The 2023 schedule has been revealed, and the Chicago Bears have a somewhat favorable slate following a 3-14 season.
Pro Football Focus ranked the top 32 wide receivers in the NFL, and Bears wideout DJ Moore landed at 16th on the list. He’s behind two other NFC North receivers in Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (2nd) and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown (15th).
The Bears will face five of the top-15 ranked receivers, including Las Vegas’ Davante Adams (1st), Jefferson (2nd), Washington’s Terry McLaurin (8th), Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans (11th) and St. Brown (15th).
Here’s a look at where the qualifying opposing wide receivers rank on PFF’s list:
1. Davante Adams, Raiders
The masses think Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the NFL, but I see no white towel thrown in on Adams’ career. Last season, his first without Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns, six more than Jefferson. He averaged 2.45 yards per route run, and over the past three seasons he leads the NFL in PFF receiving grade (94.5) and yards per route run (2.67), with Jefferson placing second in each category. Adams remains the king of receivers until somebody topples him.
2. Justin Jefferson, Vikings
I’m not sure you can say Jefferson is better than Davante Adams, but he’s joined him atop the mountain. Jefferson is second to Adams in a whole variety of categories since entering the league and has been phenomenally productive for the Vikings in his young career. He is an outstanding route runner, can win contested catches and already has one of the greatest catches in NFL history on his resume — a fourth-and-18 one-handed snag against Buffalo.
8. Terry McLaurin, Commanders
Since coming into the league, McLaurin has racked up more than 4,200 yards and 460 targets in four seasons with an ugly list of quarterbacks throwing him the football. He has a PFF receiving grade of at least 77.1 in each season, and passes thrown his way have generated a 101.2 passer rating, significantly higher than the baseline of those aforementioned quarterbacks.
11. Mike Evans, Buccaneers
The consistency shown by Evans throughout his NFL career has been remarkable. He has caught more than 65 passes for at least 1,000 yards in all nine of his seasons, and in six of those years he recorded eight or more touchdowns. Injuries have started to bite over the past few seasons, limiting his effectiveness, if not keeping him off the field, but he remains an elite target, particularly downfield.
15. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
One of the least-heralded receivers to come good, St. Brown has emerged as the driving force behind Detroit’s flourishing offense over the past couple of seasons. He was one of five receivers in the NFL to earn a PFF receiving grade above 90.0 last season, putting him in elite company. His role differs from most of those other receivers, lining up predominantly in the slot and with an average depth of target of just 6.7 yards downfield. But he is elite in that role.
21. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Godwin’s best season came back in 2019, but he has been a consistently excellent receiver from primarily the slot throughout his NFL career. He has never once caught less than 50% of his contested targets over a single season and for his career has come up with 60.7% of such passes, one of the highest rates in football.
22. Amari Cooper, Browns
Cooper makes every offense he steps into better. He has now demonstrated this knack for the Raiders, Cowboys and Browns in the NFL, yet the discussion about Cooper tends to center too often around his deficiencies. A receiver who is good at everything, Cooper is an excellent weapon whose only real issue is consistency.
25. Keenan Allen, Chargers
The 31-year-old Allen’s best play might be behind him, and injuries have been an issue, but he is still an exceptional route runner and a player who knows how to get open consistently. He gained 2.18 yards per route run last season even if being limited to 10 games of action meant he had fewer than 800 total receiving yards. Allen’s strengths as a receiver are still sharp, so if he can stay healthy, he is still an excellent receiver on the other end of Justin Herbert passes.
27. Michael Thomas, Saints
Another unknown quantity when it comes to ranking going forward, Thomas was one of the very best receivers in the game before injuries completely derailed his career. He has played in three games over the past two years, but even in those three games he caught three touchdowns and had 22 targets. If Thomas is legitimately healthy in 2023, he could rocket up these rankings.
29. Mike Williams, Chargers
A contested-catch specialist who can win deep down the field and on the vertical route tree, first and foremost, Williams is another receiver who has been battling injuries in his career. The difference he makes to the Chargers’ offense is obvious when he is on the field, and the kind of big-play ability he brings to the table is a vital component of their passing attack.
32. Chris Olave, Saints
Olave’s rookie season was exceptionally effective, with only opportunity holding him back from a truly impressive statistical output. He gained 2.42 yards per route run, which led all rookie receivers and ranked seventh overall, one spot behind Davante Adams. He was particularly effective as a deep threat, with an average depth of target 14.9 yards downfield.
