It’s summertime offseason content time! As the season approaches, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up next, we’re talking about the top 10 NFL wide receivers for 2022!
Thank goodness we made it through the coaching rankings, folks – those are always my least favorite of these pieces to do, but people on the internet eat it up, so I quite literally can’t stop won’t stop. Today, we get to shift gears and start ranking players. The wide receivers are always my favorite position to start with because there’s so much receiving talent in the NFL today that I think it’s the deepest pool to sort through. It’s an interesting conversation for a variety of reasons. How does style differentiate players? Would you rather have more talent or more experience? How much does the scheme make the player? I simply do not know. Maybe it’s because of fantasy football, but I feel like I could probably go 50 deep at wide receiver before feeling like I was really grasping at straws. So, without further ado, let’s get after it.
Top 10 NFL Wide Receivers for 2022
10. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins – Maybe I’m doing a little bit of projecting here, but I love the versatility that Waddle brings to the table. He can do it all, and he has the talent and youth to be a high-volume guy for the Dolphins. He capped off a brilliant rookie season with 1,015 yards and seven total touchdowns. The future is bright.
9. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals – *sigh* I just don’t know what to do with this six-game suspension. I mean, if we’re talking fantasy football, there’s no way Hopkins is going to finish top 10 in scoring this season. But, if we’re talking pound-for-pound, Hopkins is still absolutely one of the best in the game. He’s a matchup nightmare and has the physical skillset to dominate defensive backs.
8. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Y’all can’t stop me from putting Mike Evans on this list every year until he doesn’t record a 1,000-yard season. It’s my list and I can do what I want, even if Evans probably isn’t still technically a top 10 receiver in the league after eight seasons. Eight years in the league. Eight thousand-yard seasons. Unprecedented. Evans had a career-high 14 touchdowns in 2021.
7. AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles – Brown brings a physical aspect to the receiver position that few others can. He was once called “Derrick Henry playing receiver,” and if that ain’t the truth, I don’t know what is. He’s capable of making some circus catches and if he can shake those injury issues, he’ll prove he deserves that massive contract the Eagles gave hime.
6. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers – If you factor in total usage, Samuel may be the best overall weapon in the NFL. The 49ers roll that man out there everywhere and ask him to do a little bit of everything. As far as those just-get-the-ball-in-his-hands types go, Samuel is the cream of the crop. He posted 1,405 receiving yards in 2021, with six touchdowns.
5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills – Doesn’t it feel wild that Diggs is entering his eighth season in the NFL? He’s been really good for awhile now. Dude has been on one as the best deep threat in football for the last several years, but a few of the young bucks in the NFL are challenging his spot on the throne. Diggs finished 2021 with 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns.
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings – Don’t look now, but Justin Jefferson has amassed 3,016 yards in his first two seasons in the league. He was 2nd in receiving yards in 2021, and 4th in 2020. He’s off to a great start as one of the best young receivers in the league.
3. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals – Is it a little early to put Chase up this high? Do we need to see a little more? I don’t know – I think that he may already be the most explosive pure play-maker at the position. He just dominates man coverage in a way that strikes fear in opposing defenses. He was absolutely sensational in his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, tallying 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns.
2. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders – Man, I may catch some hell for this one, but I still think Adams is the prototype at wide receiver in the NFL. He’s big, strong, and physical – he can win contested catch situations. But, he’s also a solid route runner with speed to separate and wrestle his way open. He finished 3rd in the NFL with 1,553 yards. His 11 touchdowns were good for 5th. We’ll see how he performs with Derek Carr, as opposed to Aaron Rodgers, but for now, I’m still saying this man’s the blueprint.
1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams – The man is a machine, and I really don’t know how you can’t have him at #1 after the ridiculously prolific season he had in 2021. 16 receiving touchdowns – 1st in the league. 1,947 receiving yards – 1st in the league. 145 receptions – 1st in the league. He was PFF’s highest graded receiver. He was Super Bowl MVP….Offensive Player of the Year…First Team All-Pro….Pro Bowler. Hell, even the strongest of haters has to acknowledge that Kupp pretty damn near objectively rose to the mountaintop after 2021.
OTHER 2022 NFL TOP 10S
For more authentic and irreverent sports talk, check out our friends at 440 Sports – covering the SEC and all things Nashville sports. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.