2023 NFL WR Rankings: Commanders' Terry McLaurin Snubbed?
Since being selected by the Washington Commanders franchise in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Terry McLaurin has overcome playing for a team with a tenuous ownership situation and a musical chairs situation at quarterback to become one of the more productive wide receivers in the NFL.
In four seasons for an organization that's changed nicknames twice since drafting him, McLaurin has caught 299 passes for 4,281 yards and 21 touchdowns.
So it should give you an idea how many talented wide receivers there are currently that McLaurin is one of the first names off of our countdown of the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season:
10. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Waddle may be the second-best receiver on his own team, but make no mistake, he's a legitimate No. 1. Since being taken with the sixth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Waddle has caught 179 passes for 2,371 yards and 14 touchdowns.
9. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel was limited to 13 games last year, but is two years removed from racking up 1,405 receiving yards and another eight rushing touchdowns. It's unclear how sustainable his style is, but it was impossible to leave him off this list.
8. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb exploded in his third NFL season, catching 107 passes for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns. He should benefit from Brandin Cooks' addition and the potential re-emergence of Michael Gallup, as the Cowboys were probably too reliant on him in 2022.
7. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
In his first season with the Eagles, Brown put together his best NFL campaign yet, catching 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns, helping Jalen Hurts in a breakout season. In a Super Bowl LVII loss, Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.
6. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp was probably never going to top his 2021 season, where he led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16) before winning Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. But he was having another tremendous campaign before an ankle injury limited him to just nine games in 2022. If he and quarterback Matthew Stafford both stay healthy in 2023, Kupp could very well be an All-Pro once again.
5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
Diggs has three monster seasons to show for his time in Buffalo thus far, including catching 108 passes for 1,429 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. If first-round pick Dalton Kincaid emerges as a legitimate pass-catching weapon in his rookie season, that could alleviate some of the pressure on Diggs to be perfect every game.
4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
If Chase's rookie season was any indication, he'll be the most explosive offensive weapon in the league if he stays healthy for a full season. In just 12 games last year, Chase caught 87 passes for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns. In terms of guys who can turn five-yard catches into 50-yard touchdowns, Chase is at the top of the list.
3. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
The Kansas City Chiefs may have won a Super Bowl title without him, but Hill hardly fell off without Patrick Mahomes. Even with Tua Tagovailoa in and out of the lineup, Hill still caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards in his first season with the Dolphins, both career highs. He's another elite year or two away from cementing his Hall of Fame status.
2. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
Like Hill, Adams left one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and still had a monster season in 2022. Even though his reunion with college teammate Derek Carr didn't work out how he had hoped, Adams still caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. Have there been five better route runners in NFL history than Adams?
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson is the most prolific receiver in the NFL right now, and already forcing himself into the all-time discussion. In three seasons with the Vikings, Jefferson has caught 324 passes for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns. We're witnessing an all-time great in Jefferson.
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