PFF's 2024 NFL Receiving Corps Rankings: The Cardinals and Steelers are Ranked Low

what happens when a team loses its star receiver how do rookie wide outs impact A team's ranking and which Squad is most likely to prove PFF wrong in this second edition of our 2024 NFL receiving core rankings breakdown we're tackling these questions and more as we examine the teams ranked 32 to 17 from fallen giants to potential Dark Horses these are the teams at the bottom half of the pff's rankings [Music] we're kicking things off with the New England Patriots at the bottom of the list oh how the mighty have fallen the days of Tom Brady slinging passes to a stacked receiving core feels like ancient history now PFF ranked their receiving unit 28th last year and things haven't exactly improved their highest graded pass Catcher from last season tight end Pharaoh Brown is gone they're now relying on guys like the Mario Douglas and Hunter Henry to step up the stats did bring in some fresh blood with rookies Jaylen pulk and Javon Baker who should get plenty of opportunities to prove themselves they also added Antonio Gibson to the backfield which could help in the passing game look we're not going to sugarcoat it this group has a pretty low ceiling for 20124 but hey Patriots fans don't lose hope entirely let's hope they can prove PFF wrong moving up to number 31 we've got the Los Angeles Chargers talk about a fall from grace this team used to be known for its highflying offense but 2024 is looking rough they've lost a ton of Firepower with Kenan Allen Mike Williams Gerald Everett and Austin Eckler all gone from last year's roster the Chargers are now pinning their hopes on Quinton Johnston last year's first round pick who let's be honest didn't exactly set the world on fire in his rookie season they've still got Josh Palmer and they did bring in DJ CH and draft lad makoni and Brendan rice but man someone from this group needs to step up in a big way it's going to be a challenging year for Justin Herbert and this Chargers offense they're basically starting from scratch in the receiving game coming in at number 30 we've got the Denver Broncos the Jerry Judy experiment is over in Denver which means it's courland Sutton's time to shine as the clear wide receiver one the Broncos brought in Josh Reynolds and drafted Troy Franklin to compete for that wide receiver two spot and they've still got Marvin Mims as a potential deep threat one bright spot for the Broncos is the receiving production out of the backfield both samaj perine and Jalil mlin earned receiving grades above 80 last season which is pretty impressive that could be a key factor in moving the chains and keeping drives alive at number 29 we've got the Carolina Panthers now before you Panther fans start yelling at us we know you've made some moves to improve bringing in Deontay Johnson was a solid get and drafting Xavier leged adds some young talent to the mix but let's be real this group still has a lot to prove they've got some young guys like Jonathan Mingo ter Harris Marshall Tommy tremble and rookie gavon Sanders who could step up but we need to see it happen on the field before we can move them up these rankings here's the thing though sometimes low expectations can be a good thing with Bryce young entering his second year and Adam Thelen to Mentor there's potential for this group to surprise some people if you're enjoying this video so far be sure to like And subscribe for more deep Dives like this one coming in at number 28 we've got the New York Giants the G men are pinning a lot of their hopes on rookie Malik neighbors if he turns out to be a star it could Elevate the whole receiving core guys like wandale Robinson Darius Slayton and Jaylen Hyatt could suddenly look a lot better as complimentary pieces the tight end situation is a bit murky after Darren Waller's retirement they're now relying on Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson to step up in the backfield they've swapped out saquan Barkley for Devon single ter which is a bit of a downgrade in the passing game there is potential here but also a lot of ifs if neighbors lives up to the hype if one of their young receivers takes a big step forward if they can get some production out of the tight end position you get the idea it's going to be an interesting year in New York watching to see if this group can exceed expectations and give Daniel Jones the weapons he needs at number 27 we've got the Buffalo Bills losing Stefon digs is a huge blow to this receiving core Gabe Davis has gone too but let's be honest that's not nearly as big of a the deal is losing digs the bills are now looking at a group led by Kian Coleman khil Shakir and Curtis Samuel that could be a nice Trio down the road but for 2024 there's a lot of question marks the good news is is that the tight end room is solid with Dalton kin Kade and Dawson Knox providing reliable options for Josh Allen this feels like a transition year for the bills' passing game they've got some interesting pieces but replacing the production and reliability of digs is going to be a tall order it'll be fascinating to see how this group develops over the course of this season moving up to number 26 we've got the Pittsburgh Steelers George Pickins is the main man now in the steel city with Deontay Johnson out of the picture PFF had Pickins at number 30 in their preseason wide receiver rankings so there's definitely some potential here the Steelers also drafted Roman Wilson who should get plenty of playing time in his rookie year at tight end Pat fouth is coming off a solid season with a 68.8 PFF receiving grade and don't sleep on running back J Warren who posted a 72.9 receiving grade last year overall this is a decent group but the ceiling feels a bit limited after Johnson's departure the Steelers are banking on Pickin taking a big step forward and becoming a true wide receiver one if he can do that and if Wilson can contribute right away as a rookie this receiving core could outperform their ranking checking in at number 25 we've got the Jacksonville Jaguars the Jags made some moves this off season signing Gabe Davis but losing vvin Ridley that feels like a net negative if we're being honest they did use their first round pick on Brian Thomas Jr which could really raise the ceiling for this group but asking a rookie to be your top Receiver right out of the gate is a tall order overall the Jaguars have got some interesting pieces but it's not clear how they'll all fit together if Thomas can hit the ground running and Davis can provide a reliable deep threat this group could surprise some people but there's definitely some uncertainty here as we head into the 2024 season coming in at number 24 we've got the the New Orleans Saints the good news for Saints fans is that Chris Olive is developing into a real star he's earned receiving grades above 80 from PFF in each of his first two seasons which is impressive stuff paired with Rashid Sheed who had 16 explosive catches for 15 yards or more last year the Saints have a solid one-two punch don't forget about Alvin Kamar out of the backfield either he might be getting up there in age but he's still a reliable receiving option last year he managed 75 catches and a 78.4 PF receiving grade that's nothing to sneeze at the saints's receiving core isn't going to blow anyone away on paper but there's some sneaky potential here if a can stay healthy and Sheed can build on his big play ability this could be a group that outperforms expectations at number 23 we've got the Baltimore Ravens now this ranking might seem a bit low for a team with Lamar Jackson at quarterback but hear us out the Ravens receiving core took a big hit when tight end Mark Andrews went down with an injury last season season Andrews who ranked third in pff's tight end rankings for 2024 is a huge part of this passing game when healthy the good news is is that Isaiah likely proved to be a solid option at tight end in Andrew's absence at wide receiver Z flowers had a promising rookie season earning a 75.6 PFF overall grade the Ravens will be looking for more from Rashad baitman and Nelson aalor to round out the receiving core if Andrew stays healthy flowers builds in his rookie year and one of baitman or aalor steps up as a reliable third option this could be a dangerous group but for now there are just enough question marks to keep them in the lower half of these rankings moving up to number 22 we've got the Indianapolis Colts don't look now but the Colts are quietly putting together an impressive wide receiver room Michael Pitman Jr is back to man the ex- receiver role where he's earned receiving grades above 70 from PFF in each year of the past two seasons the Colts also added rookie Adon name Mitchell who could be a big play threat as a vertical stretching flanker on the outside in the slot they've got Josh DS who earned a solid 71 receiving grade from PFF in his rookie season last year this is a young talented group with a lot of potential the key will be finding the right balance in getting everyone involved there's a nice mix of size speed and Route running ability here don't be surprised if the colts' passing game takes a big leap forward in 2024 checking in at number 21 we've got the Arizona Cardinals the big news here is the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr through the draft this guy has the potential to be a real game changer for the cardinals' offense instantly elevating their wide receiver one spot and opening up opportunities for everyone else at tight end Trey McBride led the team last year with an impressive 80.5 receiving grade from PFF if he can build on that performance the Cardinals could have a dangerous duo in Harrison and McBride keep an eye on wide receivers Greg dorch and Michael Wilson too if either of them take a step forward this receiving core could be better than their ranking suggests don't forget about James Connor out of the backfield either any uptick in his receiving production would be a nice bonus for this group the Cardinals receiving Corp is definitely a work in progress but with Harrison Jr as the centerpiece there's reason for optimism in the desert coming in at number 20 we've got the Washington commanders while Terry mclen is undoubtedly a stud the rest of this receiving core is a mix of potential and question marks Jan doson has shown flashes of being a solid wide receiver 3 and rookie Luke mcaffrey brings an interesting skill set as a big slot receiver the commanders also added Zack SZ and Ben cinate to their tight end room and brought in Austin Eckler to provide a receiving threat out of the backfield on paper this is actually a pretty fun group there's a nice mix of established Talent young potential and versatile weapons the big question is how quickly they can gel together and find their rhythm in a new offense if everything clicks the commanders could have a sneaky good passing attack in 2024 at number 19 we've got the New York Jets now Jets fans we know you probably think this is too low After all you've got a Bonafide star and Garrett Wilson and Aaron Rogers is back healthy at quarterback but hear us out Wilson is indeed a stud and a full season with the healthy Rogers should only highlight that even more Breeze Hall is also a very good receiver out of the backfield but beyond those two there are a lot of question marks Mike Williams was a solid signing but he's coming off a torn ACL the rest of the receiving core is largely unproven however better quarterback play can Elevate an entire receiving core if Rogers can stay healthy and play like the future Hall of Famer we know he is this group could easily outperform their ranking the potential is there for a big leap forward but for now we've got to go with what we know rounding out our list at number 18 we've got the Cleveland Browns now this might seem a bit low for a team with Amari Cooper who put up an 80 .1 PFF receiving grade last year they've also got David njoku at tight end who posted a solid 70.4 grade the Browns made a splash by trading for Jerry Judy but let's be honest he hasn't quite lived up to the height from his Alabama days Elijah Moore and cedrick Tilman are still looking to make their Mark in Cleveland and Nick chub's status is up in the air after a season ending injury last year however the Browns have got a higher ceiling than some of the teams ranked near them if Judy can ReDiscover his college form if Moore or Tillman can step up as a reliable third option and if chub can come back strong this could be a dangerous group it's a big prove it year for this receiving core the potential is there but they need to pull it all together on the field and finally at number 17 we've got the Las Vegas Raiders the big question here is simple how much can Devonte Adams carry this group because Beyond him things get pretty thin pretty quickly even Adams had a relatively quiet 2023 earning an 881 PFF receiving grade the Raiders have invested in young tight end's Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers but their 2024 impact remains uncertain jacobe Meers was solid in 2023 but he'll need to step up further to complement Adams effectively for Las Vegas to outperform this ranking they'll need Adams to return to Elite Form one of the tight ends to emerge as a weapon and Myers to take another leap forward it's a tall order but not impossible and that wraps up our break break down of the bottom half of pff's 2024 receiving core rankings but the conversation doesn't end here we want to hear your thoughts which team do you think is ranked too low who's poised for a breakout year drop your predictions in the comments below and hey if you haven't checked out the first part of this series covering the top 16 teams what are you waiting for head over to our Channel and give it a watch