Aside from stellar quarterback play, it has become apparent over the past few years that the key to a successful offense is it’s wide receivers.
Even a great quarterback has trouble running an offense when his wide receivers don’t have enough talent to steadily contribute.
There are some great wide receiver corps in the NFC East, and I will be examining and ranking them today.
As always, analysis will be done in team alphabetical order with rankings revealed at the bottom of the article.
To catch yourself up on this rankings series, utilize the following links.
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
**Note**: number of projected starters and key contributors is case by case based on each team’s talent at the position.
Dallas Cowboys
Projected starters: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup
Key contributor(s): KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert
CeeDee Lamb
Cowboys Nation was in shambles last offseason after Amari Cooper was traded away.
There were questions about whether or not CeeDee Lamb could step up into the number one role.
Those questions were answered in the form of 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns.
Lamb is unquestionably the new WR1 in Dallas, and can even be considered within the top five wide receivers in the entire NFL.
Brandin Cooks
Dallas traded away a 5th round pick to the Houston Texans for the rights to Brandin Cooks.
Cooks has famously been traded four times in his nine year career, but don’t let that fool you.
He has more than enough talent to make a difference on the football field.
Yes, he’s played with legends like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, but lesser quarterbacks have not affected his production.
He should get plenty of looks with Prescott throwing him the football, and is projected for his seventh 1,000 yard season.
Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup is now a full year removed from the ACL injury that kept him out of the 2021 playoffs.
The injury also limited his production for basically the entire 2022 season.
The Cowboys are confident that Gallup can return to his early 2021 form that earned him a nice contract extension.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Gallup could return to his sideline toe tap magician status, and the Cowboys could have three 1,000 yard receivers.
KaVontae Turpin/Jalen Tolbert
KaVontae Turpin made a Pro Bowl as a rookie returner in 2022.
The Cowboys are already including him more in offensive packages this offseason, with the hopes of getting the ball into his hands in open space.
Turpin also played a full USFL season prior to joining Dallas, so we have yet to see him with fresh legs.
Jalen Tolbert was the Cowboys 3rd round pick in the 2022 draft.
Reports of him being “NFL ready” proved to be false.
He struggled to get on the field, and only caught two passes for 12 yards the entire season.
The addition of Cooks to the room makes it that much more difficult for Tolbert to crack into the rotation.
New York Giants
Projected starters: Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell
Key contributor(s): Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson
Darius Slayton
Darius Slayton has three seasons of over 700 receiving yards in his young four year career.
Poor quarterback play has likely limited his production. Daniel Jones showed growth in his first year under Brian Daboll.
That is a good sign for Slayton and his prospects moving forward.
Isaiah Hodgins
Isaiah Hodgins was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Buried in the depth chart, he was traded to the Giants halfway through the 2022 season, and played better than most expected.
Hodgins is 6’4″ 210lbs, and seems to be everything the Giants wanted when they signed Kenny Golladay.
In eight games, he racked up 33 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns.
New York is hopeful he builds on that performance in 2023.
Parris Campbell
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Parris Campbell in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he never did live up to the hype.
Campbell’s four seasons with the Colts were marred by soft tissue injuries, and he wasn’t fully healthy until 2022.
The Giants like what they saw last season when he posted career highs in both receptions (63) and yards (623).
They are banking on Campbell being a good addition to the wide receiver room.
Jalin Hyatt/Wan’Dale Robinson
The Giants drafted rookie Jalin Hyatt in the 3rd round, and are hoping his speed and athleticism help the offense take the next step.
Hyatt was projected by some to be a first round pick so Daboll and staff were excited to snag him at 73 overall.
The kid has some learning to do, but he will contribute to the offense sooner than later.
Wan’Dale Robinson was a 2nd round pick of the Giants just last season.
He is a slight, but quick and shifty wide receiver that performs best out in space.
He racked up 23 receptions for 227 yards in six games last season, and looks to assert himself as a staple in the wide receiver rotation.
Philadelphia Eagles
Projected starters: AJ Brown, Devonta Smith
Key contributor(s): Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus
AJ Brown
The Philadelphia Eagles made the splash of the 2022 NFL Draft by trading away one of their 1st round picks to the Tennessee Titans for AJ Brown.
Finally free of the passing game shackles in Tennessee, Brown responded with career highs all across the board.
Brown is a true WR1, and helped elevate Jalen Hurts to the MVP conversation in his first year starting.
Devonta Smith
If AJ Brown is the Eagles possession and break tackle wide receiver, then Devonta Smith is the exact opposite.
Smith is slight at just 6’0″ 170lbs, but he is a smooth route runner who gets open often.
He glides through the secondary with ease, and will only get better with another year of chemistry with Hurts.
Quez Watkins/Olamide Zaccheaus
The Eagles may have the top duo in the division, but there is a steep drop off after Brown and Smith.
Quez Watkins expectedly took a step back in 2022 after the Eagles added Brown.
His numbers dropped across the board, and he will have to step up if the Eagles want to have effective 3WR sets.
Should Watkins not fit the bill, the Eagles brought in former Atlanta Falcons WR Olamide Zaccheaus to compete with him.
Zaccheaus was not retained by Atlanta after his rookie contract expired.
He brings some experience to the Eagles roster, but has hit the 40 reception and 500 yard mark just once.
Washington Commanders
Projected starters: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel
Key contributor(s): Dyami Brown
Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly the best wide receiver Washington has had since Santana Moss.
How good he is, however, may be inflated by sheer volume.
He often is shut down by top cornerbacks, and his career target to reception ratio is not in line with other top wide receivers.
Jahan Dotson
Washington drafted Jahan Dotson with the 16th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dotson had a decent first season, but did not measure up to the expectations of a top 20 pick.
He only racked up 35 receptions for 523 yards with seven touchdowns in 12 game appearances.
Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel is entering his seventh season in the league, and his third as a member of the Washington Commanders.
Samuel has established a reputation for himself as a do it all player who catches passes and takes handoffs out of the backfield.
The Commanders have found different ways to get him on the field, and he has responded with 881 total yards and five touchdowns in two seasons.
Dyami Brown
Washington has invested quite a bit in the draft at the wide receiver position.
Brown was their 3rd round pick in the 2021 draft, but he has mainly been used in special teams.
It would be difficult for him to get on the field ahead of the three wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart.
Final Rankings
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders
New York Giants