As a feature in the 2024 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2024 season.

The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2024 NFL wide receiver and tight end rankings.

Subscribe to the Sharp Football Email Newsletter to receive ONE FREE BET from NFL expert Warren Sharp this weekend:

Join our newsletter & receive a free NFL bet this week:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

---

2024 NFL Wide Receiver and Tight End Rankings

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot. 

What team has the best wide receivers and tight ends in the NFL?

32. New England Patriots

The Patriots' pass catchers were a unanimous choice for the worst unit in the league. At least rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker offer some hope for development.

31. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers pass catchers dropped 21 spots in our rankings from last year due to the losses of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The unit could outplay this ranking if Quentin Johnston continues his development. Johnston’s rookie struggles were anticipated based on his track record at TCU, but the elite traits are there.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers

George Pickens has the talent to elevate the Steelers’ pass catchers if he fully lives up to his potential, but he needs to become more consistent. Pickens ranked 25th out of 46 qualified wide receivers in catch rate on catchable targets at 10 or more yards downfield last year.

29. Carolina Panthers

Carolina added Diontae Johnson and 32nd-overall draft pick Xavier Legette to complement Adam Thielen and fill out the rest of their receiving corps. Thielen posted his first 1,000-yard season since 2018 in his first year with the Panthers, and Johnson averaged a career-high 14.1 yards per reception last season with the Steelers.

28. Buffalo Bills

The losses of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis resulted in the pass catchers dropping from eighth to 28th in our rankings. Rookie Keon Coleman has loads of potential, but his inconsistent college career raises questions about his NFL readiness.

26. New York Giants

The only position group on the Giants that went up in our rankings this year is the receivers, who jumped from 29 to 26. The main reason for that uptick is the arrival of Malik Nabers, who was taken with the sixth overall selection in the draft. However, the Giants will be without tight end Darren Waller, who retired.

26. Denver Broncos

The loss of Jerry Jeudy hurts, even if he never fully met expectations in Denver. Jeudy accounted for 32% of the team’s targets at 15 or more yards downfield last year. Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims, and rookie Troy Franklin (or maybe a finally healthy Tim Patrick?) will have to pick up the slack.

25. New Orleans Saints

At wide receiver, Chris Olave is the clear No. 1 guy after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his first two years in the NFL, and Rashid Shaheed will be the deep threat on the other side. The Saints did add former Dolphin Cedrick Wilson in free agency to replace Michael Thomas. Still, this is New Orleans’ lowest-rated position group, coming in at 25.

24. Arizona Cardinals

The biggest move the Cardinals made this offseason was taking Marvin Harrison Jr. in the first round of the draft, but they still fell eight spots in our receiver rankings due to a lack of depth behind him. Tight end Trey McBride was the team’s leading receiver a year ago, catching 81 passes for 825 yards.

22. Indianapolis Colts

Indy’s pass catchers have the talent to outperform their ranking, but a lot hinges on the speedy development of rookie Adonai Mitchell. If Mitchell can be a reliable downfield weapon right out of the gate, the Colts have a well-rounded group with him, Michael Pittman Jr, and Josh Downs.

22. Baltimore Ravens

Zay Flowers put together a promising rookie year, but Baltimore continues to struggle to develop quality depth at the receiver position. Ravens wide receivers caught 71% of their catchable targets at 15 or more yards downfield last year, ranked 21st. Rookie Devontez Walker was the only notable offseason addition. A healthy season from Mark Andrews would go a long way.

21. Washington Commanders

Washington added Zach Ertz in free agency and Luke McCaffrey in the fourth round of the draft, but they still dropped one spot in our receiver rankings this year. Terry McLaurin eclipsed 1,000 yards for the fourth straight season in 2023, but the Commanders are still waiting for Jahan Dotson to break out.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville’s pass catchers dropped 11 spots in our rankings from last year. The loss of Calvin Ridley hurts, as he saw 40% of the team’s targets at 15 or more yards downfield. First-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. should see a lot of those opportunities, but it's unrealistic to think he can fully replicate Ridley’s production as a rookie.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin still headline the Tampa Bay receiving corps, but they fell to 19th in this year’s rankings. Evans extended his 1,000-yard season streak to 10 years, and Godwin topped 1,000 yards for the third straight season as well. Third-year tight end Cade Otton and 2023 sixth-round pick Trey Palmer are the next two receivers on the depth chart.

16. Las Vegas Raiders

Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are a solid one-two punch at wide receiver, and Brock Bowers gives them a potential weapon at tight end. However, there’s not much depth at the position. 2023 third-round pick Tre Tucker could give the team a significant boost if he can step up this season. Tucker averaged just 1.5 yards after catch per reception last year. That needs to change.

16. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs’ pass catchers jumped six spots in our rankings, their most-improved unit from last offseason. The addition of first-round pick Xavier Worthy and free agent Hollywood Brown should make them more explosive. Only 7.7% of Chiefs dropbacks produced a play of 20 or more yards last year, ranked 18th. Travis Kelce is not coming off his best season but came on strong in the playoffs.

16. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons decided to add a couple of veterans to their receiving corps this offseason, and they promptly jumped eight spots from last year’s rankings. Drake London was the only wide receiver on the team to top 300 yards in 2023, but Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore will be upgrades.

13. New York Jets

There was no consensus on the Jets receiving corps, as votes ranged from 10th to 24th. If Mike Williams stays healthy, the high end of that spectrum is attainable, especially if rookie Malachi Corley also offers an upgrade in the slot.

13. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas’ receiving corps remains strong heading into 2024, moving up two spots in our rankings. CeeDee Lamb was a First-Team All-Pro in 2023, pacing the league with 135 receptions and setting career highs with 1,749 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Second-year tight end Jake Ferguson had a breakout season as well, catching 71 passes for 761 yards.

13. Cleveland Browns

Browns pass catchers climbed five spots in our rankings from a season ago. Amari Cooper remains a legitimate No. 1 weapon and ranked seventh in the league with an 86.4% catch rate on catchable targets at 10 or more yards downfield per Sports Info Solutions.

11. Tennessee Titans

The Titans prioritized the receiving corps this offseason to help Levis, adding Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, but we’re divided on whether it made a difference. Votes for the unit ranged from fourth to 21st. Those on the low end of the spectrum are likely anticipating continued decline for DeAndre Hopkins.

11. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay employed the youngest receiving corps in the NFL last season with their top six receivers all under the age of 25. Our panel felt confident in this group’s development, pushing them up 15 spots to 11th in this year’s rankings.

10. Detroit Lions

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was named First-Team All-Pro in 2023 after catching 119 passes for 1,515 yards. Combine that performance with the 889 yards put up by rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, and it’s easy to understand why our panel voted the Lions receiving corps as a top-10 unit this year after ranking them 23rd in 2023.

9. Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nucua was probably the biggest surprise of the 2023 season, racking up over 1,400 receiving yards on 105 catches after being drafted in the fifth round. As for Cooper Kupp, he struggled to stay healthy for the second straight season and caught just 62 percent of his targets, the lowest number of his career. However, this duo was still good enough to push the receiving corps up 16 spots into our top 10.

8. Minnesota Vikings

Led by Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings' highest-rated position group is their receivers, who slotted in at No. 9 this season. Jefferson topped 1,000 yards despite playing just 10 games in 2023. Hockenson and Jordan Addison both reached over 900 yards, as well. The concern short term is Hockenson's return from a late-season knee injury.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati’s pass catchers dropped five spots in our rankings from a year ago, mostly due to the loss of Tyler Boyd, but still landed in the top 10 on every ballot. Between Trenton Irwin, Jermaine Burton, Andrei Iosivas, and Charlie Jones, there’s plenty of talent competing to replace Boyd.

6. Seattle Seahawks

The receiving corps is Seattle’s highest-rated position group this season, finishing sixth in our voting. DK Metcalf had 1,114 yards in 2023 and will be flanked by talented second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and steady veteran Tyler Lockett.

5. Houston Texans

The development of Nico Collins allowed Houston’s pass catchers to far exceed expectations in 2023. Collins was the only receiver with a 100% catch rate on catchable targets at 15 or more yards downfield (min. 15 catchable targets), per Sports Info Solutions. Now they have added Stefon Diggs to go along with Collins, Tank Dell, and Dalton Schultz.

4. Miami Dolphins

Miami’s pass catchers ranked in the top six on every ballot. If there’s a concern, it’s the depth of the unit. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle accounted for 79% of the team’s receptions at 20 or more yards downfield last season.

3. Chicago Bears

The biggest makeover in Chicago comes at wide receiver, where they added Keenan Allen and ninth-overall pick Rome Odunze to complement D.J. Moore. Fifth-year tight end Cole Kmet has started every game over the past three years and topped 500 yards in each campaign.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Howie Roseman locked up the Eagles' top receivers this offseason, handing out extensions to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both players have gone over 1,000 yards in their two seasons as teammates, and Dallas Goedert’s 8.5 yards per target ranks third among tight ends over the past two seasons.

1. San Francisco 49ers

At receiver, the 49ers also occupy the top spot in our rankings after sitting third in 2023. Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle both topped 1,000 receiving yards last year, and Deebo Samuel had 892 receiving yards and 225 rushing yards while scoring 12 total touchdowns. The 49ers had four different receivers average over four catches per game if you include Christian McCaffrey.