We previously ran down the top five free agent wide receivers for the 2024 NFL season. The cream of the crop are Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, Michael Pittman Jr, Tee Higgins, and Marquise Brown. Let’s examine the next tier of five to round out the top ten.
6 – Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills)
Davis is an excellent big-play threat with 27 career touchdowns on 163 receptions with an average of over 15 yards per reception. He has shown the ability to come up with catches in traffic. On the downside, he isn’t the quickness off the line of scrimmage and doesn’t separate from defenders in the middle of the field. His reception totals generally aren’t high and sometimes is very quiet. What keeps Davis from the top five is his lack of consistency, but the tools are there in the right situation to be an upper echelon receiver.
Davis would look good in Tennessee as the number two receiver behind Deandre Hopkins. A similar situation may be attractive in Las Vegas behind Davante Adams. Watch for Cincinnati as a landing spot, depending on what happens with their free agent receiver duo of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Carolina could use a big-play receiver to tandem with the reliable Adam Thielen.
7 – Darnell Mooney (Chicago Bears)
After a solid rookie campaign in 2020, Mooney developed into a rising star, catching 81 passes for 1055 yards in 2021. The problem since then has been some nagging injuries that resulted in missing seven games and an offensive attack that favored the run over the pass. Although Mooney has only 11 touchdowns on 213 career receptions, he has speed to separate from defensive backs.
A team with a proven number one receiver but needs a solid two or slot receiver would be the ideal landing spot for Mooney to tap into his potential. Teams that were weak in the passing game that fit the bill include the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Las Vegas Raiders. Cincinnati could be a wild card where Mooney would thrive with Joe Burrow at quarterback, but that depends on whether they resign Tee Higgins or Tyler Boyd.
8 – Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals)
The biggest question in Cincinnati will be what to do with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Higgins is the more likely of the two to be retained to go along with Ja’Marr Chase. If Boyd draws the short stick, he will be looking for a new team after spending his entire eight-year career with the Bengals.
Boyd has great size, excellent in the run game and is a solid overall slot receiver. He has reliable hands, but his receiving yards and touchdowns in 2023 were his lowest since the 2017 season.
With many financial decisions needed to be made by the Bengals, Boyd will likely go elsewhere. Teams that would be a perfect fit would be the Giants and Jets, both of whom need a reliable pair of hands to make the tough catches. In addition, the Commanders may be in need after potentially losing Curtis Samuel. Boyd would fit in nicely in a trio with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
9 – Odell Beckham Jr (Baltimore Ravens)
Beckham has one of the best resumes of any free agent wide receiver, but also comes with huge question marks. He has five seasons with at least 1000 yards receiving, but hasn’t reached that mark since 2019. In addition he has dealt with serious injuries and missed the entire 2022 season. Beckham showed signs of returning to past form, averaging 16.4 yards per catch on 35 receptions this past season.
At age 31, there are questions as to how much Beckham has left in the tank, considering his injury history. A great spot for Beckham would be a team with an already established number one, but needs help elsewhere. Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Tennesse immediately come to mind. Tampa Bay could be a landing spot should the Bucs not resign Mike Evans. Perhaps a Super Bowl contending team looking to add a deep threat as a third receiver would be a good option. It will depend on whether Beckham is looking to be the main target or satisfied to be a complimentary piece on a championship-caliber team.
10 – Curtis Samuel (Washington Commanders)
The Commanders spread the wealth more than any team in the NFL. Samuel is sure handed and hauled in 67 passes, but averaged under ten yards per reception. He was also used in the running game, carrying the ball 45 times over the past two seasons. Samuel shows great quickness in the open field and at seven years into his career is still one of the best route runners in the league.
Samuel is the ultimate professional and would fit nicely into any scheme. The Commanders could bring him back into the fold along with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Should be choose to move elsewhere, New England, Denver, Pittsburgh, Carolina, or Jacksonville would be great options since all of those teams struggled in some form or another in the passing game with pending free agent losses at the position.
