Best NFL wide receivers 2025: Ranking 10 best NFL receivers right now
Who is the best wide receiver in the NFL? The National Football League is more pass-happy than ever before and it's coincided with arguably the greatest pool of receiving talent in league history. That's why, when ranking the best NFL wide receivers, it's difficult to narrow it down to just 10.
Let's dive into our list of the 10 best NFL wide receivers right now as we head into the 2025 season.
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
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Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL and he's on a trajectory to be one of the best receivers ever. The Minnesota Vikings' sensation enters 2025 with the NFL record for receiving yards per game (96.5). Putting that into greater perspective, the next closest player (Ja'Marr Chase) is at 87.5 receiving yards per game. Even with Jefferson only playing 10 games in 2023, he has the NFL record for most receiving yards through five seasons (7,432). The second-closest player, Torry Holt, had 6,784 receiving yards in 80 games. We should all wait another decade before calling him one of the best receivers ever, but he's certainly the best wide receiver in the NFL right now.
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Justin Jefferson stats (2024): 103 receptions, 1,533 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, 14.9 yards per reception, 62 first downs, 90.2 receiving yards per game, 10.0 yards per target
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2. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
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The Cincinnati Bengals made wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase one of the highest-paid NFL players ever and for good reason. Chase ranks second among career leaders in receiving yards per game (87.5), performing even better than Calvin Johnson (86.1) and Antonio Brown (84.3). The reigning first-team All-Pro selection is also coming off a season where he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. We've even seen Chase produce elite numbers – 100 receptions and 1,216 receiving yards in 2023 – in seasons where Joe Burrow missed seven-plus games. Coming off a campaign where he led the NFL in yards after catch (787) and placed fourth in yards per team pass attempt (2.62), Chase has consistently proven he's in the cream of the crop.
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Ja'Marr Chase stats (2024): 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns, 13.4 yards per reception, 100.5 receiving yards per game, 75 first downs, 9.8 yards per target
3. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
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Philadelphia Eagles' All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown is putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber resume. With a Super Bowl ring now in his trophy Case, Brown boasts three Pro Bowl selections with three consecutive second-team All-Pro selections. Brown has shown his 'Inner Excellence' since being traded to Philadelphia, averaging over 1,300 receiving yards per season with 25 touchdowns in 47 games played. While he doesn't see the volume on a run-heavy team that some of the other best NFL wide receivers do, Brown's track record and what he forces defenses to do make up for it.
A.J. Brown stats (2024): 67 receptions, 1,079 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns, 16.1 yards per reception, 51 first downs, 83.0 receiving yards per game, 11.1 yards per target
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4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the most consistent producers in football. He's averaged 108 receptions and 1,212 receiving yards per season since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In 66 career games, St. Brown has 23 games (34.8 percent) with at least 8 receptions and 23 games with 90-plus receiving yards. He also had the second-highest passer rating when targeted (129.4) among players with 80-plus receptions last season. Coming off consecutive first-team All-Pro selections, St. Brown is just entering his age-26 season.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown stats (2024): 115 receptions, 1,263 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns, 11.0 yards per reception, 73 first downs, 74.3 receiving yards per game, 9.0 yards per target
5. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
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Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua continues to be one of the best draft-day steals in recent years. It seemed unlikely that Los Angeles could magically replace Cooper Kupp, but Nacua has filled that role perfectly. In 2023, he broke the NFL records for receiving yards by a rookie (1,486) and receptions in a game by a rookie (15). While an injury limited him to just 11 games in 2024, Nacua still recorded 990 receiving yards and 47 first downs, even raising his receiving yards per game average (87.4 to 90.0) from his rookie season. The only disappointing thing with Nacua, who led the NFL in yards per route run (4.07) last season, is that he plans to retire after turning 30 years old. So, football fans should enjoy the 24-year-old receiver while they still can.
Puka Nacua stats (2024): 79 receptions, 990 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns, 12.5 yards per reception, 47 first downs, 90.0 receiving yards per game, 9.3 yards per target
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6. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
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Even with his own injuries and Dak Prescott missing significant time in 2024, Dallas Cowboys CeeDee Lamb still showcased why he is one of the best NFL receivers right now. Lamb comes into 2025 with 6,339 receiving yards through his first 81 career games, nearly identical to Larry Fitzgerald (6,335 receiving yards on 461 receptions) through his first 81 games. Lamb wasn't quite as explosive last season as his All-Pro 2023 campaign – 102.9 receiving yards per game to 79.6 receiving yards per game – but he still earned second-team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive year. With the improvements made to the Cowboys' offensive line, Lamb has a legitimate shot at delivering 100-plus receptions and 1,300-plus receiving yards this fall.
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CeeDee Lamb stats (2024): 101 receptions, 1,194 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns, 11.8 yards per reception, 54 first downs, 79.6 receiving yards per game, 7.9 yards per target
7. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is a future Hall of Famer on the verge of breaking the NFL record held by Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (11). What's even more remarkable about the feat is that he's delivered 11 consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns since entering the league, an NFL record. What makes that streak even more meaningful is that he reached the 1,000-yard mark in just 14 games last season. Evans is entering his age-32 season, but we see no reason at this point to suspect Father Time will prevent him from breaking Rice's record. Even if Evans has never been viewed as the No. 1 receiver in football at any point in his career, he's proven to be one of the 10 best NFL wide receivers in the last 10 years.
Mike Evans stats (2024): 74 receptions, 1,004 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, 13.6 yards per reception, 53 first downs, 71.7 receiving yards per game, 9.1 yards per target
8. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Washington Commanders finally gave Terry McLaurin a great quarterback and he immediately proved why he is one of the best NFL wide receivers right now. Playing with Jayden Daniels, McLaurin led all qualified receivers in quarterback rating when targeted (133) last season. That's especially impressive because he had the second-highest average depth of target (13.4) among players with 60-plus receptions. Heading into a second season with Daniels in Kliff Kingsbury's system, McLaurin has a shot at his first 1,200-yard season and he could deliver double-digit touchdowns for the second consecutive year.
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Terry McLaurin stats (2024): 82 receptions, 1,096 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns, 13.4 yards per reception, 56 first downs, 64.5 receiving yards per game, 9.4 yards per target
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9. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans landed Nico Collins in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Since entering the league, the 6-foot-4 wideout has proven to be one of the best vertical threats in football. He has missed some time over the last two seasons – 7 games inactive – but he still has 2,303 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns despite that. He finished last season with the third-highest yards per route run (2.92) and the fourth-best win rate versus man coverage (42.7 percent). If the Texans' offense can get a full 17-game season out of Collins, he's got a chance to hit 1,400 yards with double-digit touchdowns as C.J. Stroud's No. 1 receiver.
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Nico Collins stats (2024): 68 receptions, 1,006 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns, 14.8 yards per reception, 83.8 receiving yards per game, 48 first downs, 10.2 yards per target
10. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
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In his rookie season, New York Giants standout Malik Nabers demonstrated why he can be one of the best NFL receivers for years to come. He was the only option in the Giants' offense last season, demonstrated by receiving 170 targets in 15 games. While the second-highest target share (31.2 percent) in the NFL inflated his numbers some, he also had to overcome some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL. The Giants' quarterback situation is at least marginally better this season, which is why we believe Nabers will prove to be one of the 10 best wide receivers in the NFL this season.
Malik Nabers stats (2024): 109 receptions, 1,204 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns, 11.0 yards per reception, 55 first downs, 80.3 receiving yards per game, 7.1 yards per target
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