The NFC West has some very talented wide receivers. Some could have had better seasons in 2022.
But we continue our look at the NFC West entering this season and, as we have for a few summers, rank the players and the position groups.
Next up are the individual wide receivers.
Previous NFC West rankings:
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1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
After his record-setting year in 2021 where he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, earning the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and was named Super Bowl MVP, he got hurt midway through the season. In nine games, he still had 75 catches for 812 yards, which put him on a pace to catch 141 passes (he caught 145 in 2021) for 1,534 yards, still a monster year.
There isn’t anything he can’t do as a receiver.
2. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf had a mediocre 2021 season where he played injured. In 2022, he caught 90 passes for 1,048 yards. His size and speed still are incredibly scary.
3. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk gets ranked ahead of teammate Deebo Samuel because Samuel did not have an impactful 2022.
He caught a career-high 78 passes for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns, both also career-highs.
4. Hollywood Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Here’s a controversial ranking, putting Brown ahead of Samuel.
Brown showed last season before he got hurt that he can carry the load of a No. 1 receiver. In 2023, he will be the unquestioned No. 1.
His per-game production would have gotten him 1,000 yards for the second straight season and a career-high 94 catches.
5. Deebo Samuel
We would like to believe that 2022 was a fluke and that he will bounce back from only 632 yards and 56 catches in 2022. This came after nearly 1,800 yards from scrimmage in 2021.
He has admitted to playing out of shape last season. He is arguably the second-best or third-best receiver in the division. Hopefully his usage in 2021 didn’t put him on a decline.
6. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
He had his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2022. Now set to turn 31, he is still one of the most productive receivers in the division. He is either the best or second-best No. 2 receiver in the league.
7. Jaxon Smith-Njijba, Seattle Seahawks
He has not played a snap in the NFL yet but was one of the Seahawks’ two first-round selections in the draft. He has the promise of a big-time wideout and (spoiler alert) gives the Seahawks the top WR trio in the NFC West.
8. Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Moore has scary speed that can change games. It just has not yet. We will see if his usage is any different than his first two seasons when it felt like he only got the ball around the line of scrimmage.
The other guys
- Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals
- Zach Pascal, Arizona Cardinals
- Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams
- Brian Skowronek, Los Angeles Rams
- Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams
- Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
