If you want to sum up the state of the wide receiver position heading into 2022 drafts, I think this does it about as well as anything else: Wide receivers make up just nine of my top 24 and 19 of the top 48, but then 48 of the next 102 players are WR. The position is lighter on obvious impact players than we’ve gotten used to in recent years, but it remains as deep as ever with contributors.
In recent weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that I think there’s probably a more definitive gap between Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase than I initially thought, hence the tier gap between them. Chase could, of course, take a step forward in his second season the same way Jefferson did, though I think it’s worth noting that while Jefferson did maintain elite efficiency, he still averaged 1.5 yards per target less in his second season than his first; he made up for that with 42 more targets, and it’s harder to project that kind of increase for Chase with Tee Higgins also demanding targets.
Of course, I’m happy to have either as my No. 1 wide receiver, and it might be more important to get one of those elite guys because I’m just not sure how many of them there are this season. I feel very confident in the top five in my rankings being elite and pretty good about the next two tiers, but there are enough questions about them all to be at least a little skeptical. Deebo Samuel in particular fell a few spots (and a tier) for me, as I’m just not at all convinced that he’s going to get the volume or quality of touches he needs to come close to repeating last season.
- Cooper Kupp*
- Davante Adams
- Justin Jefferson*
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Stefon Diggs*
- Mike Evans
- CeeDee Lamb*
- Deebo Samuel
- Tyreek Hill
- A.J. Brown*
- Diontae Johnson
- D.J. Moore
- Tee Higgins
- Keenan Allen
- Brandin Cooks*
- Michael Pittman Jr.
- Mike Williams
- Marquise Brown
- Jaylen Waddle
- Amari Cooper
- Chris Godwin
- Terry McLaurin
- D.K. Metcalf*
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Allen Robinson
- Robert Woods
- Darnell Mooney*
- Jerry Jeudy
- Adam Thielen
- Rashod Bateman
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Michael Thomas
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Kadarius Toney
- Gabe Davis*
- Drake London
- Tyler Lockett
- Courtland Sutton
- DeVonta Smith
- Elijah Moore
- Hunter Renfrow
- Russell Gage
- Jarvis Landry
- Chase Claypool
- Chris Olave
- Garrett Wilson*
- Julio Jones
- DeVante Parker
- Tyler Boyd
- Allen Lazard
- Corey Davis
- Christian Kirk
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Marvin Jones
- Tim Patrick
- Kenny Golladay
- Curtis Samuel
- Rondale Moore
- Jamison Crowder
- Treylon Burks
- Donovan Peoples-Jones*
*End of a tier
