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Much like the running back group, the NFC North boasts some of the best wide receivers in the entire league. With somewhat decent quarterbacks, the Black and Blue division could be filled with some of the most dynamic offenses around the NFL.
But which team has the best receivers in the division? Let’s rank the NFC North teams by their wide receiver room.
Previously:
(Note: Not every wide receiver on each roster is listed. Just the noteworthy ones.)
1. Chicago Bears (Allen Robinson II, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller, Riley Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson)
The Chicago Bears’ receiving corps is criminally underrated and overlooked. The addition of Allen Robinson last year is just starting to pay dividends. Though he’s struggled with injuries his entire career, his 2018 season was promising (754 yards in 13 games). Throw in Taylor Gabriel—a solid slot receiver—and two young pass catchers in 2018 second-round pick Anthony Miller and 2019 fourth-round pick Riley Ridley, and the Bears receiving squad is solid, deep and very young. They may not have the long resumes of some of the other receivers in this league, but the potential is there for all of them to take a big step in 2019.
2. Detroit Lions (Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola, Jermaine Kearse, Travis Fulgham)
Detroit’s starting lineup is somewhat solid. Kenny Golladay seems poised to take over the WR1 role for the team, while Marvin Jones is still a little underappreciated as a big-play threat. Danny Amendola is a good candidate to bounce back after a mediocre year in Miami, but he’s still an obvious downgrade from Golden Tate.
As far as depth is concerned, Jermaine Kearse was an important signing that can back up any position. Additionally, the Lions have a slew of young options waiting in the wings to steal a roster spot, leading with 2019 sixth-round pick Travis Fulgham.
3. Minnesota Vikings (Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Chad Beebe, Jeff Badet, Olabisi Johnson)
The Minnesota Vikings undoubtedly have the best one-two punch in the division—quite possibly the entire league—but they have some serious, serious questions about their depth. Laquon Treadwell has been a bust in Minnesota, and he may not even make the team this year.
Everyone else on the roster is unproven with no serious hype behind them. If one of the Vikings’ top receivers goes down with an injury, they are seriously lacking any options to replace them. Depth matters in this league, and while Minnesota has two of the best receivers in the entire division, there’s a good chance at some point they’ll have to rely on someone else, and I just don’t see anyone on the roster that can step up.
4. Green Bay Packers (Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, J’Mon Moore)
The Packers have the best receiver in the entire division in Davante Adams, but everyone else is extremely unproven. The Packers must have seen something promising in their 2018 draft class—fourth-round pick J’Mon Moore, fifth-round pick Marquez Valdes-Scantling and sixth-round pick Equanimeous St. Brown—because they added little help this offseason. That trio was relied upon heavily in 2018, and the results were inconclusive at best.
Aaron Rodgers does a good job of making mediocre receivers look good, so there’s a chance a star emerges from that class, but they’re going to have to take a big step in 2019.