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The 2023 NFL season is fast approaching, and most of the talk is about the starting quarterbacks who need to impress to keep their job and the head coaches who face the most pressure to deliver positive results.
But other positions also need coverage - media coverage, that is. That niche has been taken up in the last few months by the running backs and how the latest contract negotiations have purportedly devalued their market, but there are also the wide receivers - and these players at that position may be hiding something up their sleeve...
#5) George Pickens
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the more underrated wide receiver corps this season. The biggest names are former Pro Bowlers Allen Robinson and Diontae Johnson, but one other name deserves a mention:
Last year, George Pickens shone as a rookie, recording 801 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, the latter a team-high. He enters his sophomore season more confident than ever, and that may very translate to his first 1,000-yarder.
#4) Amari Cooper
in 2022, the Cleveland Browns attempted to go all in by acquiring multiple notable players. One of them was Amari Cooper, whom they expected to form a potent connection with new quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Then Watson was suspended for multiple games in relation to his sexual misconduct lawsuits. However, Cooper still performed admirably well, having his career-high in touchdown catches - nine. With his quarterback finally getting to play a full season, could he have another big performance?
#3) Odell Beckham Jr.
After their Wild Card loss at the Cincinnati Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens got to work improving their air game. They changed offensive coordinators, drafted Zay Flowers, and extended Lamar Jackson, which they got to do only after fulfilling the quarterback's demand of having an elite receiver with him.
Said elite receiver came in the form of Odell Beckham Jr. After healing his leg during the entire 2022 season, Beckham has not played with the Ravens, but when he does, he may prove to be the missing piece.
#2) Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen would want his fans to forget 2022. He had just six catches for 752 yards and only four touchdowns, but the Los Angeles Chargers reached the playoffs for the first time since the retirement of Phillip Rivers - only to blow a record 27-point lead and lose 30-31 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card.
Not much has changed in the Chargers - except for the drafting of TCU prospect Quentin Johnston, who is expected to take some of Allen's load. Still, the 2017 Comeback Player of the Year remains the focal point of their receiving game, and he still has plenty to prove, even at 31.
#1) Tyreek Hill
There are two wide receivers who each want to be the first ever to hit 2,000 yards: Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill. Each is a phenomenal talent with the ability to do so, but "Cheetah" may just edge his younger counterpart for the honor.
Hill is entering his second year with the Miami Dolphins, and his confidence is high. For all his troubles, he is still one of the most talented aerial threats in the game, and he may make NFL history.
