Quarterback is often referred to as the most important position in not only football but all sports. NHL goalies, NBA point guards, and MLB catchers may have an argument, but considering the contracts, QBs are fetching, it’s hard to argue the value they represent to the most popular sport in the United States.
Plus, when you look at how many people are betting on the NFL now, the QB is one of the first factors bettors consider when making NFL picks against the spread.
However, there is plenty to go around, and wide receivers made sure that the spotlight shone on their position group during this past offseason. Record contracts were handed out, and several high-profile wideouts changed teams in efforts to cash in on bigger paydays than perhaps their old teams were willing to dole out.
AJ Brown was dealt from Tennessee to Philadelphia on draft night. Tyreek Hill went from Kansas City to Miami. Davante Adams reunited with his college quarterback, Derek Carr, in Las Vegas in a shocking deal with Green Bay. Amari Cooper quietly went from Dallas to Cleveland. Brown, Hill, and Adams all re-upped on massive extensions with their new teams, while Cooper was restructured to create cap space and convert most of his 2023 salary into a signing bonus.
Even the big-name receivers who stayed put got rewarded. Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel all cashed in big time during the summer of 2022 as the economics of the sport continues to expand and shift.
So how do all these new paychecks translate into performance? Every year, a select number of national media members who regularly cover the league determines the NFL All-Pro first and second teams. Of all the players in the league, just three wide receivers will be named a first-team All-Pro. Here is who we project to earn the honor.
Stefon Diggs – Buffalo Bills
We noted how Diggs signed an extension with Buffalo before the season, agreeing on a 4-year, $96 million deal to keep him tied to the franchise through the 2027 campaign. Diggs has been integral to the team’s success and development of QB Josh Allen. The Bills were the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl and remain on the short-list of contenders.
Ironically, Diggs was traded away by the Vikings for four draft picks, including a first-rounder that Minnesota would ultimately use on the next player on this list.
Justin Jefferson – Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota used the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to snag Jefferson out of LSU, immediately replacing Diggs, though the trade undoubtedly worked out well for both sides. JJ has improved in each of his first three years in the league, and that’s saying something considering the impact he made as a rookie.
“Jets” is responsible for the catch of the year so far, a miraculous one-handed grab in front of a Bills defender in what has also been dubbed as the game of the year that Minnesota won. It was a statement victory in a season that has seen the Vikings emerge as contenders in the NFC, and this third-year star has had a lot to do with that.
Tyreek Hill – Miami Dolphins
We’re giving the nod to Hill over Davante Adams here purely because of their respective teams’ success. Adams has been as great as ever, but Las Vegas has struggled in Josh McDaniels’ first year at the helm.
Hill arrived in a similar situation, going to a new team with a first-year head coach, but the Dolphins are thriving with a much less experienced quarterback throwing him the ball. Yes, Miami has more offensive weapons than the Raiders, one of which includes fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle who has made a significant leap, but Hill has been remarkable.
Prior to the season, most prognosticators would have slotted in Jefferson along with Kupp and Ja’Marr Chase. But injuries have derailed the latter two’s seasons to varying degrees, making this article a little easier to write. Second-team All-Pro receivers (only two get named) might be a harder exercise considering the names after Adams include the likes of AJ Brown, Waddle, CeeDee Lamb, Cooper, and Christian Kirk.
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