Tiering the AFC South: Where Brian Thomas Jr. and the Jaguars WRs Rank

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have certainly taken some big steps at the wide receiver position in recent years. After all, it was not long ago that a rookie Trevor Lawrence was throwing passes to LaQuon Treadwell and Tavon Austin.

The unit has certainly changed quite a bit since then, and it has had strong rooms in past years such as 2022 and 2023. But just how good is this year's group of Jaguars' pass-catchers, and how does it stack up to the rest of the AFC South? We break it down below.

Tier 1: Jacksonville Jaguars

Projected top receivers: Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, Josh Cameron, CJ Williams

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to present the best wide receiver room in franchise history in 2026. That is saying quite a bit since the Jaguars once had the dynamic duo of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell leading their passing attacks.

But entering 2026, the Jaguars have a chance to have one of the best wide receiver rooms in the entire NFL thanks to the three-headed monster of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers and the return of last year's No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter. The Jaguars never saw Hunter and Meyers share the field last year since the Jaguars traded for the veteran target after Hunter suffered his season-ending injury, and now we will get that chance.

The expectation, though, is for Thomas and Washington to join Meyers as the Day 1 starters. Thomas' numbers took a step backward last year, but he is not that far removed from a rookie season that was amongst the best in recent NFL history at the wide receiver position. Washington had a career-year and posted some of the best metrics of any receiver in the NFL over the second-half of the season, while Meyers' quick impact was rewarded with a three-year, $60 million deal.

Rookie receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams do not factor much into the equation quite yet. The sixth-round receivers flashed a good bit during the offseason program, but it is still too early to factor them into things too much. There are other rookie receivers in the division who factor into things more prominently, like Carnell Tate, but that is more so based on draft slots.

Tier 2: Houston Texans

Projected top receivers: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson

The Texans are just below the Jaguars, but it is still a close call due to the sheer impact of Nico Collins. The Texans' WR1 is one of the best receivers in football and has routinely torched the Jaguars in recent years, and it is easy to make the claim that he is the single-best wide receiver in the AFC South. Where the Texans fall a bit behind is in their depth behind Collins, where they have plenty of potential but also quite a few questions.

Houston drafted Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel last year in 2025, with Noel recording 26 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Higgins had a much larger role in the offense, catching 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns with a more significant workload in terms of snaps and targets. Each player has some exciting traits and should take a step forward in 2026, but they are still not the proven producers the Jaguars have on their depth chart.

Tank Dell flashed a ton of talent early in his career, catching 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns in his fist two seasons. Injuries led him to missing all of 2025, though, and it remains to be seen if he can regain his prior form. Hutchinson should take a backseat this year after not producing much in a larger role a year ago.

Overall, Collins is a legit top-10 receiver and does most of the heavy-lifting for this room. If Higgins and Noel take steps forward and Dell is able to produce now that he is back on the field, then this room has talent and potential. But if is the key word there.

Tier 3: Indianapolis Colts

Projected top receivers: Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Anthony Gould, Deion Burks

Alec Pierce has become one of the biggest big-play threats in the NFL in recent years, and the Colts paid him accordingly this offseason. The question is whether the Colts have enough around Pierce after they traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and whether Pierce is ready to be a true No. 1.

Josh Downs is a talented slot receiver who has had big stretches of production before. He would be the second-best receiver on the Texans' roster for the sake of comparisons, and he could be in for a big year now that there are more targets open in the Colts' offense. Overall, he gives the Colts a solid 1-2 punch with Pierce.

Behind the Pierce/Downs duo, though, the Colts' receiver room is ... not very good. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a niche role player and Ashton Dulin is a bit underrated, but the Colts are a single injury at receiver from having a lot of depth chart issues.

Tier 4: Tennessee Titans

Projected top receivers: Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike

I could see the Titans passing the Colts on this list by the end of the year, and I would argue that the Titans already have a better pure receiver room in terms of pure depth. With that said, Wan'Dale Robinson is not as good as Josh Downs, Calvin Ridley has had his fair share of issues since signing with the Titans a few years ago.

Carnell Tate is the X-Factor here. The top-five pick could prove to be the difference-maker he was drafted to be since there will clearly be a ton of targets available. If he hits his Year 1 upside then he will push the Titans past the Colts here. Ayomanor is a fine backup type, while Dike is one of the best returners in the entire NFL. They have talent and places in the league, but they aren't pushing the needle much.

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