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 look 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 taking stock of the whole unit, it’s not just about star power but depth. Today, it’s the first set of pass-catching groups in the AFC. Teams appear in ascending order.
#16: New England Patriots
WRs on the Roster: Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Javon Baker
TEs on the Roster: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Jaheim Bell
About: The Patriots found their quarterback in Drake Maye; they need to boost the pass offense now. The team took two receivers in the draft last year—Polk and Baker—but neither made a dent. They have veteran role players like Bourne and Douglas, who saw some improvement in year two from Boutte. But the development of this group will likely hinge on a couple of additions—the veteran Diggs and rookie Williams.
Diggs has been a star with the Vikings and Bills and had a solid early 2024 with the Texans. He caught 47 passes for 496 yards in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. But he’s aging and recovering from injury, and yet he’s the best receiver on the Patriots’ roster. Williams, meanwhile, caught 131 passes for 2,041 yards in the past two years at Washington State. He has tremendous upside, but he’s unproven. There is potential with this group, but still, plenty of questions. So, they sit at No. 16 for me.
#15: Pittsburgh Steelers
WRs on the Roster: D.K. Metcalf, Robert Woods, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, and Ben Skoronek
TEs on the Roster: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Connor Heyward
About: The Steelers didn’t have a great group of pass catchers in 2024, and they still don’t. That could present a challenge to newly signed Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers did acquire Metcalf from the Seahawks. He has 438 receptions for 6,324 yards in six seasons. He’s a true WR1 option. But beyond that, they are lacking at receiver.
The team hopes veteran Robert Woods, or second-year man Roman Wilson, can step up, and Austin can hold down the slot. While I like Freiermuth at tight end, this remains a thin group. They could be on the cusp of adding more, which would help, but for now, this group remains at the bottom of the AFC.
#14: Tennessee Titans
WRs on the Roster: Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Xavier Restrepo, and Treylon Burks
TEs on the Roster: Chig Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, and Gunnar Helm
About: The Titans got a franchise quarterback in Cam Ward, but do they have the passing game weapons? That remains somewhat of a question. The team’s top receiver, Ridley, and top tight end, Okonkwo, are back in 2025. That gives them a solid start as both are serviceable in their roles. The question is whether they added enough impact players beyond those two.
The team added Jefferson from the Steelers, and later added former Seahawk Lockett. Lockett has been a strong passing game weapon in his career, catching 661 passes and 61 touchdowns in 10 seasons. He figures to give this team a boost.
In addition, the Titans snagged a few interesting rookie receivers. Among them is Ayomanor, who caught 125 passes in the past two years at Stanford. With the new options, I like this group better than the Steelers and Patriots, but it’s still not exceptional.
#13: New York Jets
WRs on the Roster: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Malachi Corley, Arian Smith, and Xavier Gipson
TEs on the Roster: Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, and Stone Smartt
About: The Jets have a thin group, too. But they also boast the best receiver on the board yet in Wilson. Wilson caught 101 passes for 1,104 yards in 2024. He’s the WR1 and should do well with his former college quarterback, Justin Fields.
The team also added an interesting prospect at tight end in Taylor, out of LSU. He caught 129 passes in three years for the Tigers and should be a weapon for the Jets in 2025. Beyond that, how this group does will be determined by veterans Lazard, Reynolds, and Johnson, as well as how well Corley might step forward in year two. There’s potential, but not a lot of quality depth.
#12: Buffalo Bills
WRs on the Roster: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer, Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, Kaden Prather, KJ Hamler, and Laviska Shenault
TEs on the Roster: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes
About: The Bills have plenty of depth, but unlike a few other teams on this list, they lack top-end talent. This group feels more like the Packers in the NFC, where the sum of the whole is greater than any of its individual parts. Still, Shakir has developed into a solid and dependable receiver. He caught 76 passes for 821 yards in 2024. If this group is to take a step forward, they need Coleman to take a second-year leap and Kincaid to take a year-three leap. We’ll see if either happens.
#11: Denver Broncos
WRs on the Roster: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, DeVaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Trent Sherfield
TEs on the Roster: Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Caleb Lohner
About: The Broncos have a solid group that has plenty of upside. At receiver, it starts with Sutton, who finally got a stable quarterback situation for the first time in years. He had a career-high 81 receptions in 2024 and his first 1,000-yard season since 2019. The team also added a powerful weapon at tight end in Engram. He had a lost season due to injury in 2024, but he caught 187 passes in his first two seasons with the Jaguars. The Broncos hope he can be that kind of weapon for the team.
This team could also leap if the young receivers, like third-year man Mims, second-year players Franklin and Vele, and the rookie Bryant, step up. The potential is there, but the Broncos still have work to do.
#10: Jacksonville Jaguars
WRs on the Roster: Brian Thomas, Jr., Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, Austin Trammell, and Joshua Cephus
TEs on the Roster: Brenton Strange, Johnny Mundt, and Hunter Long
About: The Jaguars have tremendous upside and a star in Thomas. As a rookie, he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, despite little help and an inconsistent offense. They added Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2024, catching 96 passes for the University of Colorado. That could give the Jaguars a tremendous one-two punch at receiver and an emerging tight end in Strange. The team lacks depth, but that top three was enough to land them here.
#9: Las Vegas Raiders
No. 9: Las Vegas Raiders
WRs on the Roster: Jakobi Meyers, Jack Bech, Tre Tucker, Dont’e Thornton, Collin Johnson, and Tommy Mellott
TEs on the Roster: Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, and Ian Thomas
About: The Raiders are an interesting team. They make it up this high because they have the best tight end in football. As a rookie, Bowers caught 112 passes. He’s the star here. Mayer is a good TE2 option at tight end, also. That helps since the receiver group is thin. Meyers is a solid veteran who gives them a good lead option. But a lot of how far this group can go will depend on the development of Bech, who was taken in the draft. He caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last year for TCU. If he comes on strong for the Raiders, this group could be poised to go even higher.
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.
