Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 15 under age-25 for 2024

The wide receiver position is extremely well-stocked in both fantasy and real life.

It’s very difficult to make a position-specific rankings list without feeling like you’ve left someone out or neglected a really good player or two, but still, I’ll try… and I’ll definitely feel the aforementioned.

After spending hours charting many of the players drafted over the past few years, Acceptance and AwarenessSo, I decided to sit down and rank the top 15 wide receivers currently under the age of 25 heading into training camp (not including rookies).

One caveat: This isn’t just fantasy rankings, rather I’m looking at these guys as purely individual NFL players separated from their situations.

He was #1 on my list last season, and despite missing last year, there’s no reason to take Jefferson off his throne. Jefferson is a complete wide receiver, combining explosiveness with fine technique. He also became a dominant contested-catch receiver. This star receiver has captured the attention of defenses more than any other player at his position. His newly signed, record-breaking contract shows the value Jefferson will bring to the Vikings as a foundational player for years to come.

In 2023, CeeDee Lamb has risen from the top of my Tier 2 wide receivers to a truly elite group. It took a while for him to make the jump from the start of the season (Week 5). 49ers Lamb seemed to instigate it at first glance, but the Cowboys moved him in the formation on key downs and built the offense around him, which took that unit to new heights. Lamb can win at all three receiver positions, has great quickness to separate, and impressed me as a tight-coverage ball-winner last year.

Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t yet had a Jefferson-like season in 2022 or a Lamb-like season in 2023, but his entire skill set speaks to him being one of those players, and Chase could have one as early as this season.

and Tee Higgins Welcome back for another year, Slotman Tyler Boyd Outside the door and another external receiver Jermaine Burton As the most relevant addition, Chase will likely be used more in the slot in 2024, which could help him hit layups that carry receivers over 1,600 yards.

Garrett Wilson and the next guy on my list are the front-runners for “CeeDee Lamb of the Year” — that is, a top-tier, tier-two wide receiver who is a clear candidate to break into the elite tier. Wilson doesn’t have the track record to match up to the guys higher on this list, and we all know why.

Those who discredit Wilson with statistically-based arguments are at best disingenuous and at worst simply don’t understand how production works at the position. When isolated from his surroundings, he meets all the requirements of a superstar No. 1 wide receiver. Wilson is an explosive separator who can win at all three levels and dominate any game.

I’ve been a fan of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s play for many years and he has consistently exceeded my expectations. He’s more than just a slot receiver and has improved his ability to handle pressure in each of his three professional seasons. I’d go so far as to say he’s one of the most valuable receivers on a team’s offensive line that also happens to be one of the top scoring units in the NFL.

Some will criticize St. Brown for not impacting the play as far down the field as other top receivers, but he is great when it counts. His skill set and overall game have been a long-time favorite. Cooper Kuppwon the Triple Crown in 2021. St. Brown could have a season like that one day, especially if he continues to develop even more.

I wish I had the confidence to rank him higher on last year’s list, because when viewed in isolation by Reception Perception, Nico Collins always shone bright, it was just the terrible offensive environments that held him back his first two seasons.

Last season, he played as one of the best wide receivers in the game and delivered. He is the last player on this list who had a dominant season as an alpha wide receiver and has the skill to disrupt tactics. Collins is strong against press coverage and can handle X receiver duties.

Jaylen Waddle didn’t have the statistical season many expected, but that was mostly due to a combination of injuries and a bit of bad luck. On film, I think 2023 was his best NFL season. What most people don’t realize about the Dolphins offense is that most of the layups, planned targets, and positioning outside the line of scrimmage are Tyreek HillWaddle has to go up against physical coverage more often as an outside receiver and impressed me in that area last year more than ever. This guy still has a ceiling to reach.

Puka Nacua was a Day 3 draft pick and is coming off a phenomenal, record-breaking rookie season. He fits in extremely well with the Rams offense, which prioritizes middle of the field routes and demands more dirty work from its receivers than most offenses. It will be interesting to see if Nacua takes further strides in the next few years of his career. While he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional No. 1 receiver, he is a rugged playmaker who fits the current offensive meta prevalent in the NFL.

Drake London is another player who can only be truly appreciated when isolated from his surroundings. He played a lot of time as an X receiver in his first two seasons and was a better separator than he was given credit for. He’s adept at separating cleanly on middle base routes, but also has the build-up speed and ball-tracking ability to win deep breakout routes.

Rondon is a threat all over the field and the new coaching staff can get the most out of that by moving him around the formation. He’ll gobble up targets this season and should be a surefire superstar by November.

Devonta Smith didn’t have the best season, but coming out of 2022, I believed he was the most likely 1B receiver to be a top depth chart threat. The Eagles A.J. Brown Smith is under contract long term, so he only has to worry about being a high-end companion to an elite wide receiver. Smith is very good against press coverage, making him a great separator who could do a lot of the vertical perimeter work in Kellen Moore’s offense.

I’ve switched Chris Olave and DeVonta Smith around on this list multiple times, but I ended up with them here because the latter is more prevalent around the league, but while Smith is starting to settle in as a very good No. 2 player on one team and maybe a No. 1 on another, I think Olave has the potential to take it up a notch this season.

The Saints’ offense will be more favorable to wide receivers with their new offensive staff and more motion and play-action concepts, a configuration that will allow Olave’s excellent separation skills to be even more effective.

12. Tank DelHouston Texans

Tank Dell was a great rookie. Last season he was one of the best wide receivers in the game running big-boy outside break routes. He wasn’t the best among rookies, but he was a All NFL Wide ReceiversHe’s lethal against man coverage and is paired with a quarterback who can attack the deep areas on the outside of the field, and as long as he can stay healthy, he figures to be a highly efficient player even if he doesn’t play a lot of volume.

13. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

Tee Higgins at No. 13 is one of the tougher decisions when ranking receivers, and I may just be grading him a little lower than others, as I don’t necessarily think he’s going to be the true No. 1 wide receiver out of the Bengals’ offense.

That said, he plays better than expected in the middle of the field against man coverage and is a vertical threat with his contested-catch prowess. A healthy Higgins could improve the Bengals’ offense this year and do the same for another team in 2025.

Zay Flowers has had a great rookie season and still has plenty of energy to go around. Don’t think for a second that he’s just a touch guy or that he needs to hit screens to thrive. Flowers can beat man coverage on outbreak routes as a flanker receiver.

Flowers and Lamar Jackson He hasn’t always been on the same page on intermediate routes, but that’s an area where both receiver and quarterback can improve. He’ll need to improve against press coverage if he’s to become a No. 1 receiver, but I’m confident he’ll be a productive player for a long time.

To be honest, I’m not too sure about placing George Pickens at #15, higher than the first two players who “just missed the list.” The reason I tied the Steelers wide receiver is because he performed well against press coverage while running downfield routes as a crossing receiver.

Pickens has played in a dysfunctional offensive line with a poor quarterback, but his overall inconsistency and lack of effort as a separator have been a big factor in his spotty performance. He’s a good deep threat who can win contested catches with a high degree of difficulty, but he needs to take another step or two before he can become a No. 1 receiver with a high target share.

I just missed the list, in order

• Jayden Reed He was one of my favorite players in last year’s draft and had a great rookie season. I’d love to see him perform beyond slot or gadget duties, and he has the ability to do that.

• Jackson Smith-Njiba The footage is much better than the statistics suggest. Need to unlock Ryan Grubb’s offensive line in the middle.

• Ruthie Rice He has limited ability to win primarily on short routes and artificial touches, but he has been efficient in that role, but a poor offseason could sideline him this year.

• Rashid Shahid is my secret favorite for beating man coverage at all three levels, and he should be a breakout bet this season.

• If you were to make a list of “my friends”: Josh Downs Much higher. His separation skills are phenomenal and he can win the mid-range game as a slot receiver.

• Jordan Addison He made some big plays in Year 1 by using soft coverage on crossing routes, and looks like he could be a great No. 2 wide receiver long term, but he has to worry about two car issues in back-to-back offseasons.

• Jahan Dotson and Jerry Jeudy Both came off the list after disappointing 2023 seasons, and I think Dotson was much better on film than his route-by-route metrics indicated, and I strongly believe Washington’s offense was so poorly designed that they should forgive every player.

• Romeo Dube He’s been a solid player in Matt LaFleur’s offense, doing the thankless job of being the X receiver. Christian Watson Lose the snap Dontayvion Wicksshowed star quality in a limited role as a rookie.

• The Cardinals’ second-year receiver Michael Wilson He has the potential to jump to the top of this list, but he was a lot better as a rookie than people think, and I like him as the team’s No. 2 player behind Marvin Harrison Jr.