Everyone knows by now that the NFL is a passing league. In case you needed a reminder, you got one over the last week or so with the whole running back contract saga. 

Obviously, quarterbacks are the most important figures in passing attacks. But play-callers, offensive lines, and pass-catchers obviously play a significant role as well. We're here today to talk about that last group, as we're going to rank the NFL's eight divisions by which has the best collection of wide receiver talent, just as we have done for each of the past few years. 

Without further ado...

8. NFC South

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
FalconsDrake LondonMack HollinsScotty MillerPenny Hart
PanthersDJ CharkAdam ThielenTerrace MarshallJonathan Mingo
SaintsChris OlaveMichael ThomasRashid ShaheedTre'Quan Smith
BuccaneersMike EvansChris GodwinRussell GageTrey Palmer

If this were a few years ago, when Adam Thielen was still in his prime, before Chris Godwin had torn his ACL, and before Michael Thomas began experiencing persistent injury issues, the NFC South would rank a lot higher. But it's not a few years ago, and anyway, there is not much depth beyond the top few guys here. London and Olave give hope for the future because they looked like immediate stars, but by the time they rise near the top of the position (assuming that happens), guys like Evans and Godwin might fall off. 

7. AFC South

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
TexansNico CollinsRobert WoodsJohn MetchieTank Dell
ColtsMichael PittmanAlec PierceIsaiah McKenzieJosh Downs
JaguarsCalvin RidleyChristian KirkZay JonesJamal Agnew
TitansDeAndre HopkinsTreylon BurksKyle PhillipsNick Westbrook-Ikhine

The Titans' recent Hopkins signing nudged the AFC South out of last place here. Combined with the Jaguars' midseason addition of Calvin Ridley last year, Christian Kirk's breakout in Jacksonville, and the selections of Downs and Dell in this year's draft, and there has actually been an infusion of talent here for the first time in a while. If Burks can take a step while working across from Hopkins and if Collins can do the same as C.J. Stroud's No. 1 receiver, maybe this group can move up again next year. 

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6. NFC North

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
BearsD.J. MooreDarnell MooneyChase ClaypoolTyler Scott
LionsAmon-Ra St. BrownMarvin Jones Jr.Josh ReynoldsJameson Williams
PackersChristian WatsonRomeo DoubsJayden ReedDontayvion Wicks
VikingsJustin JeffersonJordan AddisonK.J. OsbornJalen Reagor

Justin Jefferson may well be the best receiver in football. But beyond him, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and D.J. Moore, there just isn't much in the way of proven talent here. There's hope for future stars in Addison, Williams, and Watson, while Mooney and Osborn have flashed rotational capabilities and Jones was pretty damn good at the height of his career. Still, this is not an especially deep group. 

5. AFC North

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
RavensRashod BatemanOdell Beckham Jr.Zay FlowersNelson Agholor
BengalsJa'Marr ChaseTee HigginsTyler BoydTrenton Irwin
BrownsAmari CooperDonovan Peoples-JonesElijah MooreCedric Tillman
SteelersDiontae JohnsonGeorge PickensAllen RobinsonCalvin Austin

Chase-Higgins-Boyd is probably be the league's top receiver trio. But beyond the Bengals, there is a whole lot of inconsistency and questions marks in this division. Cooper is excellent and coming off an excellent season. But Bateman is seemingly always injured. Beckham is coming off his second ACL tear. Johnson has been plagued by drops and inconsistency, Pickens disappointed as a rookie, Robinson has looked washed for two years now, Peoples-Jones has only occasionally looked like a starting-caliber receiver, and Moore has yet to capitalize on his talent. So, we had to keep this division in the bottom half of the league. 

4. AFC West

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
BroncosJerry JeudyCourtland SuttonTim PatrickMarvin Mims
ChiefsKadarius ToneyMarquez Valdes-ScantlingSkyy MooreRichie James
ChargersKeenan AllenMike WilliamsQuentin JohnstonJosh Palmer
RaidersDavante AdamsJakobi MeyersHunter RenfrowDeAndre Carter

If there were any remaining Adams doubters, he silenced them all last season, putting up the same caliber of numbers with Derek Carr throwing him the ball as he did with Aaron Rodgers. Allen and Williams form one of the league's better 1-2 punches... when they're actually on the field. Meyers has been underrated because he came from a low-volume passing offense in New England. The Broncos' wideouts disappointed last season, Toney is seemingly always injured (and is yet again), MVS is inconsistent, and Moore didn't have the best rookie year. But there is a pretty deep group of top talent here, and Toney, Jeudy, Sutton, Johnston, and Mims give hope for potential breakouts. 

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3. NFC East

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
CowboysCeeDee LambBrandin CooksMichael GallupJalen Tolbert
GiantsIsaiah HodginsDarius SlaytonSterling ShepardParris Campbell
EaglesA.J. BrownDeVonta SmithQuez WatkinsOlamide Zaccheaus
CommandersTerry McLaurinJahan DotsonCurtis SamuelDyami Brown

Lamb and Brown are full-fledged stars, clearly two of the seven or eight best receivers in the league. Smith is nipping at their heels, and if McLaurin ever gets to play with a good quarterback, more people will believe he should be in that type of conversation as well. Cooks has managed good receiving lines even while playing with poor quarterbacks the past couple years in Houston and Gallup should be better in his second season post-ACL tear. Hodgins stepped into a real role last year and looked capable of being a starter, while Slayton, Shepard, and Samuel have all been that caliber of player at times. If Dotson takes a step forward and Tolbert lives up to what the Cowboys hoped he could be, this division could ascend even further. 

2. NFC West

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
CardinalsMarquise BrownRondale MooreGreg DortchMichael Wilson
RamsCooper KuppVan JeffersonBen SkowronekPuka Nacua
SeahawksDK MetcalfTyler LockettJaxon Smith-NjigbaDee Eskridge
49ersDeebo SamuelBrandon AiyukJauan JenningsDanny Gray

Whew, boy. Look at the star power here. It's hard to compete with Kupp, Metcalf, Lockett, Samuel, and Aiyuk. Add Brown to that group, plus a strong rookie in JSN and intriguing mid-to-late-round picks in Michael Wilson and Puka Nacua, and it's hard to place the NFC West any lower on this list -- even if the No. 3 and 4 receivers on each of these teams mostly either haven't proven much or have proven to be mostly just rotational players. 

1. AFC East

TeamWR1WR2WR3WR4
BillsStefon DiggsGabe DavisKhalil ShakirDeonte Harty
DolphinsTyreek HillJaylen WaddleBraxton BerriosCedrick Wilson
PatriotsJuJu Smith-SchusterDeVante ParkerKendrick BourneTyquan Thornton
JetsGarrett WilsonAllen LazardMecole HardmanCorey Davis

Diggs and Hill are easy top-five wideouts right now. Waddle is one of the most electrifying threats in the league. Wilson was a star as a rookie whenever anyone other than Zach Wilson was at quarterback. Davis didn't take a significant step forward last season, but part of that was due to injury. Lazard, Hardman, Davis, JuJu, Parker, Bourne, Harty, Berrios, and Wilson have all been average or better starters at various times throughout their careers. It feels at least somewhat odd for this division to have taken over the top spot when it was recently down near the bottom, but when you have an influx of talent like the AFC East has had over the past three years or so, that'll tend to happen.

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