Top 7 AFC North Wide Receivers

The AFC North is known for teams that play smash-mouth, defensive football. But there are plenty of playmakers at the wide receiver positions that help their teams move the ball through the air. These seven receivers, in particular, are dangerous in games against division opponents and the rest of the NFL.

7. Ja’Marr Chase

Ja’Marr Chase is a rookie, but he brings a lot of buzz with him to the Cincinnati Bengals heading into year one. Chase was a star at LSU, reeling in 20 touchdowns in his sophomore season with the Tigers. Reuniting with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, Chase is expected to produce right away while making things easier on the second-year pro in Burrow in the process.

6. Chase Claypool

In his first season in the NFL, Chase Claypool made an immediate impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Notre Dame receiver finished 31st in the league with 873 receiving yards, and his nine receiving touchdowns put him in a tie for 10th in the NFL. He is likely to play a bigger role in the Steelers’ offense this season, and his yardage numbers could increase as a result.

5. Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins had a very positive first season as a pro with the Cincinnati Bengals, eclipsing 900 receiving yards in his first year in the NFL. Higgins is likely to see his share of targets increase this year, as AJ Green has departed from the Bengals. Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are expected to form a duo in the receiving corps that will give opposing defenses in the AFC North trouble for years to come.

4. Marquise Brown

Marquise Brown has had a strong start to his professional career, putting up a total of 15 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league with the Baltimore Ravens. Known as “Hollywood,” Brown has lived up to his nickname by averaging over 12.5 yards per catch in each of his first two years as a pro. His speed makes him a tough cover, even if Lamar Jackson has lacked the accuracy to find him downfield on occasion.

3. Jarvis Landry

While there are certainly more explosive wide receivers in the AFC North, Cleveland’s Jarvis Landry has a level of consistency that those players aspire to. Landry has averaged just under 1,000 receiving yards per season in his three years with the Browns. With Odell Beckham Jr. expected to return from injury this year, Landry may have more room to operate in the Cleveland offense in 2021.

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster

While injuries at the quarterback position have made things difficult in recent seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Juju Smith-Schuster has not. The ex-USC Trojan came three catches away from his second 100 reception season last year. And with Ben Roethlisberger at least expected to be on the field for the entire season in 2021, Smith-Schuster could easily get near the 100 catch mark again.

1. Odell Beckham Jr.

When he is healthy, Odell Beckham might be the undisputed number one wide receiver in the NFL. And fortunately for the Cleveland Browns, Beckham is expected to be back healthy this year after he suffered a knee injury last season. Beckham’s speed, especially after catching passes on short routes, is tough to match in the league today.