After a lot of shuffling this offseason, how do all of the NFC East teams stack up at wideout?
The NFC East sent two representatives to the NFC Championship game last season, with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Washington Commanders on their way to winning Super Bowl LVIII. The same division had the Dallas Cowboys as the NFC’s No. 2 seed the year prior. Suffice to say, it’s a competitive division; each team attempting to one up the others.
A group of super powers competing for supremacy can sometimes turn into an arms race. And when it comes to outstretched arms, reaching out to snare passes, the NFC East has some of the best limbs in the entire NFL. After a slew of offseason changes to the wideout position for multiple clubs, it’s time to evaluate just who is the best prepared for the 2025 season.
4. Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL. Despite playing with poor quarterback play for years, he had consistently produced 80 receptions, 1,100 yards, and five touchdowns for every 17 games. Jaydon Daniels’ arrival finally provided McLaurin with a top-level QB, and he responded with 13 receiving touchdowns on top of maintaing the other categories after just 14 touchdowns in his previous three seasons combined.
The Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel, adding playmaking ability as their second receiving option. Last season was a poor year for him, with 300 fewer yards and eight fewer touchdowns than the season prior. His success rate dropped by 16%, and his drop rate increased by more than five percent. If Samuel bounces back, Washington could deploy a top 10 receiving duo in the NFL.
The primary backups are Noah Brown and Luke McCaffrey. Brown is a blocking receiver and special-teams contributor who isn’t much of an impactful pass-catching option. In seven seasons, he has caught 150 passes for 2,000 yards and six scores. McCaffrey had only 18 receptions for 168 yards, but he started only four games and accounted for 36% of the total offensive snaps. McLaurin is excellent, barely below the level of the other top wideouts in the division, and their depth isn’t strong at the position, so Washington comes in last.
3. New York Giants
Nabers has an argument for being the best receiver in this division entering his sophomore season. With poor quarterback play from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, Nabers dominated in his rookie campaign, accumulating 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. He had some drops on plays in the endzone or for a first down, but a 5% drop rate isn’t terrible.
Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are league-average second and third receiving options. Robinson caught 93 passes but had less than 700 yards for a paltry 7.5 ypr average. His yards per reception and success rate have dropped every season since his rookie year. Robinson is an underneath route-running option who would fit great in the slot if Slayton or Jalin Hyatt could step in as the second option.
Slayton is entering his seventh season in New York, and has been productive when healthy. He averaged 700 yards and four scores before last season, slipping slightly in 2024 to 39 receptions for 573 yards and two touchdowns. A bounce-back season from Hyatt could elevate the entire unit, as his speed could add another big-play element. Nabers is a dominant force, Robinson is excellent as a possession guy, and they just need their second outside receiver to be more impactful to have a fantastic, all-around unit.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have the best receiving duo in the division.
AJ Brown has arguably been one of the top-five receivers in the NFL over the last few seasons, although he had his worst year since his last one in Tennessee. The Eagles relied heavily on Saquon Barkley and their elite rushing attack in 2024, so passing numbers across the board were down. Brown still had 67 receptions for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. He didn’t drop a single pass; 87% of his receptions went for a first down or a touchdown, and his quarterback had a 121.5 passer rating when targeting Brown. It helps to be surrounded by so much talent, but Brown would be an incredible producer regardless.
DeVonta Smith is one of the best second receivers in the NFL, possessing incredible talent, and his skill set complements that of Brown perfectly. Although they have similar numbers, Smith achieves them in entirely different ways as he is the speed element to the passing game. If Brown gets his yards by running slants and taking the ball from defensive backs, Smith does it with crossers and by separating from them. The 68 receptions for 833 yards and eight touchdowns hit harder in a run-first offense instead of one orientated around the passing game.
Jahan Dotson hasn’t been able to replicate his rookie success when as a first-round pick. 33 of his 35 receptions resulted in a first down or touchdown He averaged 15 yards a catch and scored seven times in Washington, leading .the Eagles to trade a third-round pick for him. He caught only 19 passes for 216 yards and no touchdowns in 2024. Johnny Wilson and newly signed Terrace Marshall will battle for the fourth position.
1. Dallas Cowboys
Ceedee Lamb has been one of the top three receivers in the league once he ascended to the Cowboys WR1 when Amari Cooper was traded. He has averaged 118 receptions for 1,472 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons, despite backup Cooper Rush starting over 20% of the games in that time. He has led the league in catches and yards, and is fifth in touchdowns over that period. He has accomplished this despite not having a compliment to take coverage away from him.
The addition of George Pickens might drop his targets, but also allow him to make more impactful plays against less coverage.
Pickens has averaged 58 receptions, 947 yards, and four scores with Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson throwing him the ball the last few seasons. Now he’ll get to work with Prescott, and it’s a match made in heaven. The Dallas quarterback throws hitch routes, out routes, and go routes as his top three passes in yards and success rate. Pickens is No. 1 in yards from those routes and No. 2 in receptions. He has never played with a receiver of the caliber of Lamb to help take coverage away from him, meaning he could explode in Dallas under these new circumstances, and he already was putting up similar statistics to Smith from the Eagles. Lamb and Pickens are slightly behind Brown and Smith, but Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin are the ones who put the Cowboys over the top in the NFC East.
Tolbert hasn’t been great since he was drafted in the third round, but he led Dallas in touchdowns last season. He had 610 yards on 49 receptions, and the QB targeting him had a rating over 100, with a drop rate of under 4%. He wouldn’t be a terrible third option, but KaVontae Turpin could be the wildcard in all of this. He was rarely used when Mike McCarthy was the coach, with fewer than 20 snaps and three touches a game on offense. Turpin still only had 100 total yards less than Tolbert offensively, and Tolbert was the Cowboys’ second option in the passing offense. If the new coaches on offense can find ways to get Turpin more touches, he will be an impactful playmaker for Dallas.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
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