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1. New England Patriots
Led by QB Tom Brady and his amazing supporting cast, the Patriots scored an NFL-record 589 points. WR Randy Moss is coming off one of the all-time great seasons by a wide receiver, with 98 catches for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 TD catches. He is still a spectacular athlete who has the explosive ability to attack all levels in the passing game. Wes Welker is a very instinctive slot receiver with the knack to find soft spots and the ability to get open in the short and intermediate areas in the passing game. Jabar Gaffney is a solid No. 3 receiver who has a great rapport with Brady. He makes a lot of plays with the backend when opponents focus on stopping either Moss or Welker. Two players to keep an eye on this year are former second-round pick Chad Jackson, who has been hampered by injuries over his short career, and veteran backup Kelley Washington.
2. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are the No. 2 team due to their amazing duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Both players are big-time receivers who place a tremendous amount of pressure on opposing defenses' backend. These two thrive off of one another, and few teams in the league have a better situation at wide receiver. Fitzgerald has great size and enough speed to go along with his excellent hands and body control. He excels in the red zone and can stretch the field or eat a cornerback alive with his possession routes. Boldin is probably the No. 2 option in this offense, but he is a true No. 1 on just about any team in the league. He has great size and physicality. He is tough and makes a lot of big plays after the catch. There are a host of candidates who will compete for the No. 3 role, led by third-round pick Early Doucet, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban and Ahmad Merritt.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Even with all the offseason distractions revolving around WR Chad Johnson, the Bengals have a very talented receiving duo with Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. However, without Johnson, this ranking would be a lot lower. Johnson is an explosive playmaker who draws enough attention on the backend to open up the passing game and spacing for other players. He is an excellent route-runner with soft hands and the ability to attack all levels in the passing game. Houshmandzadeh is an exceptional second option who exploits one-on-one matchups in the short and intermediate areas. He is a very smart route-runner with excellent receiving skills and is a big-time threat in the red zone. Rookies Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Mario Urrutia will be counted on early to contribute.
4. Green Bay Packers
Head coach Mike McCarthy places a high emphasis on a short, high-percentage passing attack out of multiple spread groupings to set up the run. The Packers have a talented receiving corps led by Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Driver is the primary receiver and does a great job of occupying defenses, which allows Jennings more opportunities in the red zone. Driver is a terrific route-runner with very good athleticism and body control. He is a fearless player who will go over the middle and make a tough catch in a crowd. Jennings has good hands and is a very instinctive runner after the catch. James Jones is a solid possession receiver with natural catching skills and hands. He is a good route-runner with the ability to separate at break points. Rookie second-round pick Jordy Nelson will add solid depth to an impressive receiving corps.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Reggie Wayne might be the best receiver in the NFL. He is an excellent route-runner with great understanding of coverage concepts on the backend. He is an excellent athlete who can make plays on all levels and has a very good knack for attacking downfield balls. The biggest question mark is whether or not Marvin Harrison can get back to playing at a Pro Bowl level. If healthy, Harrison is one of the smartest route-runners in the NFL. He has outstanding receiving skills and a very good rapport with Manning. Backup Anthony Gonzalez is a good, young receiver who should continue to develop as a productive player in his second season.
6. Cleveland Browns
Under offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, the Browns have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. With receivers Braylon Edwards, Donte' Stallworth, Joe Jurevicius and Josh Cribbs, the Browns can place a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. Edwards is one of top young receivers in the NFL. He has game-changing speed and the ability create mismatches all over the field. He has natural hands and downfield leaping ability. Stallworth is a solid No. 2 receiver with big-time explosive speed, while Jurevicius is a solid possession receiver. The Browns must find a way to incorporate Cribbs more in the offense due to his ability to score anytime he touches the ball.
7. Detroit Lions
New offensive coordinator Jim Colletto had implemented a balance attack with a heavy emphasis on improving the run now that the Mike Martz era is over. However, the Lions have a pretty talented receiving corps led by Roy Williams. If the Lions had more consistency in the passing attack, this group could easily move up. Williams is a tremendous talent who has the ability to be the total package. Calvin Johnson is a young, developing player who has all the tools to be an elite player in future years. Backup receiver Shaun McDonald led the Lions in receptions last season, while Mike Furrey has equal value to McDonald and can make a lot of plays as the fourth receiver. Both McDonald and Furrey are smart, instinctive receivers who can get open and make plays.
8. Dallas Cowboys
Even though the Cowboys extended Terrell Owens' contract recently, he still turns 35 this season. However, he continues to play at a very high level. Patrick Crayton can be a decent No. 2 receiver opposite Owens. He can align both in the slot and on the outside, where he can utilize his size and speed to get separation. He is above-average route-runner with big-play ability. Terry Glenn is an experienced player with explosive playmaking skills, but played in only one game last season due to a knee injury. There is uncertainty with his future playing status with the Cowboys. Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback all contributed on special team units last season and must find consistent roles in offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's multiple spread sets. The Cowboys don't have a lot depth behind their experienced starters
9. San Diego Chargers
Last season's addition of Chris Chambers gives the Chargers a solid starting tandem with Vincent Jackson. Chambers is an experienced receiver with speed and quickness on the outside and has the ability to catch the ball in stride and hit explosive plays down the field. Jackson is a huge target in the passing game and takes advantage of his 6-foot-5 frame by out-jumping defenders down the field. Although he doesn't separate well at times, he has the ability to make tough catches in a crowd. Both Chambers and Jackson complement each other well in the Chargers' passing attack. Buster Davis is a young player with a lot of potential, while Malcom Floyd and Kassim Osgood give the Chargers a lot of depth at a critical position.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians loves to spread the field with multiple personnel groupings and attack through the air with the arm strength of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Hines Ward has been nicked up a good bit, and with his physical style of play and age, he needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season. However, Ward is still a very good football player who is effective in the short and intermediate areas in the passing game. Santonio Holmes is an intriguing young player who must become more consistent and durable. He is an explosive threat who can attack the vertical areas of the field. Nate Washington is the third receiver who could easily lose his job to rookie Limas Sweed, a second-round pick out of Texas. Sweed is a big, athletic receiver who has a tremendous upside to develop. Behind the starters, Pittsburgh's receiving corps is very average and it needs someone to step up as the No. 3 guy.
1. New England Patriots
Led by QB Tom Brady and his amazing supporting cast, the Patriots scored an NFL-record 589 points. WR Randy Moss is coming off one of the all-time great seasons by a wide receiver, with 98 catches for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 TD catches. He is still a spectacular athlete who has the explosive ability to attack all levels in the passing game. Wes Welker is a very instinctive slot receiver with the knack to find soft spots and the ability to get open in the short and intermediate areas in the passing game. Jabar Gaffney is a solid No. 3 receiver who has a great rapport with Brady. He makes a lot of plays with the backend when opponents focus on stopping either Moss or Welker. Two players to keep an eye on this year are former second-round pick Chad Jackson, who has been hampered by injuries over his short career, and veteran backup Kelley Washington.
The Cardinals are the No. 2 team due to their amazing duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Both players are big-time receivers who place a tremendous amount of pressure on opposing defenses' backend. These two thrive off of one another, and few teams in the league have a better situation at wide receiver. Fitzgerald has great size and enough speed to go along with his excellent hands and body control. He excels in the red zone and can stretch the field or eat a cornerback alive with his possession routes. Boldin is probably the No. 2 option in this offense, but he is a true No. 1 on just about any team in the league. He has great size and physicality. He is tough and makes a lot of big plays after the catch. There are a host of candidates who will compete for the No. 3 role, led by third-round pick Early Doucet, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban and Ahmad Merritt.
Even with all the offseason distractions revolving around WR Chad Johnson, the Bengals have a very talented receiving duo with Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. However, without Johnson, this ranking would be a lot lower. Johnson is an explosive playmaker who draws enough attention on the backend to open up the passing game and spacing for other players. He is an excellent route-runner with soft hands and the ability to attack all levels in the passing game. Houshmandzadeh is an exceptional second option who exploits one-on-one matchups in the short and intermediate areas. He is a very smart route-runner with excellent receiving skills and is a big-time threat in the red zone. Rookies Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Mario Urrutia will be counted on early to contribute.
Head coach Mike McCarthy places a high emphasis on a short, high-percentage passing attack out of multiple spread groupings to set up the run. The Packers have a talented receiving corps led by Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Driver is the primary receiver and does a great job of occupying defenses, which allows Jennings more opportunities in the red zone. Driver is a terrific route-runner with very good athleticism and body control. He is a fearless player who will go over the middle and make a tough catch in a crowd. Jennings has good hands and is a very instinctive runner after the catch. James Jones is a solid possession receiver with natural catching skills and hands. He is a good route-runner with the ability to separate at break points. Rookie second-round pick Jordy Nelson will add solid depth to an impressive receiving corps.
Reggie Wayne might be the best receiver in the NFL. He is an excellent route-runner with great understanding of coverage concepts on the backend. He is an excellent athlete who can make plays on all levels and has a very good knack for attacking downfield balls. The biggest question mark is whether or not Marvin Harrison can get back to playing at a Pro Bowl level. If healthy, Harrison is one of the smartest route-runners in the NFL. He has outstanding receiving skills and a very good rapport with Manning. Backup Anthony Gonzalez is a good, young receiver who should continue to develop as a productive player in his second season.
Under offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, the Browns have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. With receivers Braylon Edwards, Donte' Stallworth, Joe Jurevicius and Josh Cribbs, the Browns can place a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. Edwards is one of top young receivers in the NFL. He has game-changing speed and the ability create mismatches all over the field. He has natural hands and downfield leaping ability. Stallworth is a solid No. 2 receiver with big-time explosive speed, while Jurevicius is a solid possession receiver. The Browns must find a way to incorporate Cribbs more in the offense due to his ability to score anytime he touches the ball.
New offensive coordinator Jim Colletto had implemented a balance attack with a heavy emphasis on improving the run now that the Mike Martz era is over. However, the Lions have a pretty talented receiving corps led by Roy Williams. If the Lions had more consistency in the passing attack, this group could easily move up. Williams is a tremendous talent who has the ability to be the total package. Calvin Johnson is a young, developing player who has all the tools to be an elite player in future years. Backup receiver Shaun McDonald led the Lions in receptions last season, while Mike Furrey has equal value to McDonald and can make a lot of plays as the fourth receiver. Both McDonald and Furrey are smart, instinctive receivers who can get open and make plays.
Even though the Cowboys extended Terrell Owens' contract recently, he still turns 35 this season. However, he continues to play at a very high level. Patrick Crayton can be a decent No. 2 receiver opposite Owens. He can align both in the slot and on the outside, where he can utilize his size and speed to get separation. He is above-average route-runner with big-play ability. Terry Glenn is an experienced player with explosive playmaking skills, but played in only one game last season due to a knee injury. There is uncertainty with his future playing status with the Cowboys. Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback all contributed on special team units last season and must find consistent roles in offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's multiple spread sets. The Cowboys don't have a lot depth behind their experienced starters
Last season's addition of Chris Chambers gives the Chargers a solid starting tandem with Vincent Jackson. Chambers is an experienced receiver with speed and quickness on the outside and has the ability to catch the ball in stride and hit explosive plays down the field. Jackson is a huge target in the passing game and takes advantage of his 6-foot-5 frame by out-jumping defenders down the field. Although he doesn't separate well at times, he has the ability to make tough catches in a crowd. Both Chambers and Jackson complement each other well in the Chargers' passing attack. Buster Davis is a young player with a lot of potential, while Malcom Floyd and Kassim Osgood give the Chargers a lot of depth at a critical position.
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians loves to spread the field with multiple personnel groupings and attack through the air with the arm strength of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Hines Ward has been nicked up a good bit, and with his physical style of play and age, he needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season. However, Ward is still a very good football player who is effective in the short and intermediate areas in the passing game. Santonio Holmes is an intriguing young player who must become more consistent and durable. He is an explosive threat who can attack the vertical areas of the field. Nate Washington is the third receiver who could easily lose his job to rookie Limas Sweed, a second-round pick out of Texas. Sweed is a big, athletic receiver who has a tremendous upside to develop. Behind the starters, Pittsburgh's receiving corps is very average and it needs someone to step up as the No. 3 guy.
