Quarterbacks may drive the NFL, but what’s a QB without trusty weapons, and vice versa? Some of the game’s best signal-callers may single-handedly elevate their supporting cast, but most of them benefit from elite pass targets.
With that in mind, which wide receiver tandems deserve the most respect going into 2023? Here are our top 10:
This tandem has the combined asterisk of age and injury history; Allen is 31 coming off a shortened 2022, and Williams hasn’t played a full season in five years. Both of them are difference-makers when active, however. Williams uses his 6-4 frame to excel as a downfield jump-ball artist, and Allen is a route-running machine, securing 95+ catches in five of his last six years. Rookie Quentin Johnston’s arrival should helpfully lessen their loads a bit.
Cooks may change teams every other year, but he’s brought legit WR2 production to countless systems, and even a tumultuous Texans setup didn’t stop him from clearing 1,000 yards in 2020-2021. His smaller size will always present some challenges, but he can still run going on 30. Lamb, meanwhile, has grown as a home-run hitter every year, often single-handedly providing big-play punch to Dallas’ passing offense since his arrival. A second straight 1,300-yard campaign wouldn’t be surprising.
Like the Chargers duo, there’s a bit of worry here regarding sluggishness, as Evans will be 30 in August, and Godwin spent all of 2022 slogging back from a serious knee injury. But the track record of production is undeniable. Godwin has topped 85 catches and 1,000 yards, with at least a 70% catch rate, in three of his last four seasons. And Evans is looking for his 10th straight 1,000-yard campaign, enduring lots of QB peaks and valleys to remain a supersized downfield target.
Samuel is too much of a bowling-ball utility man to be routinely feared as a traditional wideout, and yet, when healthy, he must still always be accounted for, pairing receiver speed with running back physicality. Christian McCaffrey’s continued presence should help him create in space. Aiyuk, on the other hand, is emerging as San Francisco’s top outside weapon; his yardage and catch percentages have improved every year he’s been in the NFL.
Addison is a total projection as a first-rounder yet to take an NFL snap, but his best traits — footwork, route-running, etc. — should translate to the pros as he replaces departed fan favorite Adam Thielen. The real reason this tandem cracks the top 10: Jefferson is so good on his own — maybe the smoothest, most effortless playmaker in the game this side of Patrick Mahomes — that he simply can’t be left off the list. More than 4,800 yards in three years doesn’t even do justice to his knack for slipping wide open.
Davis proved more mercurial than expected in his debut as a full-timer, but averaging 17+ yards per catch with almost 900 yards and seven scores while battling a lingering ankle injury proved he’s still got the deep-ball athleticism to change games. Diggs, on the other hand, is arguably the most refined route-runner in the sport. Even going on 30, his alpha attitude is nearly unmatched, and it’s a big reason he’s coasted to almost 4,200 yards and 29 scores in the three years since he left the Vikings.
For all his world-class athleticism and superhuman physique, Metcalf hasn’t necessarily been as dominant as you’d expect, clearing 1,100 yards once in four years. Even so, he demands constant attention, is a virtual lock for 100 targets and should now be freed up even more by the arrival of rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The slippery Lockett is already an automatic sidekick, looking for a fifth straight 1,000-yard season while securing almost 74% of his targets the last five years.
The duo that helped fuel QB Jalen Hurts‘ MVP-level growth during Philly’s 2022 title bid, they might have the NFL’s most combined “dawg mentality,” as head coach Nick Sirianni would put it. The ultra-toned Brown is almost uncoverable at full speed, as evidenced by a casual 1,496 yards in his Eagles debut. But Smith is often just as physical despite an unusually slender frame, clearing 2,100 yards in his first two seasons by becoming a tight-window, jump-ball fighter for Hurts. They’re also built to last, both 26 or younger.
Consider them a hair above the Eagles’ similarly stellar building blocks. Whereas Brown and Smith have combined for 4,477 yards and 28 TDs the last two years, Chase and Higgins have racked up 4,621 yards and 35 TDs. The latter does everything well as a big-bodied outside target who can also stretch the field, but it’s Chase that puts them over the top, offering elite explosiveness in space. If he’s healthy, he should help Joe Burrow stay in the MVP race and/or contend for titles for years to come.
The Bengals might have the edge when it comes to the entire WR corps, with Tyler Boyd onboard as their trusty No. 3, but there isn’t a more dynamic tandem than the track team in Miami. Off-field woes aside, Hill is a defining NFL talent with his ageless speed, and he proved amid the Dolphins’ 2022 QB issues he’s relatively system-proof. Waddle, meanwhile, has gone from high-volume short-area stud to Hill-esque deep threat in two pro seasons. Put their combined juice on any roster, with any QB, and it’s a good bet they’ll turn that offense into a top 10 unit.
Notable omissions
- Raiders: Davante Adams remains a top-five playmaker at the position, but his new running mate, Jakobi Meyers, was a mid-tier possession target with the Patriots, never reaching 900 yards as New England’s No. 1.
- Jaguars: Ex-Falcons star Calvin Ridley may have All-Pro skills, but he hasn’t played a full season in three years. It’s very possible his team-up with the smooth Christian Kirk could vault Jacksonville into the top 10.
- Jets: Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson is due for an even bigger performance with Aaron Rodgers at QB, but new No. 2 Allen Lazard, an A-Rod favorite from Green Bay, has been more solid than spectacular.
- Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown is an up-and-comer who’s flashed as a timely playmaker, but his counterparts Jameson Williams and Marvin Jones have availability concerns; the former will open 2023 suspended, and Jones will be 33.
- Rams: Cooper Kupp was considered the NFL’s most reliable wideout not long ago, but injuries abbreviated his 2022 season, and No. 2 Van Jefferson has struggled to break out amid his own bruises in Sean McVay’s offense.
- Commanders: Top target Terry McLaurin is a steady downfield winner, but Jahan Dotson has just one NFL season under his belt as the secondary option.
- Saints: Like the Jets’ Garrett Wilson, second-year man Chris Olave was a revelation as a rookie, but fellow starter Michael Thomas, once one of the NFL’s premier route-runners, hasn’t been healthy for years.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
July 18, 2023 | 8:31 am
