Ranking the NFL’s best WR duos: Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle make case for top tandem

Total times read this article : 20

The NFL’s receiver landscape has shifted dramatically over the last few years. The league has seen an influx of pro-ready, young talent at the position that has helped to improve depth at the position and further envigorate the NFL’s high-powered passing offenses.

Of course, there have also been numerous big trades and signings that have impacted the receiver position. Notably, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill were traded during the 2022 NFL offseason because the Packers and Chiefs respectively would have had a tough time paying both them and their quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes — while staying under the salary cap.

So, those players are now old f aces in new places. So is A.J. Brown, who went from the Titans to the Eagles amid a contract dispute with Tennessee.

All of these changes have shaken up receiver rooms across the NFL; and now, several teams that didn’t have much to write home about in previous years sport some of the best wide-out groups in the league.

But which NFL team has the best receiving corps? It’s hard to break that down in full, as it can get a bit nitty-gritty when you start analyzing depth at the position. As such, it’s easier to analyze things in pairs — as in, which NFL team has the best pair of starting wide receivers?

There are numerous candidates for the top slot in this category across the NFL, but leading the way atop the list are a few receiver rooms that have recently been rebuilt.

Below is a run-down of the NFL’s seven best receiver duos, as well as a handful of teams that just missed out on making the list.

NFL POWER RANKINGS: Dolphins overtake Bills at No. 1 after Week 3 victory

Ranking the NFL’s best WR duos

1. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins

It’s hard to argue that any receiving duo is better than Hill and Waddle right now. The two smaller-sized speedsters have broken out in Miami’s new-look offense under Mike McDaniel and have been the most productive duo to begin the season.

Hill (5-10, 185 pounds) was acquired by the Dolphins in an offseason trade, and he has helped to transform their offense. He connected with Tua Tagovailoa right away and ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards with 317. His speed has helped Miami stretch the field vertically and he has become a top-tier target to help open up more space for Waddle.

Speaking of Waddle, the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been even more productive than Hill. He has generated 342 receiving yards through three games, which ranks second in the NFL to only Stefon Diggs’ 344.

Waddle — a 5-10, 182-pound pass catcher — was a reception machine in 2021, but thanks to Hill’s presence, he has been able to get down field more frequently in 2022. As a result, he has averaged 18 yards per catch, which ranks seventh in the NFL overall and is 8.2 yards per catch better than his mark of 9.8 from last season.

It’s hard for teams to cover both Hill and Waddle given that they are fast, explosive, productive and have great chemistry with their quarterback. They may be small, but don’t underestimate what these can do together.

Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

2. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Bengals

Yes, NFL fans are going to get a chance to see the league’s two best receiver duos in action on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 4. And the two duos couldn’t be more different.

Hill and Waddle are both small speedsters; Higgins and Chase are much larger at 6-4 and 6-1 respectively, and their games reflect their stature.

Higgins’ top-tier size makes him a difficult opponent with which to deal. He is a very good athlete despite lacking speed, and that makes him one of the most dangerous jump-ball receivers in the league. He averages just 2.1 yards of separation — tied for the 12th-lowest mark among qualified NFL players per Next Gen stats — but still has managed 13 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

Chase is more of a do-it-all receiver compared to Higgins. He has averaged 2.9 yards of separation this season and has worked well at all levels of the field. Chase is athletic, well-rounded and is a strong route runner. He also has good speed, which makes him a unique threat at the receiver spot.

In 2021, Chase and Higgins each topped 1,000 receiving yards. They are on pace to do so again in 2022. Both Chase and Higgins have yet to turn 24, so there is still plenty of room for growth for each. And even when taking future upside out of the question, they remain the two key pieces of what might be the NFL’s best receiver rooms.

MORE: Justin Jefferson responds to Ja’Marr Chase’s claim about who is the best receiver

3. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Eagles

Here’s another ascending receiver duo that has been together all of three games. Brown and Smith are both very young and have the potential to jump into the No. 1 spot on this list soon. Each is off to a great start in their relationship with Jalen Hurts and long-term, that could turn the Eagles into an excellent offense.

Philadelphia traded for Brown during the 2022 NFL offseason. The team had explored a deal for Calvin Ridley before his year-long gambling suspension and ended up getting Brown on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The results have been excellent. Brown began his Eagles career with a 10-catch, 155-yard outing against the Lions. He hasn’t been as explosive in recent games, but he is still averaging 15.5 yards per catch with 309 yards, good for the third-most in the NFL.

Brown’s presence has also opened up a lot more room for Smith. The Alabama product and 2020 Heisman winner set the Eagles’ rookie record for receiving yards in 2021, but this year, he is on pace to do even better. He had a dud, goose-egg outing in Week 1 against the Lions, but he has since caught 15 of 19 targets for 249 yards and a touchdown, including a 169-yard outing against Washington.

Brown (25) at Smith (23) are a bit older than Chase and Higgins. That is what keeps them behind that twosome on these initial rankings.

But don’t be surprised to see Brown and Smith make a bid for the No. 1 spot if Hurts continues to ball out.

Mike-Evans-Chris-Godwin-090721-GETTY-FTR

4. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

Evans and Godwin have been together longer than almost every other duo on this list, and they have enjoyed a lot of success together. They were the top two pass-catching weapons on Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl 55-winning team and should continue to produce moving forward. 

Evans has perennially been one of the NFL’s best receivers since being the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has broken the 1,000-yard mark as a receiver in each of his first eight seasons, an NFL record, and has recorded 12-plus touchdowns four times.

Evans has a great jump-ball skill set thanks to his 6-5, 231-pound frame. That has allowed him to grab 76 career touchdowns and has made him one of the league’s best downfield, contested-catch receivers of the last decade. That skill is still on display as Evans navigates his age-29 season alongside Tom Brady.

Of course, Godwin has been a good running mate for Evans. He hasn’t stayed as healthy as Evans has over the years, but he has posted two 1,000-yard seasons across from him and has averaged 104 catches, 1,373 receiving yards and nine touchdowns per 17 games since becoming a full-time starter in 2019.

Evans and Godwin aren’t talked about quite as much as some of the other receivers on this list, as a lot of attention is paid to Brady. Still, they are a strong tandem, and one could make a case that Evans has long been one of the NFL’s most underrated pass-catchers. The two should continue to form a rock-solid partnership for years to come, though Godwin will have to recover from a hamstring injury before we see them together again in 2022.

MORE: Breaking down Buccaneers’ WR depth chart after team signs Cole Beasley

5. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, Vikings

Jefferson by himself may well be in the top spot among NFL wide-outs. He burst onto the scene as a rookie and combined to record 3,016 receiving yards in his first two seasons. It seems like he is on pace for a great career and is one of the most dangerous pass-catching weapons in the league.

When looking at duos, however, Jefferson drops to the No. 5 spot. It’s not because his partner is bad by any means; Thielen just isn’t as dynamic as some of the No. 2 punches on this list.

Thielen was a Pro Bowl talent in 2017 and 2018, eclipsing 1,276 receiving yards in each of those two seasons. However, he started to take a back seat to Stefon Diggs in 2019 and became the team’s No. 2 receiver at that point. Jefferson then took over for Diggs and was a true one-for-one swap in place of the All-Pro.

So, Thielen hasn’t been asked to do quite as much yardage-wise in Minnesota’s offense as he used to. That said, he generated 24 total touchdowns in 2020 and 2021, so the 6-2, 200-pound Minnesota State product is still a red-zone threat.

Thielen’s size along with Jefferson’s elite speed and separation skills give Minnesota one of the NFL’s better receiving combinations; it just doesn’t have the same upside as those listed above it given that Thielen is in his age-32 season.

Keenan Allen, Mike Williams

6. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Chargers

Believe it or not, Allen and Williams have been together as long as Evans and Godwin have been. The duo first played together in 2017 and are now in their sixth season as a tandem. They have some noticeable similarities to Evans and Godwin, too.

Williams is a bit like Evans in that he has a massive frame (6-4, 218 pounds) that he uses to make contested catches. He is excellent at high-pointing the ball and though he doesn’t get a lot of separation — his 1.8 yards of average separation ranks fifth-lowest among qualified receivers — he makes a lot of catches.

Like Evans, Williams is also a big-time downfield threat. He once led the NFL in yards per reception when he averaged 20.4 during the 2019 season and has averaged 16 yards per catch for his career. Simply put, NFL defensive backs have trouble covering him and fighting against him for 50-50 balls.

Allen plays more of the Godwin role. He primarily plays in the slot but is an inside/outside threat who is a reception machine. He has logged 100-plus catches in four of his five full seasons working with Williams. The only time he didn’t was in 2018 when he totaled 97.

Allen has good hands and is as consistent as they come when on the field. He is an excellent route runner which allows him to earn separation fast and serve as an intermediate threat. That’s why he has remained the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver for a decade since being a third-round pick.

The only issue with Allen and Williams is that they have both been banged up over the course of their careers. That includes the hamstring injury that has caused Allen to miss two games early in the 2022 season. Still, they are an immensely talented duo and their presences has certainly helped Justin Herbert during his first few seasons.

MORE: Breaking down the NFL’s highest-paid players for 2022, from Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf

7. Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow, Raiders

Adams is clearly one of the NFL’s best receivers with or without Aaron Rodgers. Still, some may be surprised to see him crack the top seven. Why? Because his partner now is Renfrow.

Renfrow may seem a bit out-of-place compared to the other receivers on this list. He is 5-10, 185 pounds, but he isn’t that fast. His best skill is his route running and ability to separate.

Renfrow just has a knack for being able to get open. That made him a favorite target of Derek Carr during the Clemson product’s first three years with the Raiders; specifically, he was a third-down conversion machine and always seems to get looks from Carr in those situations. That is part of why he was able to log a 103-catch, 1,038-yard season for the Raiders in 2021.

When Renfrow was the Raiders’ de facto No. 1 receiver, that wasn’t a great thing. But pairing him with Adams should be tough for opposing defenses. Both have excellent releases at the line of scrimmage — Adams’ is arguably the best in the NFL — so corners covering them have to be sharp at the line and coming out of their breaks.

Sure, there are other No. 2 receivers with better athletic skills than Renfrow. Some have more upside, too. But when assessing the other potential duos that could occupy this final spot, it’s hard to argue against Adams and Renfrow given their proven, recent production.

Honorable mentions:

  • Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Bills
  • Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson, Rams
  • DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown, Cardinals
  • DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Seahawks

Obviously, there are plenty of other talented receiver duos across the NFL, and they would certainly round out a top-10 list. But why didn’t they crack the top seven? Each has an issue that keeps them from leapfrogging the Adams/Renfrow duo fro the No. 7 spot.

Bills fans may scoff at the notion that Diggs didn’t crack the top seven; Rams fans may think the same about Kupp. Both would certainly rank among the NFL’s best receivers outright, but the issue is their partners.

Diggs has a partner with immense upside in Davis, but he has only made 17 starts to date in his career. He certainly has the tools needed to be an elite complement to Diggs — as he showed in his four-touchdown playoff game against the Chiefs — but we need a larger sample size before we elevate him above Adams and Renfrow.

Kupp’s partner, Robinson, is in a different situation. He is a proven receiver at the NFL level who has multiple 1,000-yard seasons and Pro Bowls under his belt. So, what’s the problem? Well, he had his worst season in 2021 with the Bears and got off to a sluggish start through three games with the Rams. He may not be washed up, but it seems like he may at least be on a downward trend. That’s enough to keep the Rams’ top two receivers out of the top seven.

As for the other NFC West duos, Hopkins and Brown haven’t yet played together. As such, it’s difficult to assess how they will fare on the same field despite both being talented.

Meanwhile, Metcalf and Lockett are a great pair, but it’s worth wondering whether their success will continue over the season with Geno Smith. Both have started the year well with the long-time backup as Seattle’s starter, but we need to see more of a sample size without Russell Wilson before declaring them safe.

Facebook Comments Box

Hits: 0

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR