The vast receiver place has by no means been extra necessary, with a complete of 17,811 passes thrown final season, per Pro Football Reference.
Some groups get it. Some groups don’t. Listed below are 5 that might use some assist.
Carolina Panthers
Adam Thielen completed with 615 yards to steer the NFL’s Thirtieth-ranked passing offense regardless of lacking seven video games with a hamstring damage final season. Xavier Leggette, the crew’s first-round decide in 2024, scored 4 touchdowns however managed solely 31.1 yards per sport.
Tetairoa McMillan, the eighth general decide on this 12 months’s draft, caught 84 catches for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns with Arizona final season and will have to approximate these numbers for Carolina to contend within the NFC South.
Cleveland Browns
Whereas most followers have been targeted on the crew’s quarterback state of affairs, the Browns have quietly put collectively one of many worst vast receiver teams in soccer. Jerry Jeudy is the exception after main the crew with 90 catches for 1,229 yards, however his three-touchdowns-per-season common might be higher.
Cedric Tillman had three scores in his second 12 months with the Browns however managed solely 339 yards, 317 extra yards than fifth-round decide Jamari Thrash had in 2024. Diontae Johnson had 357 yards for Carolina earlier than being traded to the Baltimore Ravens, who launched the erratic receiver after watching him make one catch in 4 video games before refusing to enter a game in opposition to Philadelphia.
Houston picked him up, however let him go after catching three passes for twenty-four yards in two video games. A former Professional Bowler with the Steelers in 2021, Johnson clearly has expertise however might do Cleveland extra hurt than good in 2025.
New England Patriots
New England handed for a league-low 176.1 yards per sport final season with 30-year-old tight finish Hunter Henry main the crew with 66 catches for a career-high 674 yards. DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, each sixth-round picks in 2023, weren’t far behind with 621 and 589 yards, respectively, however every had solely three touchdowns.
Ja’Lynn Polk, the crew’s second-round decide in 2024, had two scores however caught simply 12 passes in 15 video games. This 12 months, the Patriots are hoping 31-year-old Stefon Diggs can bounce begin the crew’s passing sport after struggling a torn ACL with the Texans final season.
Las Vegas Raiders
Like New England, Las Vegas’ main receiver was additionally a decent finish, first-round rookie Brock Bowers, who led the place with 1,194 yards in 2024. Former Patriot Jakobi Meyers led the crew’s receivers with the primary 1,000-yard season of his six-year profession (1,027) however received little assist with 539 yards from Tre Tucker.
Second-round decide Jack Bech did little in three faculty seasons earlier than breaking out with 1,034 yards for TCU in 2024 and figures to be the No. 3 receiver on a crew with out a lot depth on the place past fourth-round decide Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee made Cam Ward the No. 1 decide on this 12 months’s draft however did him no favors on the vast receiver place. Calvin Ridley led the crew with 1,017 yards final season however had solely 4 scores. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had 9 touchdowns however solely 497 yards, with 98 yards approaching one play against the Vikings in Week 11.
Tyler Boyd didn’t discover the top zone in any respect and appears nothing just like the participant who caught 513 passes for six,000 yards in eight years with the Bengals.
Ward can solely hope new addition Tyler Lockett can regain the shape that earned him a pair of Professional Bowl appearances (one for particular groups) in 10 seasons with the Seahawks.
