The Parameters: Tight Ends Included
As the landscape of the NFL has shifted over the past few years, coaches continually tout the rise of “positionless football.” While that has not fully come to fruition, there has been a blurring of lines in terms of where teams find production. That is especially true in the passing game, where players who would not have been WR1 body types twenty years ago, such as Tyreek Hill, are now among the best in the game.
Coaches no longer look to run their passing game through a 6’2”, 220-pound X receiver who lines up outside and wins down the field. Production comes from everywhere. Yes, there are still players in that mold — AJ Brown bullies corners down the sideline regularly. But Amon-Ra St. Brown wins primarily from the slot, and teams like the Chiefs and Ravens rely on tight ends to be their number one weapons.
The receiving landscape is diverse. For that reason, this list takes into account all secondary target earners in offenses around the league. Tight ends and running backs are considered in addition to wide receivers, although (at least for the time being) no backs are on the list.
There are also several teams where the pecking order may not yet be established due to injury or off-season additions who have not played together yet. In those instances, I’m making an educated guess given that we don’t yet know who gets how much of the pie.
The Top 10 Second Receivers (In Reverse Order)
10. Jordan Addison
What Addison did last year as a rookie, particularly while Justin Jefferson was injured, helped to sustain an offense that otherwise could easily have floundered without any other legitimate option on the outside. In seven games without Justin Jefferson in 2023, Addison recorded 35 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns.
Extrapolated over the course of a full season, those numbers would come out to 85 receptions, 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns. Obviously real life isn’t so simple as that — and we’re talking about Addison as WR2, meaning with Justin Jefferson. The point is that Addison is capable of taking an opposing team’s number-one corner and still being a viable option. He should only get better.
9. Calvin Ridley
Ridley has had a rollercoaster career so far. He began as WR2 behind one of the best receivers of all time in Julio Jones before looking like he would emerge as a WR1 in his own right following a 1,374-yard season in 2020. But last year, Ridley felt like a disappointment as a number one option in Jacksonville despite going over 1,000 yards again — because everyone remembers the drops in key moments more than the counting stats. We haven’t seen it on the field yet, but Ridley figures to be second in target share again in Tennessee, even with an aging DeAndre Hopkins in front of him. He has the ability to thrive in that role.
8. Chris Godwin
Godwin has been at the forefront of the emergence of a type of player dubbed the “big slot” by football media. Yes, he primarily plays in the slot, but he’s not in the mold of the small, shifty, Wes Welker-type players who defined the position for years. At 6’1” and 210 pounds, Godwin wins from the inside with route running savvy but also with strength and size. He’s one of the early success stories of a new type of receiver who can both run an option route and dig out a safety in the run game — a mold now also filled by players like Cooper Kupp and Amon-Ra St. Brown. He’ll keep playing Robin to Mike Evans’ Batman and he should keep being great at it.
7. Sam LaPorta
LaPorta broke out last year as a rookie, dominating with the athleticism and run-after-catch ability he flashed at Iowa. Only, unlike Iowa, the Lions, Jared Goff, and play-caller Ben Johnson were willing to lean on that ability as a feature of the offense — to great results. LaPorta didn’t just lead all rookie tight ends in receiving statistics last year, he had one of the best rookie seasons by any tight end ever, ranking third all-time among rookies at the position in yards and second in touchdowns. With Jameson Williams a question mark after injuries and suspension, LaPorta seems primed for a high-volume role going forward as the second option in one of the best offenses in the NFL.
6. Deebo Samuel
The 49ers receiving room is up in the air at the moment. Brandon Aiyuk has been the WR1 for the past two years, but he has requested a trade and seems likely to be dealt before the season starts (although negotiations do not appear to be going smoothly).
However, regardless of Aiyuk’s situation, we’re treating Samuel as the second option in San Francisco. In 2023, tight end George Kittle had both more receptions and yards than Samuel, and although Samuel has one of the most unique skillsets in the NFL, his rushing ability doesn’t factor into this list. He’s a special player who will continue to be used in innovative ways from the number two spot by perhaps the best offensive play-caller in football.
5. Devonta Smith
Now we’re getting into the range of receivers who can crack top receiving lists period — regardless of WR1 or WR2 designation. Smith and the players above him on this list could easily be number-one options for other teams, but they just happen to play alongside the most dominant receivers in the league.
Despite his slender frame and tendency to occasionally get pushed around by stronger players, Smith plays bigger than he is and isn’t afraid of contact. He is an efficient route runner with no wasted movement getting into and out of his breaks and has elite body control. His ability to contort himself back to the ball in compromising situations may be the best in the league.
4. Stefon Diggs
The Texans are another team whose target share pecking order we can’t be sure — Tank Dell was injured for much of last season and new addition Stefon Diggs obviously hasn’t played with the team in an actual game yet. That said, it seems reasonable that Nico Collins will still be the top target earner in the offense coming off of a 1,297-yard performance in 2023.
Diggs is getting older and has been increasingly up and down in recent years, following stretches of dominance with several weeks where he seemingly disappears from the offense. Still, when he’s healthy and on the field, he’s still capable of beating any corner in the game. Playing number two in what should be one of the best passing offenses in football seems like the perfect spot for him to finish his career.
3. Jaylen Waddle
One-half of the league’s most explosive WR tandem, Waddle pairs lightning-quick releases off the line with the long speed and control necessary to dominate at all three levels in the Dolphins’ spacing and pacing-based offense. He’s one of the league’s deadliest weapons on screens and shallow routes over the middle as he can break any short reception for chunk yardage with his vision and feel for running after the catch. He’ll get a chance in a few years to show he can be a WR1 (Tyreek Hill is 30 years old). For now, just enjoy the dynamic duo.
2. Tee Higgins
In 2021, there was a lot of talk in the football media sphere about how simple the Bengals’ passing game was. Where other top offenses like the 49ers and Rams feature motion and formation as ways to manipulate the defense, Cincinnati's success was predicated on one idea: our guys are better than yours. Tee Higgins is one of those guys. He can dunk on any corner down the sideline, survive any contact over the middle of the field, and turn 50-50 balls into 60-40 balls. He’d be WR1 on at least 28 other teams.
1. Puka Nacua
It’s tough to call the guy who just had a 1,400-yard season a supporting player because Puka Nacua is clearly a star. He just so happens to play next to a guy who had the second-greatest statistical wide receiver season of all time. And yes, there are questions about Cooper Kupp’s health and ability to continue to play to his standard at 31 years of age.
But until we see a clear decline in Kupp’s ability while he is actually on the field, I can’t justify booting an All-Pro from his spot atop the depth chart. For now, I’m sure the Rams and Matthew Stafford are content to simply enjoy their embarrassment of riches — and pepper both players with targets.
Honorable Mentions
The players below didn’t quite crack the list. But don’t be surprised if they’re on it next year.
Kyle Pitts
Trey McBride
TJ Hockenson
Tank Dell
Jahan Dotson
Rashee Rice
All the players mentioned above, though they differ wildly in body type, skillset and role, illustrate two key truths about the modern NFL. First, there are more talented receiving options in the league than perhaps at any other point in its history. Great receivers are in the talent pipeline seemingly every year. The second truth flows from the first one: to be better than your opponent, to win football games and especially playoff games in today’s league, you need as many of these guys as you can get.
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