Sport The 10 Worst And 10 Best Wide Receiving Corps In The NFL Heading Into 2017

With the NFL season right around the corner, it’s always fun to look at depth charts and see which teams rank the best at certain positions.

20 WORST — CAROLINA PANTHERS (BENJAMIN, FUNCHESS Last season was a difficult one for the Carolina Panthers, as the team finished in last place in the NFC South with a 6-10 record. 

While the team was expected to make another deep playoff run like the season prior, both the offense and defense took a step back. Cam Newtown has new weapons at his disposal — most notably first-round pick Christian McCaffrey — but the team could still use some help in the wide receiver department.

19 BEST — DENVER BRONCOS (THOMAS, SANDERS, LATIMER) Like the Carolina Panthers, the Denver Broncos didn’t have the season they wanted in 2016. While there was an expected regression as the young Trevor Siemian took over for future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning, the campaign was still a disappointing one. 

One positive, however, was the duo of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, as they ranked at the top of all wide receiver rankings, including receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

18 WORST — LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (WILLIAMS, ALLEN) The Chargers may be heading to Los Angeles this season but they’re still struggling to acquire top-tier wide receivers for the successful-yet-aging Philip Rivers. 

Ever since they drafted the franchise quarterback, he’s been blessed with a Hall of Fame tight end (Antonio Gates) and running back (LaDainian Tomlinson); but he’s had little help outside of the hash marks.

17 BEST — SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (KEARSE, BALDWIN, LOCKETT) From the time Russell Wilson took the reigns at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, they’ve been a contender. In the beginning stages of their most recent run, the Pete Carroll-led football team was run-heavy, as Marshawn Lynch was the bell cow and heart and soul of the team. 

But when Beast Mode retired, Carroll went with an aerial attack — and Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Tyler Lockett were the primary weapons.

16 WORST — TENNESSEE TITANS (DAVIS, MATTHEWS, SHARPE) When it comes to young teams on the rise, the Tennessee Titans are definitely one of them. 

With a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota not even in his prime, the offense — which also has one of the better running backs in the NFL in DeMarco Murray — will be one to watch. One thing that may hold them back, however, are the wide receivers on the roster.

15 BEST — JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (HURNS, ROBINSON, LEE) Like the Tennessee Titans, the Jacksonville Jaguars are another team on the rise. 

And if Tom Coughlin can work the magic that he did with the New York Giants, success may be on the horizon sooner rather than later. While the defense has gotten some high praise, the receivers will play a big role in that as well.

14 WORST — BUFFALO BILLS (WATKINS, JONES, HOLMES) The Buffalo Bills appear to be a team in flux on a yearly basis. 

While they have a potential franchise quarterback in Tyrod Taylor, the weapons that he has are less than flattering. Sure, LeSean McCoy continues to make tacklers miss every Sunday but it’s the wide receivers that underwhelm.

13 BEST — CINCINNATI BENGALS (GREEN, LAFELL, ROSS) When you have one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL on your roster, you’re going to rank on the positive side of things. And since A.J. Green catches passes from Andy Dalton every Sunday, it’s no surprise to see where the Cincinnati Bengals rank. 

Despite suffering a torn hamstring in Week 11, he still posted 66 receptions and 964 receiving yards.

12 WORST — SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (GARCON, GOODWIN, KERLEY) Next season doesn’t look to be too kind for the San Francisco 49ers. While they’re doing their best to revitalize their defense, their offense is still a mess — and that’s putting it kindly. 

Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley are expected to compete for the starting role and neither man possesses much upside. What makes it worse is their depth chart at wide receiver, as there isn’t much upside at that position, either.

11 BEST — GREEN BAY PACKERS (NELSON, ADAMS, COBB) Similar to the New England Patriots (we’ll get to them a bit later), it always appears that the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers get the best out of their wide receivers, no matter who is catching the ball. 

But even though that may be the case, their trio of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams are one of the best in football, as they’ve all played at an elite level in the past.

10 WORST — CLEVELAND BROWNS (BRITT, COLEMAN) The Cleveland Browns are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel; after acquiring a number of early draft picks during the 2017 NFL Draft. 

They addressed a number of key positions while also bringing in a much-needed infusion of young talent. Once position, however, that still remains a mystery is wide receiver.

9 BEST — DALLAS COWBOYS (BRYANT, WILLIAMS, BEASLEY) The way the Dallas Cowboys are positioned, they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the present and the future.

 While their youth at quarterback and running back and their monstrosity of an offensive line are seen as their greatest positives, don’t sleep on their crop of wide receivers.

8 WORST — NEW YORK JETS (DECKER, ENUNWA, PEAKE, STEWART) The 2017 season may be an ugly one for the New York Jets. During the 2017 NFL Draft, they addressed safety in both the first and second rounds, which shows that they’re focusing on their defense. 

While revamping that side of the ball is a necessity, so is doing so with the offense — and as it stands, it doesn’t look like they’ll put up a ton of points next season.

7 BEST — OAKLAND RAIDERS (COOPER, CRABTREE, ROBERTS) In 2016, the Oakland Raiders burst onto the scene as one of the top teams in football. Although injuries didn’t work in their favor, their roster is full of youth, putting them in position to compete for a Super Bowl for the foreseeable future. 

Their offense is viewed as their strength, as Derek Carr is on his way to elite status while the addition of Marshawn Lynch will add a new dynamic to the run game. But their pass-catchers are as good as any position on the roster.

6 WORST — LOS ANGELES RAMS (WOODS, AUSTIN, THOMAS) When the Los Angeles Rams decided to make Jared Goff their future at quarterback, many questioned why. 

Not because Goff didn’t have upside but the organization had to give up such a hefty price to move up and take him first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. When you invest in a player in such a way, it’s expected you’ll do anything to help him succeed. That’s why it’s even more surprising they haven’t brought in much help at wide receiver.

5 BEST — ATLANTA FALCONS (JONES, SANU, GABRIEL).

 Although the Atlanta Falcons blew a seemingly insurmountable lead in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, one massive positive that came out of their playoff run was just how good their crop of wide receivers are. Fortunately for quarterback Matt Ryan, he has a number of high-quality targets at his disposal.

4 WORST — BALTIMORE RAVENS (WALLACE, PERRIMAN) The Baltimore Ravens tend to play well even when many believe they’ll struggle. 

And while the organization has hardly given Joe Flacco a serious crop of talents at wide receiver, having steady veterans like Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. on the roster will rub off on the rest of the pass-catchers. But with Smith retired, this season will be different — and not in a positive way.

3 BEST — NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (COOKS, EDELMAN, HOGAN, AMENDOLA) As stated in the Green Bay Packers’ section, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots seem to turn every receiver they get their hands on into a valuable weapon in their offense.

That situation rings true year in and year out — but in 2017, their crop of wide receivers is as good as its ever been.

2 WORST — CHICAGO BEARS (WHITE, WRIGHT, MEREDITH, WHEATON) Similar to the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bears have two inexperienced quarterbacks on the roster as Mike Glennon has been largely relegated to backup duties throughout his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Mitchell Trubisky was their first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. 

But no matter who wins the competition out of Training Camp, they won’t have many options to throw to in 2017.

1 BEST — NEW YORK GIANTS (OBJ, MARSHALL, SHEPARD) After speaking about the worst, now let’s focus on the best. Throughout their most recent runs to the Super Bowl, the New York Giants were seen as a team predicated on tough football, as defense and a strong running game were their focal points. 

But once Ben McAdoo came to town, the passing game took precedence over everything — and in 2017, they’ll have their best group of receivers the organization has ever seen.