Ranking the AFC East Wide Receiver Situations, Pre-Draft Edition
After the first wave of free agency, it's a good time to revisit every AFC East team's roster and see where everybody stands at each position.
At wide receiver, it's the Miami Dolphins who made the biggest move of the offseason with the trade for Tyreek Hill, and they were involved in another trade, the one that sent DeVante Parker to New England.
Let's examine each team's situation before we proceed with our AFC East ranking of the wide receiver position.
BUFFALO BILLS
On the roster: Stefon Diggs, Marquez Stevenson, Isaiah McKenzie, Jake Kumerow, Isaiah Hodgins, Tanner Gentry, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder
Offseason moves: Re-signed Jake Kumerow ... re-signed Isaiah McKenzie ... Emmanuel Sanders became an unrestricted free agent ... released Cole Beasley ... signed Jamison Crowder as a UFA from the New York Jets ... signed Stefon Diggs to a four-year contract extension
Projected opening-day starters: Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder
2021 stats: Diggs — 103 catches, 1225 yards, 11.9 average, 10 TDs; Davis — 35 catches, 549 yards, 15.7 average, 6 TDs; McKenzie — 20 catches, 178 yards, 8.9 average, 1 TD
Outlook: The Bills did a little bit of shuffling with their wide receiver corps, and Crowder replacing Beasley as the slot receiver sure looks like a little bit of a wash, if not an upgrade. While Sanders was a solid veteran, his departure opens the way for Davis, the former UCF standout who has shown flashes in his two seasons after being a fourth-round pick and then had a remarkable outing in the divisional playoff loss at Kansas City (8 catches, 201 yards, 4 touchdowns).
MIAMI DOLPHINS
On the roster: Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Preston Williams, Trent Sherfield, DeVonte Dedmon, River Cracraft, Cody Core, Lynn Bowden Jr.
Offseason moves: Acquired Tyreek Hill in a trade with Kansas City for first-, second- and fourth-round picks in 2022 and fourth- and sixth-round selections in 2023 ... signed Cedrick Wilson Jr. as an unrestricted free agent from Dallas ... signed Trent Sherfield as a UFA from San Francisco ... signed River Cracraft as a free agent ... re-signed Preston Williams after declining to tender him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent ... released Allen Hurns ... lost Mack Hollins as an unrestricted free agent (Las Vegas) ... Will Fuller V, Albert Wilson and Isaiah Ford became unrestricted free agents ... traded DeVante Parker to the New England Patriots along with a 2022 fifth-round pick for a 2023 third-round selection
Projected opening-day starters: Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill
2021 stats: Waddle — 104 catches, 1015 yards, 9.8 average, 6 TDs
Outlook: The Dolphins remade their wide receiver corps after a group with a lot of prominent names underperformed, for whatever reason, in 2021. The big move of the offseason, of course, was the acquisition of Hill, who will team up with Waddle to give Miami perhaps the fastest wide receiver tandem in the NFL. Wilson arrives after having a breakout fourth season in Dallas.
Tyreek Hill
Denny Medley - USA Today Sports
Jaylen Waddle
Sam Navarro - USA Today Sports
Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Jeremy Reper - USA Today Sports
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
On the roster: Kristian Wilkerson, Matthew Slater, Malcolm Perry, DeVante Parker, Tre Nixon, Ty Montgomery, N'Keal Harry, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers (tendered RFA)
Offseason moves: Extended a second-round tender to restricted free agent Jakobi Meyers ... re-signed Matthew Slater ... declined to extend a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Gunner Olszewski ... signed Ty Montgomery as an unrestricted free agent from New Orleans ... acquired DeVante Parker from the Miami Dolphins along with a 2022 fifth-round pick for a 2023 third-round selection
Projected opening-day starters: DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers
2021 stats: Meyers — 83 catches, 866 yards, 10.4 average, 2 TDs; Bourne — 55 catches, 800 yards, 14.5 avg., 5 TDs; Agholor — 37 catches, 473 yards, 12.8 avg., 3 TDs; Harry — 12 catches, 184 yards, 15.3 avg., 0 TD
Outlook: Montgomery is listed as a wide receiver, but he's kind of an all-purpose offensive player who's got more career yards rushing than receiving. The addition of Parker, who had his moments in Miami but often frustrated fans and coaches with his numerous injuries, can only help what was a truly pedestrian group.
NEW YORK JETS
On the roster: Jeff Smith, Elijah Moore, D.J. Montgomery, Denzel Mims, Corey Davis, Tarik Black, Braxton Berrios, Rodney Adams
Offseason moves: Re-signed Berrios ... lost Jamison Crowder as an unrestricted free agent (Buffalo) ... Keelan Cole became an unrestricted free agent
Projected opening-day starters: Corey Davis, Elijah Moore
2021 stats: Berrios — 46 catches, 431 yards, 9.4 average, 2 TDs; Moore — 43 catches, 538 yards, 12.5 avg., 5 TDs; Davis — 34 catches, 492 yards, 14.5 avg., 4 TDs
Outlook: The Jets have some young players with major upside with former first-round pick Corey Davis (a free agent pick-up from Tennessee in 2021) and former second-round selections Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims. The best player in the group, however, just might be former University of Miami standout Braxton Berrios, who makes up for what he lacks in size and natural ability with savvy and moxie. Nobody in this group was able to put up big numbers in 2021, but it needs to be pointed out they weren't helped by Zach Wilson going through some rookie pains at quarterback.
RANKING THE AFC EAST WR SITUATIONS
It's awfully tempting to go with the knee-jerk reaction of putting the Dolphins at the top of the wide receiver rankings after the addition of Hill just for what it represents in terms of possibilities with Waddle and the absurd speed that tandem will bring to the Miami offense.
But while Hill probably is the most explosive wide receiver in the division — maybe the entire NFL — the reality is that it's Stefon Diggs who's probably the best overall wide receiver.
The Bills also might get the edge in terms of depth at the position after the Dolphins lost so many high-profile wide receivers in the offseason.
What's clear is that Buffalo and Miami clearly have an edge here over the other two teams in the division.
The call: 1 (tied). Buffalo; 1 (tied). Miami; 3. N.Y. Jets; 4. New England
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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL.
