Ranking the 4 WR groups in the AFC North from worst to best

How do Cincinnati's receivers stack up compared to division rivals?
Minnesota Vikings v Cincinnati Bengals
Minnesota Vikings v Cincinnati Bengals / Jeff Dean/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Jermaine Burton

To no one's surprise, the Bengals finish first when it comes to receiving groups.

Starting with Ja'Marr Chase, who is quite easily the best wide receiver in the division, and, at absolute worst, considered a top-10 receiver in the league. He's deservedly gotten a Pro Bowl nod every year of his young career so far, and even an All-Pro 2nd Team finish. Chase has finished every year with over 1,000 yards, including in 2022 when he missed 5 games due to injury. He's also coming off of his first (of hopefully many) 100-reception season. You can't talk about the best receivers in the league without mentioning Ja'Marr Chase.

The star power doesn't stop there though. Lined up on the other side of the field is Tee Higgins, who is the best second option in the division and arguably one of the best in the league alongside the likes of Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith, Deebo Samuel, and so on. While health can sometimes be a concern when talking about Higgins, the good heavily outweighs the bad. He's tall, physical, and a contested catch machine.

With the departure of longtime Bengal Tyler Boyd, the offense needed a new weapon at the wide receiver position, and they may have gotten it in the third round of the NFL Draft with Alabama alum Jermaine Burton. While not quite a replacement for Boyd, as he isn't a true slot receiver, Burton could be the next explosive target for Joe Burrow, as he averaged an incredible 20.5 yards per reception (5th in the FBS) in his Senior year with the Crimson Tide.

When talking about depth, Cincy probably has the deepest receiving core in the division. Trenton Irwin has been very reliable when coming off the bench the last two years and keeps the offense's motor humming whenever Higgins and/or Chase have unfortunately gone down with injury. Andrei Iosivas also flashed a lot of promise in his rookie year finding the end zone four times despite essentially being WR5 on the depth chart.

feed