Over the past few weeks, a big question circulating has been, “Who are the top five receivers in the NFL?”. Many wideouts have answered the question and no list has been the same. Some guys opt to omit themselves from their list, while others put them at the top of their list. Here is who I think are the top five wide receivers in the NFL.
5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
It was between Diggs and Tyreek Hill, but I like what Diggs brings to the table more than Hill. The two receivers had very similar numbers last season, but Diggs adds more versatility out wide. Hill will run past you on a streak or post or in front of you on a slant, but Diggs can kill you on every route he runs. Diggs makes great contested catches and is wildly consistent. In the past four seasons, he’s gone for over 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns. Coming into 2022, Diggs is in a much better system than Hill because Hill has to attempt to catch ducks from Tua. Give me Diggs over Hill.
4. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
As a rookie, Ja’Marr Chase absolutely balled out. He reeled in 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns and was instrumental in the Bengals making the Super Bowl. In about two years you’re going to see Chase and Jefferson battling for the top spot in the league. With that being said, I can’t justify putting a guy going into his second season in the top three. Chase is very talented and is awesome after the catch, I just have to wait and see how he performs in 2022.
3. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp runs some of the best routes in the entire league and is one of the best at figuring out how to get open. His whole game came together in 2021 as he broke a handful of receiving records. Kupp finished 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. It will be very difficult for him to get back to those numbers, but I don’t think it’ll be a massive drop off. Kupp still has Matt Stafford and the only thing that’ll possibly cut into his stats is the addition of Allen Robinson.
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Maybe this is my Vikings favoritism leaking in, but Jefferson is the second best receiver in the league. When you look at the way he plays, there are little to no flaws in his game. His route running is crisp, he gets tremendous separation, and he duels with the leagues best corners in Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward, and Trevon Diggs. With over 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns in his first two seasons, he’s proved to be virtually unguardable. Even with other guys in the system like Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, he still produces at a high level. I love Jefferson and he’s on track to go down as one of the best receivers ever.
1. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
While Cooper Kupp did have a breakout season last year and Justin Jefferson is a young gun shooting for the moon, Adams still holds the crown. As a teams clear number one option with no other threats around him, he’s been insanely productive. Last season with Robert Tonyan out and the next best receiver being Allen Lazard, he still caught 123 balls for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns. With every opposing defense keying in on Adams, he puts up monster stats. With him reuniting with Derek Carr, I predict he’ll up his numbers even more. Adams stands head and shoulders above any wideout in the league and will do so for at least one more season.
