2022 NFL Wide Receiver Tiers: From Davante Adams to Odell Beckham Jr.
NFL wide receivers are some of the best athletes in all of professional sports. They possess incredible hand-eye coordination, blazing speed, and complete body control. While the quarterback will always be looked at as the most important position, today's group of star NFL wide receivers are, arguably, most talented.
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NFL receivers are known for two things: making unbelievable catches and getting traded. The offseason was filled with blockbuster deals for some of the game's biggest names, including Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.
It will be interesting to see how quickly these receivers develop chemistry with their new quarterbacks. It is unrealistic to expect the exact same results in brand new scenarios, but if the fall-off is too severe, teams will be wondering if the price they paid was too high.
For the 2022 NFL wide receiver tiers, we are including those who I believe are the top 35 or so players in the game. We are excluding rookies because it's too much of a projection at this point in their NFL careers.
Here are the 2022 NFL wide receiver tiers:
Tier 1: Best in the game
- Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
- Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
- Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
- Ceedee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
- Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
- DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
- Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Kupp, the reigning Superbowl MVP, was basically an automatic for the Rams in 2021. If the ball was in his direction, it was going to get caught; and if it got caught, there was a good chance he was going to take it to the endzone.
Jefferson is quietly vying for the best spot in the league and if he was playing with an elite NFL quarterback, he might already be there.
While there are questions surrounding Samuel's future with the 49ers, he has changed the position, combining his elite pass catching skills with some serious downfield running.
Joe Burrow might have gotten all the attention in last year's playoff run, but it was Ja'Marr Chase who made every catch.
Tier 2: Ball hawks in new places
- Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
- AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
- Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
- Hollywood Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Adams and Hill would be in the top tier if it wasn't for their moves to new teams. Going from Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to Derek Carr and Tua Tagovailoa is a drop off. How much of a drop off that will be remains to seen.
Both Browns might have moved on to better situations. AJ moved from a run first team to teaming with DeVonta Smith to form one of the best receiver pairs in football.
Hollywood is back with his college teammate in Kyler Murray, so the connection is there from the outset. Cooper is the unquestioned number one receiver in Cleveland for whoever will be passing him the ball in the 2022 NFL season.
Tier 3: Young and ready to explode
- Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
- Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
- Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
- DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
- Elijah Moore, New York Jets
- Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
- Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills
- Aman St. Brown, Detroit Lions
When it comes to this list of breakout receivers, they either have intimidating size or breakaway speed. Waddle tops this list with a blend of production and potential. Seeing him and Tyreek Hill fly down the field will be a weekly treat.
Jeudy has been a consistent threat without a consistent quarterback. Now that Russell Wilson is in town, Jeudy could find himself in tier one.
Mooney is the de-facto number one target for Justin Fields and the two of them have developed a nice rapport. Davis broke out in a huge way in the playoffs and finds himself in the upper echelon of NFL pass catchers.
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Tier 4: The trusted veteran
- Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
- Chris Godwin & Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Adam Theilen, Minnesota Vikings
- Keenan Allen & Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
You know exactly what you are going to get with this group of NFL wide receivers. Lockett was Wilson's number one target in Seattle, and while he doesn't have the measurables of his teammate Metcalf, he just makes big catches.
With Drew Lock under center, Lockett's production will drop, but it won't be because his ability has diminished. Godwin and Evans have been one of the most reliable NFL pairs and when Tom Brady returned, he was sure to make sure both of his main targets did as well.
Injuries have hobbled Theilen's career lately, but he is the perfect compliment for the talent that is Justin Jefferson. Allen and Williams are not the flashiest players in their position, but they know how to play the position effectively.
Tier 5: The underappreciated
- DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers
- Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
- Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
- Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans
- Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
- Allen Robinson, Los Angeles Rams
- Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Moore, Higgins and Johnson are legitimate NFL stars who are in odd situations. Moore has been playing in quarterback limbo in Carolina but remains a player defensive coordinators need to plan for.
Higgins was fantastic for the Bengals but got lost in the Chase/Burrow hype. Johnson needs to stop with the dropped passes, but he was still productive with a practically immobile Big Ben as his quarterback.
Brandin Cooks keeps getting traded but might have found a home with the Texans. Sutton should be higher on this list and might be playing with Wilson. Speaking of quarterback limbo, Robinson has been playing with bad quarterbacks his entire career (including Christian Hackenberg at Penn State).
Now he finds himself with the pass-happy Matthew Stafford Rams, where things can only get better. The Cowboys were so confident in Gallup that they had no issue trading former number one Amari Cooper.
Tier 6: The question marks
- Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
- Odell Beckham Jr, Los Angeles Rams (we think)
- DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
Two years ago, Michael Thomas was the best wide receiver in football. Injuries and questions about his willingness to play football derailed his career. The Saints traded up in 2022 to draft Chris Olave and the question is, did they draft him to pair with Thomas or replace him?
Beckham looked to have found a home in Los Angeles, but after tearing his ACL, his future is in doubt.
There's no question that a motivated and healthy Beckham is a touchdown machine, but if he continues to bounce around the league, he won't find himself on this list next year. Hopkins will be back this year, but after a drug suspension, questions about your career will follow.