2021 NFL free agents: Wide receiver
With the NFL's franchise-tag deadline in the past, attention moves to the opening of the league's free-agent negotiating window on March 15.
These are the best wide receivers slated to hit the market.
By position
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
DL | ED | LB | CB | S
Top 100
Wide receiver
1. Kenny Golladay
A year before injuries limited him to five games, Golladay led the NFL in touchdown grabs with 11. He posted back-to-back campaigns of 1,000-plus yards between 2018 and 2019, and the wideout had developed into a legitimate No. 1 receiver for Matthew Stafford and the Lions. The Pro Bowler has been one of the NFL's most deadly deep threats since entering the league, averaging 16.8 yards per reception during his four-year career.
2. JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster wasn't the explosive playmaker in 2019 and 2020 that he was in 2017 and 2018 - he averaged a paltry 8.6 yards per reception last season - but it wasn't all his fault. The 24-year-old could re-emerge as a big-play threat on another team after playing with limited quarterbacks on the Steelers the last couple of campaigns. Smith-Schuster reeled in 97 catches for 831 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last season, and at 24 years of age, he still has upside.
3. Will Fuller
One of the league's top vertical threats, Fuller hits the market after playing out his rookie contract with the Texans. He finally stayed healthy last year and set personal bests with 879 yards and eight touchdowns after replacing DeAndre Hopkins as the No. 1 option, though he was suspended for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Fuller will miss the first game of the 2021 season while serving the remainder of his punishment.
4. Marvin Jones
Jones has never been a great separator, but he's always succeeded on contested targets. He tallied a career-high 76 receptions in 2020, leading to 978 yards and nine touchdowns, and has recorded nine scores in three of the last four seasons.
5. Antonio Brown
Love him or hate him, there's no denying Brown is really good at catching footballs. He nearly played to a 1,000-yard pace with the Buccaneers despite being integrated slowly over his first few weeks in 2020.
6. Corey Davis
The Titans are probably wishing they picked up Davis' fifth-year option. The 2017 fifth overall pick chose the perfect time to break out, producing a career-high 984 yards and five touchdowns this past season. He'll be a prime target for teams eyeing a perimeter weapon.
7. Nelson Agholor
Few available wideouts offer a greater combination of speed and quickness to stretch the field, though drops have always been an issue for Agholor. He blossomed with the Raiders, posting 896 yards with eight touchdowns in 2020.
8. Curtis Samuel
Samuel is among the league's most versatile receivers, and his numbers have risen steadily each year. He posted 1,051 all-purpose yards with the up-and-coming Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator in Carolina. However, Samuel's future success likely depends on the type of system he plays in next.
9. T.Y. Hilton
His injury history and age are valid concerns, but Hilton's decline in production over the last two years could be tied to Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett's hesitance to throw downfield. With the right quarterback, he can still be a playmaker outside the numbers.
10. Sammy Watkins
The talent is there, but Watkins appears incapable of staying healthy. His yearly absences have kept him from reaching 700 yards in every season since 2015.
11. Breshad Perriman
Perriman continues to tease teams with glimpses of potential, but he's never managed 650 yards in a season. The former first-round pick appears bound to join his fifth franchise in five years.
12. A.J. Green
No receiver created less separation per target last year than Green, a troubling distinction considering he turns 33 in July. Perhaps a new system will get him back on track, but it's possible he's simply reached the end of the road.
13. Cordarrelle Patterson
A wide receiver by trade, Patterson does most of his damage on special teams. He's a four-time All-Pro kick returner, and he's scored at least one return touchdown in five of the last six years.
14. DeSean Jackson
Jackson has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but the 34-year-old has remained an effective deep threat.