Teams Without a No.1 WR… Yet

These teams still have openings for their top WR spots, so don’t hesitate to take stock in these candidates late in your drafts!

Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders desperately want WR Henry Ruggs to be the no.1 in Las Vegas. Henry Ruggs wants to be the no.1 in Vegas too, but I’m just not sure he’s going to be the no.1 in Vegas. TE Darren Waller aside, WR Bryan Edwards has built a rapport with QB Derek Carr and at 6’3”, 215 lbs he makes for a better possession and red zone option than Ruggs. Ruggs is built for speed and deep field explosion, and as we all know, Carr is not the kind of QB to facilitate that kind of action. Ruggs could end up leading the Raiders WRs in targets and yards, but it’s not at all a certainty.

Detroit Lions
It’s really anybody’s game in Detroit, especially now that Breshad Perriman has been released. Ty Williams is the obvious choice for the no.1 role, as he has the experience(5 yrs) to lead a WR corps, and he’s averaged 5.5 TDs and 700+ yards over his last 4 seasons. But Williams could be usurped by rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown, the younger brother of Equanimeous, who, playing some outside but mostly out of the slot, is just the type of target that works for new QB Jared Goff. Don’t forget 2nd year pro Quintez Cephus though, who has expanded his route tree and could actually end up seeing more time in the slot than St. Brown. It’s not a sexy group, but the Lions are likely to be playing from behind much of the season, so there will be targets to absorb.

New England Patriots
N’ Keal Harry is on IR, so that leaves Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor as the primary WRs in New England at this point. Meyers led the Pats WRs in receiving last year(729 yards), and he’s been the most consistent receiver in camp this off season. Agholor is having a resurgence after his 896 yard, 8 TD 2020 season in Vegas, and he’s arguably the most talented WR in New England. QB Mac Jones is an unknown variable, but chances are that he’ll be a better passer than Cam Newton was last year for the Pats. Both Agholor and Meyers will be cheap, so there’s a lot of upside to be had here.

Indianapolis Colts
Ty Hilton is sidelined for at least 3 weeks healing from neck surgery, and it’s not a given he’ll be the top wideout in Indy, even when he does return. 2nd year, 2nd rounder Michael Pittman actually led the Colts in receiving for a portion of his rookie year in 2020, until Hilton crept up and took that mantle from him. With Hilton out with injury, Pittman may start this season as the no.1. But then there’s slot man Parris Campbell, who was a top-tier rookie when he entered the league in 2019, only to be stymied by injuries until now. Campbell is the healthiest he’s been since entering the league, and he’ll provide an electrifying safety blanket for Carson Wentz. Zach Pascal is a darkhorse to run the show too, as he always seems to flirt with FFL relevancy(600+ yards, 5 TDs his last 2 seasons).

New Orleans Saints
With Michael Thomas out until at least Week 8, the Saints are open to a new no.1 for half the season, and the two players in that competition are Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith. Callaway seems to have leapfrogged Smith for the time being, as Smith has been recovering from a leg injury, and Callaway has been convincingly productive in his absence. That being said, Smith will benefit from the strong arm and downfield prowess of Jameis Winston under center, and could power his way to the top of the heap in due time. Either WR can be had for peanuts right now, so again we have a low risk, high reward situation on our hands.