The rest of the NFL believes Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is among the elites, and there's a drop off after him

The talent level at wide receiver has never been higher in the NFL, and the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the very best in Ja'Marr Chase.

ESPN's annual top 10 wide receivers has Chase right below Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings and Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, but league executives, coaches, and scouts firmly have Chase in that group with a "big drop-off" after them.

"He's still clearly in Tier 1, with a big drop-off in voting after the top three." - ESPN's Jeremy Fowler

More like Tier Uno if we're keeping it real.

That's immense praise for Chase to be grouped together with the two best wideouts in the game, and ahead of guys like Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb and Las Vegas Raiders' Davante Adams. Hill and Jefferson were first and second, respectively, in yards per game in 2023 while Chase ranked 12th. Cincinnati's top receiver posted 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games played.

But the league knows the context behind that production.

Quarterback Joe Burrow playing injured during the first four weeks of the season and then missing the final seven games due to another injury greatly impacted how productive Chase could've been last year. In the five games he and Burrow played together when Burrow was healthy (Week 5-10), he averaged 107.4 yards and a touchdown per game.

The sample size was small, but Chase's ability to put up numbers was clearly still there when he had quality quarterback play. Had the season gone to plan, Chase's production would've better matched his #3 ranking.

"I think Chase is proof of how much targets, volume and QB play can affect even the best receivers. Chase's play didn't fall off at all. He's in his prime." - AFC scout on Chase

The respect Chase has earned from around the league further amplifies how important he is to the Bengals. It's why he will be paid around what Jefferson just got from the Vikings when the time comes .

For now, the Bengals can enjoy having one of the league's truly elite playmakers for a fraction of the cost.

Related: Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase shares picture with Hall of Fame player who used to terrorize Cincinnati