With 2025 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league's true insiders made their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This was the sixth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players moved up or fell off last year's lists.
A reminder of the rankings process: Voters gave us their best 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, more than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped us break any ties.
Each section includes quotes and nuggets from the voters on every ranked player -- even the honorable mentions. The objective was to identify the best players for 2025. This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award. Who are the best players today?
We will roll out a position per day over 11 days. The schedule: running backs (July 7), defensive tackles (July 8), edge rushers (July 9), safeties (July 10), tight ends (July 11), interior offensive linemen (July 12), offensive tackles (July 13), quarterbacks (July 14), off-ball linebackers (July 15), wide receivers (July 16), cornerbacks (July 17).
Justifying a top 10 receiver list comes with a "good luck" qualifier.
The depth at this position makes any attempt all but futile. Way more than 10 are deserving each season since at least two dozen receivers are producing at a high level each year.
Last season, 21 receivers surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, down from 27 the year before but still impressive. Last year's rookie class featured several budding stars -- one of whom debuted in the top seven and another who pushed for the top 10.
And what's great about this year's group: The clear two-man race features two stars who grew up about 10 miles apart, played at LSU together and are trading blows for the No. 1 ranking each year.
Here are the league's top 10 receivers through the eyes of NFL executives, coaches and scouts.
1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 3
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: 3
Chase separated from defenders on the field all year, then separated from the pack in these rankings in Year 4. He earned around 70% of the first-place votes after producing the fifth triple crown of the Super Bowl era with league-highs in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17), joining Cooper Kupp, Steve Smith Sr., Sterling Sharpe and Jerry Rice.
As one NFL personnel director put it, Jefferson is the better route runner, but Chase is the better overall playmaker. He's the ultimate first-pick-in-the-pickup-game athlete alongside Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
"Honestly, it comes down to Chase is a b--- to cover," a high-ranking NFL personnel executive said. "We are super aware of him and have played him a bunch and been torched by him a bunch."
Not many NFL players scare defensive coaches more than Chase, whose 787 yards after the catch were 190 more than the next-closest receiver (Buffalo's Khalil Shakir). But the Bengals feel he's still refining his game, with improvements in defensive scheme recognition, attack plans based on coverages and creative route running with different speeds or stems.
When the Bengals didn't reach an agreement with Chase on a contract extension in the preseason, he made Cincinnati pay -- literally -- by posting a career year. Now, his four-year, $161 million deal tops all offensive players (non-quarterbacks).
"More explosion, better after the catch, more powerful -- that's where he gets his edge," an NFL personnel evaluator said.
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 4
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: 1
Chase got him this year, but Jefferson, a two-time champion in our rankings, should vie for the crown perennially. His early career brilliance stands alone, with an NFL-record 7,432 receiving yards through his first five seasons. His four seasons of at least 1,400 yards trails only Jerry Rice (six) and Julio Jones (five).
Jefferson's pro football path is already an Apple Maps search from Minneapolis to Canton.
"He's the best route runner and probably has the best hands," an AFC executive said. "The way he gets in and out of his breaks and uses his body to maneuver, it's just really hard to get a handle on."
Jefferson's 34 career games of 100 or more yards leads all NFL receivers since 2020. And while Chase has a top-three passer targeting him, Jefferson has never played with a top-10 quarterback in Minnesota.
"No wonder why Aaron Rodgers wanted to play [in Minnesota]," an AFC scout said. "He would get one of the best playcallers [Kevin O'Connell], he plays in a dome and he gets Jefferson."
Added an NFL personnel evaluator: "He gets open more than anyone. That's the separator."
3. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 8
Age: 31 | Last year's ranking: 2
The Dolphins can save $14.9 million on the 2025 cap if they trade Hill, which would be a surprise. But the notion that most Dolphins fans can hear that first line and not blink says a lot about Hill's turbulent 2024 campaign -- objectively his worst full season since becoming an NFL starter in 2017.
Hill struggled mightily without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup, appeared to quit on his team in Week 18 and has been saying all the right things since. He averaged 1,557 yards per season between 2020 and 2023 (at least 16 games played). That number fell to 959 yards in 17 games last season.
Yet, Hill fell just one spot in the rankings. The reason is simple: attention. He commands it from defenses. His mere presence changes the math on the field. Since joining Miami in 2022, Hill's 14 receiving touchdowns on throws of 20-plus yards downfield is tied for the most in the league with Philadelphia's A.J. Brown.
"He still impacts how you prepare for them so much due to his speed," an NFC executive said. "He dictates so much. His speed hasn't fallen off, despite the down year."
Added a veteran AFC scout: "Even if he's lost a half-step, he's still more explosive than everyone -- power with raw speed. I do think defenses have made some adjustments to that [Miami] offense, letting him run around with window dressing and limiting big plays."
4. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: 4
Lamb has checked many boxes required by an elite receiver. He had a banner season in 2023, with 135 receptions (league-high), 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has had no true down years. He's a perennial All-Pro first- or second-teamer. And he can produce through adversity, including multiple injuries to Dak Prescott and a bad running game.
"Excellent out of the slot, easy mover, can sink and bend," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "Very good after the catch and excellent ball carrier vision."
Lamb has 496 career receptions, the second most through a player's first five seasons behind Michael Thomas' 510. His 12 career games with at least 10 receptions are already the most in Cowboys history. And his 101 catches for 1,194 yards last season was impressive considering Prescott missed significant time and the lack of a true No. 2 receiver in Dallas. About 45% of Lamb's yards came after the catch, producing 235 receiving yards after first contact. His red-zone production was modest last year, with nine catches for 57 yards and three touchdowns.
5. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 6
It's odd to see a top-five receiver here tied for 43rd in leaguewide targets last season (97). But those numbers for Brown were more a product of the run-heavy Eagles offense and didn't affect his high-end ability.
Philly was 16-1 while averaging 31.5 points per game with Brown in the lineup last season. Without Brown, the team went 2-2 while averaging 18.0 points per game. Those numbers include Philadelphia's playoff run.
"He's still awesome," a veteran AFC scout said. "He comes up big when you need him, he's still incredibly strong and fast enough. A nightmare to tackle. Maybe a tad slower than he was, but that's slight."
Brown averaged 3.3 yards per route in 2024, second highest among wideouts with a minimum of 75 targets. He's been so good that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has paid him top-end receiver money on two occasions in three years.
"Dealing with his physicality and strength is a problem [for cornerbacks]," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "At the end of the day, sometimes, it's really that simple."
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: No. 7
Some reporting moments stick with you. When I visited Lions training camp three years ago, Jared Goff told me that whenever he's in trouble in the pocket, he thinks to look for only one receiver: St. Brown.
Thirty-six regular-season wins and 340 receptions later, St. Brown continues to be Goff's first thought while forming one of the league's best tandems. He enjoyed a 129.4 passer rating when targeting St. Brown, whose 81.6% reception rate is easily the best among wideouts with a minimum of 75 targets.
"He doesn't have the size, but he has these high-level traits: Feet, hands, instincts, run-after-catch, competitive toughness," an NFC executive said.
St. Brown, who famously watched 16 receivers get drafted ahead of him in 2021, is the NFL's only player with 100 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.
"Has elite football instincts for the position," an NFL coordinator said. "Understands how to attack leverage. Runs hard every play. Plays inside and outside. Makes all the tough catches on high-leverage downs. Blocks, plays physical. The only thing he doesn't do is win outside the red line [close to the sideline], but that's not how the game works anyways."
7. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 21 | Last year's ranking: not eligible (rookie)
Nabers has the NFL's full attention. Surpassing 100 catches and 1,200 yards as a rookie in one of the league's worst offenses with four different quarterbacks is rock-climbing-on-stilts difficult. The receptions total is the second most by a rookie in NFL history behind Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (112).
Easily the Giants' best draft pick of the Brian Daboll-Joe Schoen era, Nabers will lead the charge for New York as it transitions at quarterback with Russell Wilson as the bridge and Jaxson Dart as the future.
"He can go 0 to 60 in three seconds like a Ferrari, but he's built like a truck," an NFL personnel evaluator said of Nabers. "And he's not even an elite route runner yet. Just wait until that happens."
The Giants force-fed Nabers with 171 targets, second in the league behind Chase. Nabers proved he could handle the major workload by not breaking down and still side-stepping defenders. Nabers' 19 forced missed tackles topped all rookie receivers.
"Some guys are just different," an NFC defensive coach said. "You don't have to watch him long to know that."
8. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention
Support for Collins has slowly built over the past few years, and he's proved undeniable after his first Pro Bowl campaign in 2024. Though he appeared on slightly below 50% of the ballots, half of his votes were in the top five.
"The rare ability to be a legitimate No. 1," an NFL personnel director said. "Good balance, skill set, size, speed, agility for his size, very good hands, competes."
Collins missed five games in 2024 yet still posted 68 receptions, 1,006 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He was on pace to produce 1,425 yards through 17 games, which would have been good enough for third in the NFL.
Collins is one of three NFL receivers to produce at least three yards per route run in 2024 (minimum of 75 targets). And he averaged 85.3 receiving yards per game over the past two seasons, the fifth-best mark in the NFL.
As one Texans source noted, he is known as the fastest player on the Texans' roster despite being 6-foot-4, 222 pounds.
"He was once a jump ball guy, but once he started taking quick throws for big gains with his size and athleticism, that changed his game," an NFL offensive coach said.
9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 31 | Last year's ranking: 8
This is where things get interesting. Evans was one of five receivers in a voting cluster for the ninth and 10 spots -- Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. were the others. We put that group into a tiebreaker for several high-ranking evaluators, and Evans was deemed the clear No. 1.
The consensus is that Evans is still a premier outside threat at 31.
"If you're trying to win one game or win on third down, you're still picking him really high," an NFL general manager said. "He'll decline eventually but I haven't seen any signs of it. He's still a beast."
As multiple coaches noted, Evans pushed through an 11th straight season with at least 1,000 yards -- a streak tied with Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history -- despite a bad hamstring costing him three games. Evans also cut his drops from nine to four this past season.
The Bucs have done a good job preserving Evans with 671 snaps in 14 games (48 per game), but one veteran AFC scout still wondered whether Evans might retire after 2025.
"This might be it for him," the scout said. "But he looked awesome last year."
10. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Highest ranking: 6 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention
Wilson makes his top-10 debut after three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, beating Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. for the final spot in this ranking.
On talent, he's unquestionably a top-10 player. The way he slithers in and out of routes with elite flexibility is Justin Jefferson lite.
"He's one of the best separators in the league," an AFC executive said.
On production, the argument is tougher. Some scouts wonder what's holding him back. While Wilson posted 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, Davante Adams had more targets than him (68 to 46) over the final six games. Adams' long-standing connection with QB Aaron Rodgers could have played a factor, but it was a shocking disparity for Wilson, who has No. 1 receiver qualities and was poised for a breakout season.
As one AFC executive noted, Wilson is a bit of a "freelancer" as a route runner, which was probably not ideal alongside Rodgers at this stage of the QB's career. An NFL receivers coach called it something different: Lack of detail in his routes.
"All over the map -- does his own thing on the field," an AFC scout said about Wilson. "Vast potential, [but he's] not close to what he could be."
But then there's this reality that speaks to his enormous upside -- and why he's in the top 10, fresh off a four-year, $130-million contract extension.
"He has produced in suboptimal circumstances," an NFL general manager said. "He would only grow in stature in another system more friendly to his skill set."
Honorable mentions
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders: Washington quarterbacks produced a 133.0 passer rating when targeting McLaurin last season. "Criminally underrated." -- NFL general manager
"Excellent route runner, very good hands and elite ball skills. Tremendous football makeup. He will really take off with that QB and offense." -- NFL personnel director
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams: "Legitimate strength and hands and RAC ability, plays big in critical moments -- probably doesn't have the high-end ability as some of the others on the list." -- AFC executive
"His ability to play fast through the catch is rare, so even though he might not have the top-end speed, he's playing fast and efficiently all the time." -- NFL coordinator
"I can't believe he's not in the top 10. He's just got the 'it' factor." -- NFL defensive coach
Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars: "He'll be on the list by next year. He can do it all. He took the league by storm last year. He's got size and can win in all areas of the field. There's not one thing you can't do with him. He can play outside or in the slot and dominate." -- AFC executive
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers: "He's still one of the biggest matchup problems in the NFL. He's also still limited as a route runner in my opinion." -- NFL personnel evaluator
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals: "I was very curious to see what he would have done had he hit free agency and been a No. 1 on a team. I think he would be a 100-catch guy somewhere else. He's really good. Only thing he doesn't have is top-end speed." -- NFL scouting director
Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams: "When you watch him up close, he's still exactly what the classic 'X' receiver should look like." -- NFL coordinator
Also receiving votes: DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles), Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks), Jameson Williams (Detroit Lions), DJ Moore (Chicago Bears), Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), George Pickens (Dallas Cowboys), Calvin Ridley (Tennessee Titans), Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins), Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos)