The 2024 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 2024 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. We’ve looked at quarterbacks and running backs; now it’s time for the pass catchers. In the modern fantasy game, this is the deepest and most fantasy-rich category. For these, we’ll look at wide receivers and tight ends. Today, I’m finishing my look at NFC units with the Top 8.
No. 8: Seattle Seahawks
WRs on the Roster: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young, and Laviska Shenault
TEs on the Roster: Noah Fant, Pharoah Brown, and A.J. Barner
About: We come in hot to start this half of the list with a good group in the Seahawks. In fact, the Seahawks have a great trio of receivers and a solid tight end. And we saw all their receivers contribute in 2023, with Metcalf as WR21, Lockett as WR32, and JSN as WR48. It’s possible the gap between Lockett and JSN will close or reverse going forward, but either way, the Seahawks have a nice trio plus a solid tight end. The team doesn’t have much in the way of depth, but the starting group was enough to bump them up into the Top 8.
No. 7: Los Angeles Rams
WRs on the Roster: Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, and Tyler Johnson
TEs on the Roster: Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and Hunter Long
About: The Rams have a powerhouse duo at receiver. As a rookie, Nacua finished as WR4. Kupp was in and out of the lineup due to injury but still finished as WR40. With both healthy, the Rams have a great duo at receiver.
They also have a solid tight end in Higbee, who has his moments in this offense. With that group, you might be wondering why they’re not higher. It comes down to depth. Robinson and Atwell provide some pop, but beyond that is a rookie in Whittington and a young prospect in Johnson. There’s not much available if Kupp or Nacua miss time, dropping them to seventh.
No. 6: Dallas Cowboys
WRs on the Roster: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin, and Ryan Flournoy
TEs on the Roster: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Peyton Hendershot
About: Lamb is an excellent receiver. He finished as WR1 in 2023 and could well finish as The WR1 again in 2024. He’s a great starting place. Behind him, the Cowboys have a solid veteran in Cooks and a great tight end in Ferguson, who finished as TE9 on the season. So, with this star power, why are the Cowboys so low?
Again, it comes down to depth. The Cowboys are thin at receiver—really thin. In fact, the team has to hope Tolbert is ready to take a step forward, and beyond the top three, there’s not much to be confident about. So, despite the great production from Lamb and Ferguson, I couldn’t put them higher than sixth.
No. 5: Chicago Bears
WRs on the Roster: D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Velus Jones, Tyler Scott, and Dante Pettis
TEs on the Roster: Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, and Marcedes Lewis
About: The Bears have a great group, one that was strengthened by the addition of Allen in a trade with the Chargers, Odunze in the draft, and signing Everett in free agency. That combines with Moore and Kmet, who were solid in 2024.
Moore, in his first year with the Bears, finished as WR6, while Kmet finished as TE8. Now, for rookie Caleb Williams, the Bears go three deep at receiver and two deep at tight end. It’s possible I’m too low on the Bears, but sometimes it takes a bit of time to acclimate to a new team. And as we saw with the Seahawks in 2023, having three receivers vying for targets can limit the ceiling for all of them. So, for now, I moved the Bears to the Top 5 but didn’t go any higher.
No. 4: Detroit Lions
WRs on the Roster: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tom Kennedy, and Antione Green
TEs on the Roster: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Shane Zylstra
About: The Lions have a great young team. They have a Top 5 receiver in St. Brown, who finished as WR3 in 2023, and a top tight end in LaPorta, who was TE1 in 2023 as a rookie. They aren’t higher because there’s a lack of depth. This ranking also presupposes that in year three, Williams is ready to step up. But much like the Cowboys, there’s a lot to like with just the top receiver and top tight end in this group.
No. 3: Minnesota Vikings
WRs on the Roster: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, Jalen Nailor, and Trishton Jackson
TEs on the Roster: T.J. Hockenson, Johnny Mundt, Josh Oliver, and Robert Tonyan
About: The Vikings have some decent depth at tight end. That turns out to be a good thing. Though Hockenson is one of the best in the game, he was injured late in 2023 and is likely to be out to start the season. The Vikings will need that depth. But at receiver, much as is the story throughout the NFC, the Vikings are top-heavy.
Jefferson, who struggled with injuries in 2023, is one of the best in the game. Addison, who was the main attraction in the passing game at times in 2023, finished as WR23 as a rookie. That gives the Vikings a smoking duo at receiver. Behind them, there’s not a lot. So, the lack of depth and the injury to Hockenson has me dropping them to No. 3.
No. 2: Philadelphia Eagles
WRs on the Roster: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Paris Campbell, Johnny Wilson, Anias Smith, and Joseph Ngata
TEs on the Roster: Dallas Goedert, C.J. Uzomah, Grant Calcaterra, and Albert Okwuegbunam
About: The Eagles have an awesome set of weapons. It starts with a great receiver duo in Brown and Smith. Brown finished as WR5, and Smith was WR19 in 2023. That’s a great set of weapons to have.
In addition, the Eagles have a solid tight end in Goedert. Better still, they have some good depth with veterans like Uzomah, Calcaterra, and Okwuegbunam on the roster.
The weakness here is the depth at receiver. Campbell, a veteran, comes over from the Giants as the projected WR3. Behind him, the Eagles’ top six includes a pair of late-round rookie selections. That’s not a lot of depth. That’s part of the reason the Eagles, despite perhaps the best duo at receiver in the NFC, are only second.
No. 1: San Francisco 49ers
WRs on the Roster: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray, and Chris Conley
TEs on the Roster: George Kittle, Logan Thomas, Cameron Latu, and Eric Saubert
About: The 49ers have a combination of star power and depth, which made it an easy call to put them atop this list. With Samuel, Aiyuk, and Kittle, the 49ers have a great trio at the starting positions. Jennings, a capable third receiver the past few seasons, is also back and recently signed an extension. Then the 49ers spent a First-Round draft pick on Pearsall, a top prospect out of Florida.
Beyond that, they have other prospects, like Cowing and Bell, along with veterans like Conley. That’s a great luxury. The same is true at tight end. The 49ers have a great starter in Kittle, and behind him, they signed Thomas, who was TE16 last year for the Commanders. They also have a prospect in Latu and a veteran who has shown promise in Saubert. In short, the 49ers are not only great in the starting lineup, but they also have options, making them a rarity in the NFC. That’s why this group tops my list.
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.
