Last year's big movers in the pass-catcher department included DeAndre Hopkins heading to the Arizona Cardinals and Stefon Diggs moving to the Buffalo Bills, and neither receiver disappointed in their debut seasons with their new teams. It was exciting to see familiar faces in unfamiliar surroundings, and it was even cooler to see them thrive right away.
To this point in the 2021 offseason, we've seen some similarly exciting moves.
The biggest one, obviously, saw Julio Jones leave the Atlanta Falcons for the Tennessee Titans after a stable 10-year stretch of dominance, one which kept Matt Ryan's pass-catching corps among the league's best every season.
We've also seen intriguing free agent signings, including former Detroit Lions wideout Kenny Golladay looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2020 campaign with his new team, the New York Giants. Meanwhile, veteran A.J. Green will see if there's anything left in the tank alongside DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona.
In fact, the pass-catching landscape is one that pretty much always features some interesting changes from season-to-season, and this time around was no different. Whereas some powerhouses had success and weren't looking to change what worked — like the two contenders in Super Bowl LV, for instance — there are also franchises who finally were able to bolster their receiving corps after years of mediocrity in that department. And then, unfortunately, there were those who did not.
Let's look at each team based on the pass-catching groups around the quarterback for a better look at where the top-tier receiving talent can be found and, at the other end of the spectrum, which teams may struggle to give their quarterbacks the help needed to succeed.
Impact players mentioned for each team. Bold names represent new acquisitions. (R) represents rookies.
No. 32 to 25
Hunter Henry
Paul Rutherford - USA TODAY Sports
32.) Detroit Lions
RB: D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams
WR: Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman, Quintez Cephus
TE: T.J. Hockenson, Darren Fells
Jared Goff's first year in a new offense might be a tough adjustment. Though T.J. Hockenson is developing into a stud quickly and D'Andre Swift is a versatile threat, the receiving corps is neither very talented at the top or deep throughout.
31.) New York Jets
RB: Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson
WR: Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, Elijah Moore (R), Keelan Cole
TE: Chris Herndon, Tyler Kroft
Corey Davis had a mini breakout last season, going for 984 yards and five touchdowns, but was relegated to the No. 2 role thanks to A.J. Brown's emergence. In New York, Davis has the exciting opportunity to be the No. 1 wideout for rookie Zach Wilson, and the trio of Davis, Mims and Crowder could wind up being fairly dangerous when paired with an effective passer.
30.) Philadelphia Eagles
RB: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott
WR: Jalen Reagor, DeVonta Smith (R), Greg Ward, Travis Fulgham
TE: Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz
It seems as though Carson Wentz was the bigger issue last year, but it's not like he had all the help in the world to allow for a successful season. Adding DeVonta Smith through the draft is a massive move, though, and should Zach Ertz not only stay in Philadelphia but regain his health and productivity, Jalen Hurts' supporting case could be sneakily solid.
29.) New England Patriots
RB: Damien Harris, James White
WR: Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers
TE: Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith
Though longtime safety blanket Julian Edelman is no longer playing, the Patriots have some solid pieces. Nelson Agholor had somewhat of a bounce-back campaign in Las Vegas (896 yards, 8 touchdowns), Kendrick Bourne recorded a career-high 667 yards and, most importantly, the new tight end duo of Henry and Smith represents the biggest splash in receiving weapons of the offseason.
28.) Chicago Bears
RB: David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen
WR: Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Anthony Miller
TE: Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham
It's not that exciting and it's not that different — new acquisitions like Damiere Byrd and Marquise Goodwin are farther down the depth chart — but it's still solid. Led by the all-league and somehow still under-appreciated talent that is Allen Robinson, the Bears have at least one elite weapon for Andy Dalton and, eventually, Justin Fields.
27.) Baltimore Ravens
RB: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards
WR: Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman (R), Devin Duvernay, Miles Boyking
TE: Mark Andrews
It seems unlikely that Watkins will ever be the player that he was drafted to be at No. 4 overall back in 2014, but a healthy Watkins seems like it would be an improvement over last year's WR2 in Baltimore, Willie Snead. He and rookie Rashod Bateman could provide Lamar Jackson with some more fire power, but it still isn't too intimidating a group overall.
26.) Houston Texans
RB: David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram
WR: Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Keke Coutee, Nico Collins (R), Chris Conley
TE: Jordan Akins
Brandin Cooks had a bounce-back season and was able to quickly find chemistry with Deshaun Watson, going for well over 1,000 yards while achieving the most important thing: staying healthy. But he lacks true star power, and that's the case for this somewhat deep but not all that exciting unit. Last season's most expensive free agent wide receiver, Randall Cobb, will hope to stay healthy, as is the case for David Johnson, and rookie Nico Collins and his big frame could be fun to watch if he can win an opportunity early.
25.) Indianapolis Colts
RB: Jonathan Taylor, Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines
WR: T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal
TE: Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox
There wasn't much change in the receiving group for the Colts, though it seemed like they were in a good position to pull the trigger on a bigger name to add to the corps. Pittman Jr. should only continue to grow, Hines is a quarterback's best friend, and there are two more-than-capable pass-catching tight ends at Carson Wentz's disposal. It's an upgrade over his corps in Philadelphia from last year, if not much else.
No. 24 to 19
Ja'Marr Chase hauls in a pass at practice for the Bengals.
(Albert Cesare/The Enquirer via USA Today)
24.) Washington Football Team
RB: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic
WR: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, Dyami Brown, Steven Sims Jr.
TE: Logan Thomas, John Bates (R), Ricky Seals-Jones
The addition of Samuel adds another dimension — or two, or three — to the Washington offense, seeing as he proved to be a versatile threat with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same offense as Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore and (when healthy) Christian McCaffrey. Him, alongside the intriguing talents of McLaurin and Thomas out wide gives Ryan Fitzpatrick a solid group to work with. What's more is that Antonio Gibson has sky-high expectations in year two, and that goes for his impact as a receiver (36 catches for 247 yards in 2020) as well.
23.) Jacksonville Jaguars
RB: Travis Etienne (R), James Robinson, Carlos Hyde
WR: D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, Collin Johnson, Phillip Dorsett
TE: Chris Manhertz, James O'Shaughnessy
Rookie running back Etienne was a formidable receiving threat in Clemson and has built-in chemistry with new face of the franchise Trevor Lawrence, so having him in the backfield will help big time. But so will Chark, who's only one year removed from a 1,000-yard season, and Jones, who was only 22 yards shy of that mark in 2020. Shenault is only scratching the surface in terms of how dangerous he can be. If Lawrence performs like we're hyping him up, he might make us realize that these names are even better than we've given them credit for.
22.) Las Vegas Raiders
RB: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Jalen Richard
WR: Henry Ruggs, John Brown, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Zay Jones, Willie Snead
TE: Darren Waller
That wide receiver unit is pretty deep but pretty unexciting, save for the potential that Ruggs blossoms in year two. The real excitement happens at tight end, where there's a real argument to be made that Waller is the most dominant receiving weapon at his position — he had 43 catches for 654 yards over the final five weeks of 2020 — and both Jacobs and Drake have shown that they can be viable options through the air.
21.) Cincinnati Bengals
RB: Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine
WR: Tyler Boyd, Ja'Marr Chase (R), Tee Higgins, Auden Tate, Mike Thomas
TE: Drew Sample, C.J. Uzomah
Boyd, Chase and Higgins could sneakily emerge as a top-ten wide receiver trio in all of football. Seriously. There's a reason the Bengals decided to reunite Joe Burrow with his top-tier wideout from their LSU days with a very high draft pick, and it shouldn't take long for Chase to burst onto the scene. It didn't take long for Higgins to do so last season, finishing with 908 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, and Tyler Boyd's first season without A.J. Green could bring him back to 1,000-yard production like he had in both 2018 and 2019.
20.) San Francisco 49ers
RB: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Trey Sermon (R)
WR: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Richie James, Jalen Hurd
TE: George Kittle, Ross Dwelley
Samuel and Aiyuk are one of the most intriguing young duos in the league, with two years and one year of experience, respectively, under their belts. Both are threats to go over 1,000 yards regardless of who's under center for the majority of the year, and the same goes for Kittle, who rivals Darren Waller and Travis Kelce (and if it's not too early, Kyle Pitts) for the title of the top receiving TE. All the running backs in town have decent receiving prowess as well.
19.) Denver Broncos
RB: Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams (R)
WR: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick
TE: Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam
There's a whole lot of intriguing young talent for Drew Lock — or, erm, someone else, maybe, in Broncos fans' dreams, etc. — to work with this year in Denver. Not that it's different from last season, though Sutton, the team's Pro Bowl wideout from 2019, was out for practically the whole campaign. It will certainly be nice to watch him, as well as potential sophomore breakouts Jeudy and Hamler, play at full speed for a full season. Fant is quietly heading toward top-tier receiving tight end status, which also doesn't hurt.
No. 18 to 13
Kyle Pitts is looking to turn heads in his rookie season in Atlanta.
(Dale Zanine/USA Today)
18.) Atlanta Falcons
RB: Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson
WR: Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, Olamide Zaccheaus
TE: Kyle Pitts (R), Hayden Hurst
There are only so many players that would ease the pain in losing a Hall of Fame-bound wideout who has been a key cog for a team over the past decade. Luckily, the Falcons drafted one of those players in Kyle Pitts, whose pre-draft hype likely led some fans to believe that he'll take the field and pretty much be the Incredible Hulk out there... which he might. Add that to the bonafide star that is Calvin Ridley, the Swiss army knife that is Cordarrelle Patterson and the rest of the supporting case, and Matt Ryan's got a solid corps once again.
17.) Green Bay Packers
RB: Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon
WR: Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Amari Rodgers (R)
TE: Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis
There aren't too many new features — in fact, the biggest change is probably that Jamaal Williams is no longer the primary receiving back behind Aaron Jones — but Aaron Rodgers apparently didn't need all that many new features when he had his MVP 2020 campaign. Of course, the 2021 outlook all depends on how his whole situation with the Packers goes down, and the pass-catching corps will be anxiously watching in the background until something happens. Whoever is under center, it'll be hard to stop arguably the best wide receiver in the game, Adams, on a weekly basis.
16.) Los Angeles Rams
RB: Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson
WR: Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell (R)
TE: Tyler Higbee, Johnny Mundt
If DeSean Jackson still has anything left in the tank — it was hard to know last year in Philadelphia, given constant injuries — then Matt Stafford is going to do his best to get the most of it. But even without Jackson, Woods and Kupp form an extremely reliable duo who are yearly Pro Bowl contenders. Ideally, the running backs can play a bigger role in the passing game, and Higbee can bounce back to his 2019 end-of-year form, in which he had five straight games of at least seven catches and 80 yards.
15.) Carolina Panthers
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard (R)
WR: Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, David Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr. (R)
TE: Dan Arnold, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble (R)
Sam Darnold has more weapons in Carolina than he had in New York... in McCaffrey alone. However, a reunion with Anderson, who had two solid years under Darnold before a 1,096-yard breakout in 2020, and a top-tier companion in Moore also go a long way. Rookie Marshall Jr. could step in right away, too, after taking the reins for LSU's receiving game last season amid Ja'Marr Chase's opt-out.
14.) Los Angeles Chargers
RB: Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson
WR: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Josh Palmer (R)
TE: Jared Cook, Donald Parham Jr.
Four different receivers — Allen, Williams, Guyton and now-Patriot Hunter Henry — had 500 yards under Justin Herbert during his rookie season, and that number should go up with a healthy Ekeler and with Cook taking over the tight end role. It's a good group with all the roles filled — route runners like Ekeler and Allen, big bodies like Williams and Cook, and deep threats like Guyton and Johnson. Maybe not the most exciting, but extremely solid.
13.) Miami Dolphins
RB: Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown, Salvon Ahmed
WR: DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle (R), Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden Jr., Jakeem Grant
TE: Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe
This might have been the hardest team to place on the list, and I feel like I can simultaneously argue with myself that they're ranked both too low and too high. The fact of the matter is that there is so much depth and versatility in the wide receiver group alone, with new additions Fuller and Waddle both presenting massive ceilings. Gesicki is on his way to becoming that same breed of dominant pass-catching tight end that we've seen emerge in recent years. Tua Tagovailoa's got to get his A-game on, because his receiving corps sure looks ready to go.
No. 12 to 7
A.J. Green and DeAndre Hopkins at Cardinals practice.
(Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today)
12.) New Orleans Saints
RB: Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, Ty Montgomery
WR: Michael Thomas, Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, Juwan Johnson
TE: Taysom Hill (when he's not at QB), Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett
Don't overthink this one. Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook may no longer be in town, and some of the names above are perhaps players you're not familiar with. But again, don't overthink it. Because Alvin Kamara is the best pass-catching running back in football, and Michael Thomas should still be considered among the top-three receivers in the game. It's not a deep unit, but it's so heavy at the top that it shouldn't be left out of the top half of pass-catching units.
11.) Buffalo Bills
RB: Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Matt Breida
WR: Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie
TE: Dawson Knox, Jacob Hollister
We knew that the acquisition of Diggs would have a major impact for Buffalo, but I certainly didn't foresee the monstrous year that he'd have. He's a legitimate top-ten receiver in the game, which definitely went hand-in-hand with Josh Allen's emergence as an elite quarterback. A nice mix of veteran and young receivers round out a great unit, though both the running back and tight end presence through the air feels a little bit lacking.
10.) New York Giants
RB: Saquon Barkley, Devontae Booker, Corey Clement
WR: Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney (R), John Ross
TE: Evan Engram, Kyle Rudolph
Health is going to be the biggest concern for the 2021 Giants' pass-catchers, seeing as there are two elite options in town who have dealt with recent injuries. But if Barkley and Golladay can stay healthy, there are few excuses for Daniel Jones not to have a good amount of success offensively. It's deeper than that, too, with both Slayton and Shepard having proven success and rookie Toney holding a lot of intrigue as the No. 20 overall pick in 2021. And if Evan Engram can drop fewer passes, he can live up to his 2020 Pro Bowl honor that had many people raising their eyebrows.
9.) Seattle Seahawks
RB: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer
WR: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Freddie Swain, D'Wayne Eskridge (R)
TE: Gerald Everett, Will Dissly
Metcalf and Lockett, Lockett and Metcalf... whichever order you prefer, they're both insanely talented targets and are basically all that Russell Wilson needs out there. Second rounder Eskridge turned heads in pre-draft workouts, and he'll hope to move up the depth chart and make an impact. And though neither the running backs nor tight ends are too, too exciting in terms of their pass-catching, Carson has over 70 catches and six receiving touchdowns over the last two years, and Everett showed some flashes in L.A.
8.) Minnesota Vikings
RB: Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison
WR: Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Chad Beebe, Bisi Johnson
TE: Irv Smith Jr., Tyler Conklin
We know what Cook can do through the air, adding another element to his already impossible-to-stop presence. We know what Thielen and Jefferson are capable of, with even more intrigue regarding the latter after one of the finest rookie seasons we've ever watched. There aren't too many teams that can say they have not one but two top-10 wide receivers, but the Vikings are one of them. What we don't know is how Smith Jr. might do in a true TE1 role without Kyle Rudolph in town, and the 2019 second-rounder could be in for a nice breakout season.
7.) Arizona Cardinals
RB: Chase Edmonds, James Conner
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore (R), KeeSean Johnson, Andy Isabella, (Larry Fitzgerald?)
TE: Maxx Williams, Darrell Daniels
Just imagine a receiving corps of Hopkins, Green and Fitzgerald. I don't care how old or how broken down some of those names have been in recent years; that's a trio to be excited about. Add in the fact that Kirk is very solid, Moore was a second round pick and both Edmonds and Conner can play a role through the air, and Kyler Murray is surrounded by some studs.
No. 6 to 1
New Tennessee Titans wide receiver Julio Jones.
(George Walker IV/The Tennessean via USA Today)
6.) Tennessee Titans
RB: Derrick Henry, Darrynton Evans, Jeremy McNichols
WR: A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, Josh Reynolds, Dez Fitzpatrick (R), Cameron Batson
TE: Anthony Firkser, Geoff Swaim
Oh no, we lost Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith... what ever will we do? How about go out and get a surefire Hall of Famer who, though age is getting up there, is still an elite talent in the league. There are only so many receivers who you can legitimately argue are better than Jones... and one of them happens to be his new teammate. Brown built upon his strong debut season with an even better follow-up effort (1,075 yards, 11 touchdowns) in two fewer games. It gets a little bit shaky after that, but their talent is too dominant to ignore.
5.) Pittsburgh Steelers
RB: Najee Harris, Benny Snell Jr., Anthony McFarland Jr.
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Ray-Ray McCloud
TE: Eric Ebron, Pat Freiermuth (R)
A case of the drops came over the Pittsburgh offense last season, but if we put that in the rear-view mirror and think about what we know these guys are capable of, it really is a great group. JuJu, Claypool and Johnson are all legitimate 1,000-yard threats with a competent passer — a.k.a. a healthy Ben Roethlisberger — running the show, and there are few more imposing red zone targets than Ebron when he's not dealing with butterfingers. Najee Harris, who had a solid receiving role at Alabama, will be thrust into the offense in a big way, so look for him to contribute as well.
4.) Cleveland Browns
RB: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt
WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz (R)
TE: Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant, David Njoku
When healthy, Beckham Jr. and Landry have shown just how lethal a duo they can be. We know that Chubb is dominant on the ground but capable through the air, and Hunt is a receiving specialist. Hooper was a monster in Atlanta in 2019, and he's hoping to find that connection with Baker Mayfield sooner rather than later. Young talents like Higgins, Peoples-Jones, Bryant and the blazing fast Schwartz give Mayfield even more ammunition. It looks like Cleveland fans are in for another fun year — it's almost like we've grown used to saying that, for a change!
3.) Dallas Cowboys
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard
WR: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedrick Wilson
TE: Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz, Jeremy Sprinkle
This pass-catching unit was helping Dak Prescott toward record-setting numbers before he went down to a season-ending injury. Through four games, Prescott was on pace for a casual 6,760 passing yards and a 3-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio. With an even stronger sophomore season expected from rookie star CeeDee Lamb (935 yards, five touchdowns) and a healthy Prescott, this offense should return to one of the league's best.
2.) Kansas City Chiefs
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon
WR: Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Cornell Powell (R)
TE: Travis Kelce, Blake Bell
Though the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL belongs to either Brown and Jones in Tennessee, Thielen and Jefferson in Minnesota or the two guys who take the No. 1 spot on this list, the best pass-catcher tandem in the league is probably the Chiefs' Hill and Kelce. The latter plays more like a dominant wideout than a tight end, and Hill's uncontainable speed is the perfect weapon for Patrick Mahomes and his devastating arm strength. It's been that way for a few years, now, and nothing's gonna change for a while.
1.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB: Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones II, Giovani Bernard
WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, Jaelon Darden (R)
TE: Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate
You know what this team was missing? A pass-catching running back in the James White-type mold, and so Giovani Bernard came in and filled that final hole. That's it. Everything is there for Tom Brady now, and a repeat Super Bowl effort is certainly in store. Good luck to the 31 other NFL teams in stopping this attack once again.
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