Is this a bottom-half-of-the-league unit?
In today’s NFL, teams pass the ball around like nobody’s business. During the 2022 NFL season there were nearly 200,000 total passing yards, showing that offenses weren’t afraid to push the ball down field. A key part of any dominant passing attack is the receiving unit as the primary benefactors of passes. Recently, ESPN’s Mike Clay posted his rankings of the units in the NFL. There are some things to discuss — especially as it relates to the Buffalo Bills.
2023 NFL Wide Receiver Unit Ranks and Depth Charts.
The Bengals top the chart and the Titans still have work to do. pic.twitter.com/jzBTwQHjFe
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 8, 2023
It might take you a few seconds to find where the Bills are ranked. Putting Buffalo at 20 seems absurd. Stefon Diggs is considered one of the top receivers in the league and had 108 receptions for 1429 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Gabe Davis has had his ups and downs as the second option but he still ranked second in yards per catch last season, averaging 17.4 yards to go along with seven touchdowns. Now where the unit gets “dragged down” a bit is that Khalil Shakir is entering his second season in the NFL and didn’t get a lot of opportunities to showcase his talents as a rookie. Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield were offseason additions, so it’s unclear how they will be used at this time.
Looking at the other teams in the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins are third. Yes, they have two of the top receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. However, their other three receivers on the depth chart combined for just 50 catches and a touchdown last season. The New England Patriots find themselves at 25 on the list with their stud being JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker who has a history of battling injuries.
The team with perhaps the most questionable rank seems to be the New York Jets at 14, especially since these rankings don’t take into account quarterbacks. Yes, Garret Wilson is a WR1 and will be for years to come. However after that, there are definitely some question marks for the Jets. Alan Lazard has always seemed to be a boom or bust guy in the vertical passing game. No one knows how Mecole Hardman will play outside of the Kansas City Chiefs’ system, Corey Davis remains a question mark without enough balls to go around, and then finally there is veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb who might just be there to keep Aaron Rodgers company.
What do you think, Bills Mafia? Where would you rank the Bills’ receivers heading into the 2023 NFL season?