Ranking the skill-position groups for each NFL team

Against no other serious bidders, the Jaguars guaranteed Nick Foles $50 million. He will have a tough time living up to the deal given his weaponry. The Jags have a collection of supporting-casters at receiver — headed by Dede Westbrook, ex-Chiefs auxiliary cog Chris Conley and would-be WR1 Marqise Lee, whose return from an August 2018 injury remains unknown — but no one particularly scary. After the Giants altered the Jags' T.J. Hockenson path, this tight end depth chart features little. Leonard Fournette (zero 4.0 yards-per-carry seasons; 13 missed games) will need to stay healthy. 

Kenny Stills' profile (Year 7, two 800-yard seasons) sticks out among this lesser group, but both Albert Wilson (Year 6) and DeVante Parker (Year 5) bring considerable experience. They'll be charged with learning a new system and working as placeholders while the Dolphins tank rebuild. There should be some targets to go around for 2018 second-rounder Mike Gesicki (202 receiving yards as a rookie), so the Fins will have a better idea of his potential. Miami ranked 18th in rushing last season. We'll see if new OC Chad O'Shea is a bigger Kenyan Drake fan than Adam Gase, who used him in moderation.

This Redskins iteration will need a Josh Doctson contract-year breakout; otherwise, this is a bad setup for Dwayne Haskins. Paul Richardson is 1-for-5 in 275-plus-yard seasons, and 2018 Mr. Irrelevant Trey Quinn is favored to succeed Jamison Crowder in the slot. Doctson has not justified his first-round billing but figures to be a bigger part of this year's attack. Jordan Reed's 13 games last year were his most since 2015, and Derrius Guice has not enjoyed a smooth ACL rehab. Adrian Peterson may end up with another big role. 

The Seahawks received a trial run at post-Doug Baldwin life during his injury-limited 2018, and they made the playoffs. Chris Carson quietly thrived (1,151 rushing yards, 4.7 YPC) in a run-oriented attack, and following Mike Davis' exit, 2018 first-rounder Rashaad Penny will play a bigger role. Russell Wilson does not have a surefire chain-mover, outfitted with combine phenom D.K. Metcalf and a low-profile tight end corps. Deep threat Tyler Lockett (965 receiving yards, 10 TDs) led the NFL in receiver DVOA last season; the Seahawks will need to milk the Wilson-to-Lockett combo for all it's worth.

Now committed to Lamar Jackson, who averaged 17 rush attempts in his seven starts last season, the Ravens smartly didn't waste time chasing free-agent wideouts who may have been skittish about this situation. First- and third-rounders Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, respectively, flank slot man Willie Snead. Baltimore receivers' numbers mostly tanked after Jackson took over, so how rookies assimilate will be interesting. Mark Ingram will attempt to stretch his prime another year, with 2018 first-round tight end Hayden Hurst healthier after a limited rookie year. Defenses figure to be more prepared for this unorthodox offense this season.

Buffalo undoubtedly upgraded its weak skill-position corps this offseason, adding deep threat John Brown, slot Cole Beasley and tight end Tyler Kroft. That will help Josh Allen, who resorted to scrambling often with last season's group. But the weaponry still profiles as a lower-echelon array — especially if LeSean McCoy cannot bounce back from a disappointing 2018 (514 rushing yards, 3.2 YPC). If nothing else, members of this cadre complement one another. Frank Gore averaged 4.6 yards per tote last season — his most since 2012 — and until further notice should be taken seriously as a viable complementary back.

Save for first-round tight end Noah Fant, Denver's cast is mostly the same. But with top cogs Emmanuel Sanders and Phillip Lindsay coming off injuries and the Broncos' top three other wideouts in their second seasons, considerable variance exists for Joe Flacco's weaponry. Royce Freeman is also entering Year 2 but should be more productive after an ankle injury hampered him as a rookie. The Broncos will need their 32-year-old WR1 to free up their younger talents, but if Sanders is not the same player post-Achilles tear, an offense themed around Flacco turning back the clock could go south quickly.

Was it more Le'Veon Bell or the Steelers offensive line? James Conner's Pro Bowl year lent credence to the latter view, but the big-spending Jets bought in — regardless of Adam Gase's wishes. Bell will be fresh, but his yards-per-carry figure dropped from 4.9 in 2016 to 4.0 in '17, and he has missed 17 games due to injury or suspension. The Jets lured slot Jamison Crowder (46.9 career air yards per game) from Washington; he joins holdovers Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa. With tight end Chris Herndon shelved for four games, does this corps look like one that will help Sam Darnold reach the next level? 

The Titans possessed one of the NFL's worst passing attacks last season; Marcus Mariota threw 11 touchdown passes — tied for the fewest of any quarterback with at least 13 starts this decade. Adam Humphries is now Mariota's slot target, and the Titans should at some point have Delanie Walker back (at 35) from injury. There will again be plenty on Derrick Henry's shoulders. After a deceptive Henry season (12 sub-60-yard rushing games, then four north of 80), and 3.3 yards per carry from Dion Lewis, do the Titans have enough here? They'll need a third-year leap from Corey Davis.

If Aaron Rodgers were not the Packers quarterback, this would be an iffy-looking situation. Green Bay does boast touchdown maven Davante Adams, fresh off easily his best season (1,386 yards, 13 TDs), and per-touch dynamo Aaron Jones (5.5 YPC in back-to-back years). Beyond them? Questions. The Packers front office clearly believes in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, with Randall Cobb gone and no wideouts acquired, and hopes its Jimmy Graham expenditure is not a sunk cost. If Green Bay's sophomore receivers don't progress, this could be another frustrating year for Rodgers.

DeAndre Hopkins has ascended to the point where he can challenge Antonio Brown and Julio Jones for wideout supremacy; Madden raters believe he's already there. No one else in this group is close to Hopkins' level, but the Texans do feature flashy, injury-prone deep threat Will Fuller (17 missed games in three seasons) and potential slot weapon Keke Coutee. Lamar Miller is not well-regarded (27th, 21st in Football Outsiders running back DYAR the past two years) but did average 4.6 yards per carry behind a bad 2018 offensive line. Houston has no notable tight end threat.

Fox should send one of its better crews to Week 1's Lions-Cardinals game because this will be one of the more fascinating season openers in recent NFL history. Little is known about Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid-to-NFL experiment, but the Cards do have two Pro Bowlers and a slew of young receivers. Both Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson suffered in 2018's offensive disaster; both should benefit under Kingsbury. Christian Kirk and a three-WR draft will support Fitz, with possibly little help from tight ends. (Texas Tech TEs caught four passes last season.) With extreme outcome variance, this will be must-see.

One of the NFL's middle-class operations, the Lions added the latest model from Tight End U (Iowa's T.J. Hockenson) and will attempt to squeeze a productive year out of almost-34-year-old Danny Amendola. Only one rookie tight end this decade has eclipsed 600 yards in Year 1, so Hockenson expectations should be tempered. The Lions have emerging wideout Kenny Golladay atop their passing hierarchy, after a quiet 1,000-yard season, and will have Marvin Jones (1,101 yards in 2017) back. The team will supplement Kerryon Johnson with the underappreciated C.J. Anderson too. Some potential exists here.

Cam Newton has never enjoyed one of the NFL's better skill-position arsenals; his 2019 contingent again falls shy of the top tier. But two young talents provide upside. Christian McCaffrey authored a monstrous Year 2 breakout, nearly doubling his yards-from-scrimmage figure from 2017 (1,086 to 1,965). D.J. Moore is this equation's other part; the first-round wideout averaged 7.91 yards after contact as a rookie — second in the NFL. Greg Olsen (16 missed games since 2017) has totaled 482 yards in that span, and Chris Hogan (33.3 YPG last season) wouldn't be the first ex-Patriot to struggle.

Ace play-caller Matt Nagy proved his worth in his first Bears season, a Coach of the Year outing, and the Bears mostly stood pat this offseason. They did add mid-rounders David Montgomery, a stealth Offensive Rookie of the Year threat, and Riley Ridley. While Allen Robinson needs to average north of 58 yards a game, having Anthony Miller healthy will help the Bears' cause. So will Tarik Cohen, who will surely take on more without Jordan Howard around. This has the potential to be a balanced, unpredictable crew.

Overseeing one of the NFL's few pass attacks to center around a tight end, Kyle Shanahan has an intriguing set of George Kittle complementary pieces. The single-season tight end yardage record holder now has two second-round wideouts (Deebo Samuel and 2018 YAC leader Dante Pettis) joining him, and the 49ers have bizarre backfield depth. Somehow guaranteed $13 million more than Tevin Coleman (4.8 YPC in 2018), Jerick McKinnon (3.8 in his pre-injury 2017) will join forces with the former Shanahan pupil. Is Matt Breida now trade bait? There are enough pieces here to give Shanahan his best 49ers skill cadre. 

On the surface, the Patriots — without Rob Gronkowski and featuring a 33-year-old Julian Edelman — have a questionable group. Their replacement for the most dominant tight end ever: 2018 Broncos TE3 Matt LaCosse and, ideally, Ben Watson post-suspension. Identifying receiver prospects has been a Bill Belichick blind spot, but N'Keal Harry will have to play early. New England will rely heavily on its Sony Michel-James White combo, and behind a perennially elite O-line, that is not a bad idea. Roger Goodell green-lighting a Josh Gordon fourth chance would aid the defending champs, as it's no lock that they'll keep Demaryius Thomas.

No team replaces wideouts like the Steelers, but this will be their ultimate challenge. Antonio Brown built a Hall of Fame resume and helped turn Ben Roethlisberger into a statistically dominant passer. A lot falls on JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Pittsburgh has Day 2 investments James Washington and Diontae Johnson, with Donte Moncrief joining them. The Steelers' first post-Brown corps has more depth but obviously could be much less dangerous. James Conner went off for 1,470 yards from scrimmage in 12 starts and will be more important this year. How much will the Steelers miss ace offensive line coach Mike Munchak?

Although Las Vegas has the Bengals a prime threat for the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, they boast a skill group many teams would take. Tyler Boyd became the Bengals' first non-A.J. Green 1,000-yard receiver since Chad Johnson in 2009, and while Green has battled injuries in two of the past three years, the 31-year-old remains one of the game's best. John Ross has yet to remotely justify his draft slot, however, and Tyler Eifert might be the league's most malady-prone player. Joe Mixon (1,168 yards in 14 games) quietly broke out last season. This group is not on the list of Bengals issues.

The NFL's most remade skill array lifts the Raiders' hopes going into their final Oakland slate. Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and Ryan Grant look like Oakland's 2019 top three at receiver, while Josh Jacobs enters the pros as a uniquely fresh commodity (251 carries at Alabama). Williams (1,059 yards in 2016) should fare better in a surefire WR2 role after a less stable Chargers gig the past two years. Darren Waller (18 catches since 2015) profiles as a strange tight end starter, but the Raiders did not bring in a Jared Cook replacement.

The exits of DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries stripped the Bucs of their super-deep air corps, and 2018 second-round running back Ronald Jones was a rarely seen rookie. But Tampa Bay still has five-year 1,000-yard wideout Mike Evans and a bigger workload for emerging sidekick Chris Godwin. They join one of the better tight end tandems in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. Howard enters Year 3 averaging 16.6 yards per catch. Tampa seems set to try Peyton Barber (871 rushing yards, 3.7 per carry) again. The Bucs are banking on more Bruce Arians magic; he has a bit less to work here with than Dirk Koetter did.

Three new possible T.Y. Hilton wingmen are in the mix this season, with the Colts signing Devin Funchess, drafting Parris Campbell in Round 3 and having intriguing 2018 pick Deon Cain back from injury. This offense will still run through Hilton, but he should have more help. Campbell (1,063 yards, 12 TDs as an Ohio State junior) will work out of the slot but have help in Indianapolis' Eric Ebron-Jack Doyle duo. Doyle totaled 690 yards with Jacoby Brissett in 2017. Marlon Mack (4.7 YPC last season) rounds out this group, which represents another reason to invest in Colts stock.

Much of this is dependent on the Cowboys' running game, with a fully available Ezekiel Elliott being the class of the NFL. Elliott is 2-for-2 in rushing titles when not suspended. Jason Witten may not have much left, but the 11-time Pro Bowler should give Dak Prescott more security than Dallas' 2018 tight ends did. Amari Cooper had a full offseason to work in 29-year-old OC Kellen Moore's scheme. Will that help him finally re-establish consistency after two unpredictable seasons? A less featured role should suit Randall Cobb at this stage of his career. With Cooper, Witten and Cobb, this group laps 2018's.

It's the best feature of a Giants team that became a punching bag. If an improved offensive line can protect Eli Manning, Big Blue's offense has potential. It would have more if Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't traded for a nose tackle and a box safety, but Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate are fine receivers. This is obviously Saquon Barkley's show, and the most talented back in the franchise's 95-year history should have more running room in 2019. Evan Engram's 722 rookie-year yards in 2017 were the most by a tight end this decade (by a lot). His 2018 featured a better YPG figure (52.5). The Giants also need to find a viable WR3. 

Minnesota's chain-moving assortment is mostly the same, with Dalvin Cook and the now-more expensive Adam Thielen-Stefon Diggs duo leading the way. The Vikings did draft Irv Smith Jr. (710 yards while sitting out some fourth quarters last season), O.J. Howard's Alabama successor, in Round 2 yet still extended middling starter Kyle Rudolph. Slow WR3 Laquon Treadwell has been a major disappointment, and little wideout depth exists behind him. Cook insurance now falls on Boise State prospect Alexander Mattison (1,415 yards, 17 TDs in 2018). It's a top-heavy collection but still one of the best. 

Mid-range virtuoso Keenan Allen spearheads a thinner group this season, with Tyrell Williams now in Oakland. But the Chargers have their main bases covered, with Melvin Gordon, Mike Williams and a now-healthy Hunter Henry manning the key roles. Receiver-return man Travis Benjamin (15.5 yards per game last season) should have more to do without Tyrell Williams, and RB2 Austin Ekeler may become more important as Gordon holds out. There is a lot to like here; it's just a cut below the best units.

This remains a top-heavy group, but the top (Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara) is made up of an enviable pair. Coming off a career year and profiling as the best receiving tight end the Saints have employed since Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook joins the Saints' elite tandem. Latavius Murray may be a downgrade from Mark Ingram, but he still should have juice (fewer than 900 carries in five seasons). New Orleans again lacks certainty opposite Thomas. Even at 34, Ted Ginn would help stabilize the group. From 2013-17, he didn't miss a game due to injury. Third-rounder Tre'Quan Smith should be more ready as an auxiliary piece in Year 2.

Up against the cap again, the Eagles still managed to reload. One "new" part: DeSean Jackson. The four-time yards-per-catch kingpin should fill the deep-threat role better than Torrey Smith or Mike Wallace. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who profiled as a top-flight, catch-rate wideout while at Stanford, should work his way into the mix. If Nelson Agholor is not traded (and with salaries already in place, why should he be?), this Zach Ertz-and-Alshon Jeffery-fronted group may be the NFL's deepest. The Eagles' ground game sputtered in 2018; this year's needs Saquon Barkley's Penn State successor, Miles Sanders, to assimilate quickly.

This is the Super Bowl LI crew, with Taylor Gabriel and Tevin Coleman swapped for Calvin Ridley and Ito Smith. If Devonta Freeman can stay healthy, this could be a better skill group than 2016's. Will new OC Dirk Koetter be close to Kyle Shanahan's level? Julio Jones is as reliable as it gets, and Mohamed Sanu produced his best season (838 yards) last year. Ridley almost certainly will have a bigger 2019 role. Freeman took just 14 handoffs, offsetting injury rehab with a year free from wear and tear. With tight end Austin Hooper coming off a Pro Bowl bid, Matt Ryan has a loaded supporting cast. 

The 2018 Chiefs would comfortably rank first on this list, but Kareem Hunt is gone. The NFL's premier tight end, Travis Kelce, holds Patrick Mahomes' group together, and it looks like the polarizing Hill will be a Chief when the smoke clears (with seeming replacement Mecole Hardman set to join him). Sammy Watkins predictably underwhelmed on his $16 million-per-year salary (519 yards) but remains one of the NFL's more talented WR2s. Damien Williams joined Watkins in carrying the Chiefs offense in the AFC title game, but he and Carlos Hyde are a cut below what Hunt offered. 

Jarvis Landry has 481 career catches — 55 more than anyone else in his first five seasons. One of the all-time receiver talents now joins him in Cleveland. So does Hunt, who for 2019 will be a controversial luxury for the Browns. Even with Hunt out eight games, Nick Chubb (5.2 YPC as a rookie) will be in better position — thanks to Odell Beckham Jr.'s arrival — to grow as a runner. David Njoku posted 639 yards in his second season. The Browns, who return two other 500-yard 2018 receivers (Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins) despite losing Breshad Perriman, have done well to arm Baker Mayfield.

If it turns out if Todd Gurley will be reduced to a part-time player, the Browns do have the NFL's best skill armada. But until that happens, the Rams' locked-in top four, Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, is the game's safest bet. Sean McVay uses mostly three-receiver sets, and those three could threaten to become the first 3x1,000 group since the 2008 Cardinals. Kupp is expected back for Week 1. Will the Rams use second-round tight end Gerald Everett (career 17.6 YPG) more this season? If not, this offense becomes slightly easier to contain — slightly, because this remains the class of the NFL.