Wide receivers are all the rage in the NFL nowadays. Not only are teams paying them more money, but they're bringing in as many quality options as possible to give their quarterback the best possible pass-catching options.
There are a lot of teams with two quality wide receivers on their roster but more are adding a third to play more snaps due to the rise of 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers). The Texans had two solid options in Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but also added Stefon Diggs to the group to create — perhaps — the best trio in the league.
So where does Houston rank among its peers? I looked at the first three players listed on all 32 teams' depth charts and ranked the trio using three data points to determine a composite rank that should definitively explain which teams have the best receiver trios. I used:
- The combined 2023 receiving yards production
- The average Approximate Value, per Pro Football Reference, of the three players
- The average AV rank for the three — so the teams with more highly-ranked players earned a better score.
Here's what the data determined:
| WR Rank | Team | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texans | Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Stefon Diggs |
| 2 | Dolphins | Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios |
| 3 | Rams | Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell |
| 4 | Eagles | A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, DeVante Parker |
| 5 | 49ers | Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings |
| 6 | Bears | Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Tyler Scott |
| 7 | Seahawks | D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba |
| 8 | Cowboys | CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert |
| 9 | Browns | Jerry Jeudy, Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore |
| 10 | Buccaneers | Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer |
| 11 | Colts | Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce |
| 12 | Lions | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams |
| 13 | Packers | Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks |
| 14 | Vikings | Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Brandon Powell |
| 15 | Titans | DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Treylon Burks |
| 16 | Saints | Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Cedrick Wilson Jr. |
| 17 | Raiders | Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker |
| 18 | Bengals | Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin |
| 19 | Jaguars | Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Gabriel Davis |
| 20 | Panthers | Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, DJ Chark |
| 21 | Chiefs | Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown, Justin Watson |
| 22 | Broncos | Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds |
| 23 | Ravens | Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman |
| 24 | Falcons | Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore |
| 25 | Commanders | Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus |
| 26 | Giants | Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt |
| 27 | Jets | Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mike Williams |
| 28 | Steelers | George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Miles Boykin |
| 29 | Patriots | Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn |
| 30 | Bills | Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Justin Shorter |
| 31 | Chargers | Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis |
| 32 | Cardinals | Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Andre Baccellia |
So there you have it: The Texans do indeed have the best wide receiver corps, on paper at least. The trio of Diggs, Collins and Dell ranked No. 1 in total receiving yards and average AV player rank and finished third in average AV.
I'd be remiss if I didn't include a few caveats:
This list only includes wide receivers, meaning teams with tight ends or running backs who finished as a top-three pass-catcher were not included. That pushed the Chiefs down considerably as well as the Lions, 49ers and Vikings.
Additionally, the data is also solely reliant on 2023 production, meaning players who were injured throughout the 2023 season (like Justin Jefferson, Mike Williams and Tee Higgins) were docked considerably. It also doesn't account for the fate of a few key free agents like Hunter Renfrow and Tyler Boyd — two quality veterans who could upgrade any unit. Finally, this list will assuredly change after the 2024 NFL draft when teams add highly-touted rookies like Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.
Another interesting note is that the Texans and Seahawks are the only two teams in the NFL that will roster three receivers who caught at least 45 receptions for 500 yards in 2023. But while the Texans rank first, the Seahawks rank seventh because none of their top wide receivers performed statistically better than any of the No. 1 receivers on the six teams ranked higher.
But for now, this list is a good start. And it paints a very obvious picture of the teams that look solid heading into the 2024 season and those that still need some support if they want to compete this year.
