The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and the biggest wave of free agency is over. That makes it a perfect time to take stock of NFL rosters as we head toward the 2025 season. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at the quarterbacks, running backs, and pass catchers for all 32 NFL Teams. I’ll be ranking each unit 1-16 in their conference. When it comes to taking stock of the whole unit, it’s not just about star power but depth. Today, it’s the first eight pass-catching groups in the NFC. Teams appear in ascending order.
#16: New Orleans Saints
WRs on the Roster: Chris Olave, Brandin Cooks, Rashid Shaheed, Bub Means, Cedric Wilson, Jr., Kelvin Austin, Jr., Mason Tipton, and Donovan Peoples-Jones
TEs on the Roster: Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, and Jack Stoll
About: It’s a new coaching staff for the Saints and a new quarterback situation. If you’ve been following these groups, you know that I wasn’t bullish on the Saints’ quarterback options. The same is true of pass catchers. The Saints have some veterans that could contribute, including Cooks in a return to the team at receiver and Johnson, who signed a contract extension at tight end. Shaheed showed some pop last year before getting injured, too. He could pair nicely here.
The big question for the Saints is Olave. He has some great upside that makes him one of the best receivers in the game. But he also has a concerning injury history including concussions, which ended his season early last year. He feels like a player that’s a hit away from his season or career coming to an end. That uncertainty combined with a thin group behind him has the Saints at the bottom of my list.
#15: Carolina Panthers
WRs on the Roster: Tet McMillan, Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, David Moore, Jalen Coker, and Jimmy Horn, Jr.
TEs on the Roster: Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Mitchell Evans
About: I wrestled with putting the Saints over the Panthers. New Orleans certainly has more veteran presence and more of a track record. But its receivers and tight ends are aging and have health questions. I see the Panthers with more upside and potential. That includes tight end, where Sanders could take a year two leap. And includes receiver, with Legette entering year two and McMillan giving them a new No. 1 option. McMillan is a great prospect who caught 174 passes over the last two years in college. This ranking could be too low if he takes off, as he should, and the other young receivers develop.
#14: New York Giants
WRs on the Roster: Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Zach Pascal, Jalin Hyatt, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey
TEs on the Roster: Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich, and Thomas Fidone II
About: The Giants are a team I wanted to put higher. I wanted them higher because of Nabers, a true No. 1 who caught 109 passes in his rookie season. He’s incredible and a great option. But the rest of the Giants’ group is thin. Robinson is a PPR machine that doesn’t go very far down the field, while Slayton is a role player. The Giants have a possibly emerging tight end in Johnson, but not much upside in their depth. Nabers is great, but he’s the only thing this group has going for it right now.
#13: Green Bay Packers
WRs on the Roster: Jayden Reed, Mathew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontavyion Wicks, Savion Williams, Mecole Hardman, Bo Melton, and Malik Heath
TEs on the Roster: Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, and Ben Sims
About: This is a case where the whole is greater than the individual parts. The Packers don’t have a valid No. 1 or alpha receiver. But they have many good options, including the speedy rookie Golden, Reed, and veterans like Doubs and Watson. Watson has some injury concerns, but the Packers have depth with Wicks, the rookie Williams, and a veteran like Hardman. That gives them plenty of depth. Meanwhile, the Packers boast the best tight end on the list so far in Kraft, who had 50 receptions and seven touchdowns in 2024. The Packers have a good group, but they lack the kind of elite option that can be a game-changer.
#12: Washington Commanders
WRs on the Roster: Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup, and K.J. Osborn
TEs on the Roster: Zach Ertz, Ben Sinnott, John Bates, and Cole Turner
About: Adding more passing game weapons was a need for the Commanders. They have an elite receiver in McLaurin and got an incredible year out of the journeyman Ertz at tight end. Ertz is back again, with Sinnott waiting in the wings. But the team got a boost when it added Samuel in a trade from the 49ers.
Samuel had a down year in 2024, but if he can return to form, which saw him catch 60 passes for nearly 900 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, this group can take a leap forward. But there isn’t much depth here, and with Samuel’s injury history, this could leave the Commanders vulnerable again. So, I have them here at 12.
#11: Arizona Cardinals
WRs on the Roster: Marvin Harrison, Jr., Michael Wilson, Zay Jones, Greg Dortch, Simi Fehoko, Xavier Weaver, and Quez Watkins
TEs on the Roster: Trey McBride, Tip Reiman, Elijah Higgins, and Josiah Deguara
About: The Cardinals have two elite passing game options, which helps land them here. First, they have McBride, the best tight end in the NFC and one of the best in the NFL. Next, they have Harrison, the top receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft. He had a solid if unspectacular rookie season, catching 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. He could be poised to take a step forward in year two as well. But the Cardinals don’t have a lot of depth and options behind those two. So, while I like McBride and Harrison a lot, it’s hard to move them further up the list at this point.
#10: Seattle Seahawks
WRs on the Roster: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tory Horton, Ricky White III, and Jake Bobo
TEs on the Roster: Noah Fant, Elijah Arroyo, and A.J. Barner
About: The Seahawks are a close call with the Cardinals. But the addition of Kupp and Klint Kubiak as the Offensive Coordinator has me giving the Seahawks a slight edge. We saw JSN take a big leap forward in year two, catching 100 passes for 1,130 yards. He’s the alpha now with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett gone. But the team added a great veteran weapon in Kupp and brought in MVS, who had a strong finish to 2024 with Kubiak in New Orleans. I like that combination, even if there isn’t much depth to the receiver room.
But I think this team has some good options at tight end with the veteran Fant and the rookie Arroyo, who was taken in the Fourth Round. Arroyo caught 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns last year at Miami. Fant is the starter, but Arroyo is the future. I suspect we’ll see them both contribute in 2025.
#9: San Francisco 49ers
WRs on the Roster: Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, DeMarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Terique Owens, and Isaiah Hodgins
TEs on the Roster: George Kittle, Luke Farrell, and Ross Dwelley
About: The 49ers have plenty of talent. They took a little step back in the trade of Samuel, but there is still plenty here to like. I wrestled with whether to move them higher, but ultimately settled here. Jennings is a solid receiver and role player. Pearsall looked good to end his rookie year. And Aiyuk has upside, but he’s coming off an injury. How well will they all work together remains a question. But I have no questions about Kittle, one of the best tight ends in football. He is the rock, catching 78 passes for 1,106 yards last season. He’s one of the best in the game, and probably the best option in this 49ers group still.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
