The Miami Dolphins’ 2023 schedule has been revealed, and they look to make the postseason for the second year in a row, but this time, they hope to win at least their first-round matchup.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked their top 32 wide receivers in the NFL, and Dolphins wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both landed on the list.
Miami will face five of the top-15 ranked receivers, including Las Vegas’ Davante Adams (1st), Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs (5th), Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown (7th), Washington’s Terry McLaurin (8th) and Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb (9th).
Here’s a look at where the qualifying opposing wide receivers rank on their 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.”
5. Stefon Diggs, Bills
“Diggs has been unleashed in Buffalo, having been capped in terms of opportunity in Minnesota’s offense before he was traded. Since that move, Diggs has 469 targets, second in the league behind only Davante Adams. His receiving stat line includes more than 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he continues to be one of the most well-rounded receivers in the game.”
7. A.J. Brown, Eagles
“Last season, we saw the kind of impact that Brown can have on an offense. Already a player who had elite stats against any kind of coverage or player, Brown’s arrival transformed the Philadelphia offense and helped spark a corresponding huge improvement from DeVonta Smith at receiver and Jalen Hurts at quarterback. Brown averaged 2.59 yards per route run and passes thrown his way generated a 118.8 passer rating.”
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.”
9. CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
“Lamb’s production should only go up in 2023 now that Brandin Cooks is on the roster to keep defenses on their toes. Last season, with no Amari Cooper, Lamb set career highs in targets, catches, yards, touchdowns and yards per route run. He posted the lowest drop rate of his career and looked like one of the best receivers in the game. This season could be even better.”
13. Garrett Wilson, Jets
“With Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback, Wilson could go to the moon in 2023. As a rookie, he trailed only Deebo Samuel in broken tackles (22) and gained more than 1,100 receiving yards despite a disastrous quarterback situation featuring three backup-caliber passers trying to get him the football. He is an outstanding route runner and has excellent body control and skills after the catch.”
18. DeVonta Smith, Eagles
“A.J. Brown‘s arrival set off a huge improvement from almost all quarters of the Eagles’ offense, including DeVonta Smith. In Year 2, Smith improved in almost every receiving metric, including yards per route run, and passes thrown his way generated a 114.1 passer rating in the regular season. Smith is an outstanding receiver whose only question mark is his slender build, which is less of an issue with a physically imposing receiver like Brown on the other side.”
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.”
26. Brandin Cooks, Texans
“Cooks will be moving on to his fifth team in the NFL when he suits up for Dallas this season, but whatever reason teams choose to trade him away with impressive regularity, it’s not because he doesn’t produce. This past season was the first of his Texans tenure that didn’t yield a 1,000-yard season, and he has posted at least one of those for every team he has played for.”
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.”
