for a big play. You can use him on a jet sweep, in the slot, or the outside.
Samuel was an integral part of the Niners offense in 2023. In one stretch, he got injured and left the game, and missed the next two games. The Niners happened to lose all three of those games. He had 1,117 total yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.
Samuel could opt out of his contract after this season. If he has another big season he could almost name his price on his next contract. He helped San Francisco make it to the Super Bowl and almost won it. Expect another big season from Samuel in 2024.
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions were the darlings of the NFL world in 2023. One of the big reasons for that was the play of Amon-Ra St. Brown. He had 1.515 receiving yards 10 touchdowns.
St. Brown was a fourth-round steal for the Lions in 2021. He has gotten better each season and had an incredible one last year. As a result, he got paid, recently signing a massive four-year, $120 million extension. That deal helped set the market for other receivers as they are now using his new contract as a basis for their new deals.
St. Brown has diversified his game. When he got to Detroit he was solely a slot receiver. However, as his career has progressed he has played a lot in the outside as well.
Pro Football Focus had high praise for St. Brown. They had him as the fourth-most productive outside receiver in 2023.
"Few playmakers in the league are better than Amon-Ra St. Brown. Over the past two seasons, 73 of St. Brown’s targets have come within nine yards of the line of the scrimmage, yet he’s recorded 1,459 receiving yards in that span with 37 gains of 15-plus yards.Lauren Gray
St. Brown caught six touchdown passes in 2023 and moved the chains 43 times. He forced 10 missed tackles, recorded 25 explosive gains and gained 375 yards after the catch."
With his sailing through and not having to worry about an extension, St. Brown is free to continue his upward trajectory.
6. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Next on this list is Samuel's teammate with the Niners, Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is one of the NFL's best route-runners. He also has explosive speed so he could turn a short pass into a big gain. When Niners quarterbacks targeted him they had a 126.8 passer rating.
Aiyuk has 2,357 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in his last two seasons. He is in the final year of his contract so he wants to be paid among the best in the league. So far, however, San Francisco is balking at that. Both sides are far apart on a new deal.
The Niners were reportedly making Aiyuk available during the draft. They were looking to get into the first round and felt Aiyuk could do that. However, no team was willing to make a trade. Now he is looking to have another big season to show he deserves a new megadeal.
5. AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Covering AJ Brown is a difficult task. He can beat defenders before the catch and then after it as well. At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds he has the size to overwhelm the smaller defensive backs. He can bully them and snatch the ball. Once he makes the catch he has good speed to run away from would-be tackles. In addition, he has the strength to break free. Last season, he had 19 broken tackles.
In his career, Brown has had more than 1,000 receiving yards in four of his five seasons. He had more than 1,400 yards in the last two seasons, totaling 2,952 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Philadelphia Eagles had an epic collapse last season and had an early playoff exit last season. They did not feel that Brown was a part of that collapse, though. The Eagles gave him a three-year, $96 million extension. They have one of the top wide receivers locked up and ready to wreak more havoc.
The Eagles made some big additions to the offense. Kellen Moore is the new offensive coordinator and Saquon Barkley is the new RB1. Moore is certain to draw up plays designed for Brown. With Barkley, defenses will have to account for him. That helps Brown play with space. He could have another monster season in 2024.
4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Despite not having Joe Burrow as his quarterback for seven games in 2023, Ja'Marr Chase still managed to amass 100 catches and 1,216 receiving yards. Now, with a healthy Burrow, he hopes to have an even better season in 2024.
Chase is in the final year of his rookie deal. The Bengals did pick up his fifth-year option. However, he is seeking a long term extension. With a healthy Burrow back, he hopes to remind the Bengals and the rest of the NFL of his rookie season.
In 2021, Chase had 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 18 yards per catch. He has the length and athleticism to tower over defenders and make spectacular catches. He also has breakaway speed to turn short passes into big gains or blow past the defense deep.
Chase did not show up to the Bengals' OTAs. Of course, these sessions are supposed to be voluntary. As we know, however, voluntary is not really voluntary in the NFL. Chase not showing up caused big ripples. Many people speculate that he did not show up due to his contract dispute.
Many people hope this dispute does not affect Chase's performance. However, with his ability he wants to show why the Bengals should pay him. We should not expect him to have any struggles in 2024.
3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb has shown that he is among the best wide receivers in the league. It does not matter who defends him, he will make the big play. The problem with him, as well as the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, is what happens during the playoffs.
In 2023, the Cowboys decided to make Lamb a focal point of the offense. He responded by making 135 catches for 1,749 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 13 yards per catch and 102.9 yards per game. Additionally, he was an effective receiver, averaging 2.8 yards per route run.
Lamb's hands were one of the best in the league. He dropped just six passes on 181 targets. He made it to his third Pro Bowl and his first All-Pro season.
The Cowboys look to have another successful regular season with Lamb leading the way. Now the question is whether they can make a real playoff run this time.
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Ranking Justin Jefferson was tough. He is the most dangerous and talented receiver in the league. However, how great he is in 2024 could be a mystery. He and Kirk Cousins were magic together. They hooked up for 4,825 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns in just three season.
In 2023, Jefferson was on his way to another huge season. In the first five weeks of the season, he already had 571 yards. He then suffered a hamstring injury. He did not return until Week 14. Despite that, he still finished the season with 1,074 yards. He had four touchdowns, eight contested catches, 41 first down catches, and 16 catches of 20-plus yards.
This season, Jefferson will have a different quarterback targeting him. Cousins departed via free agency. Now the Minnesota Vikings will have either Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy. Darnold is a former first-round pick who has struggled through six seasons. McCarthy was the Vikings' first-round pick in this year's draft.
There is no denying Jefferson's talent. He has the size, length, athleticism, and hands that make him an incredible player. He can make any type of catch, whether it is contested or not. He also has the speed to get away from defenders. His drop rate last season was just one percent.
Then again, with his abilities, Jefferson could help whoever the quarterback is for Minnesota. The quarterback rating when targeting him has never been under 100 throughout his career. He can make any quarterback look good. It will be interesting how Jefferson performs with a new quarterback.
Jefferson is another player looking for a new contract. He is playing on his fifth-year option so he is looking for a huge new deal. There are many receivers who are waiting for Jefferson to sign his new deal so he could set the market. He could decide to not sign and take a chance that he continues his high-level play. If he has another great season he could hit the jackpot and become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill was having an incredible season before injuries slowed him down. He was on pace to break the All-Time record for receiving yards in a season. He suffered a hamstring injury late in the season. While he did not break the record, he still finished the season with 1,799 yards. He has 13 touchdowns.
Once Hill's injury hit, the Dolphins struggled. They were on pace to win the AFC East before losing three of their last five regular season games. Then they got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs.
After leading the league in yards per route run in 2022 with 3.6, Hill showed that it was not a fluke. In 2023, he upped that average to 4.1 yards. He was the only receiver to average four yards or more since 2010.
Hill is the most explosive receiver in the NFL. He has energy to spare and that speed puts a tremendous amount of pressure on defenses. He led all wide receivers in touchdown catches (12), gains of 15-plus yards (41) and missed tackles (20) in 2023 while ranking second in first downs gained (58).
A healthy Hill should have another big season in 2024. He hopes to stay healthy all season long and lead the Dolphins to a division title and a long playoff run.