While certain rankings are dethroning Davante Adams as the best wide receiver in the NFL, Pro Football Focus isn’t one of them. PFF issued their best 50 players in the league heading into the 2023 NFL season, with the Raiders’ superstar occupying the top wide receiver spot.
Bleacher Report also provided a ranking, spotlighting which first-year player will come out on top for Rookie of the Year. Even though Tyree Wilson is coming off an injury, the Texas Tech product is considered a serious candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
PFF puts Davante Adams as the best WR in the NFL
Justin Jefferson is the player outlets like ESPN see as taking over the label of the “best wide receiver in the NFL.” PFF has a different view putting Adams at No. 8 in their PFF50 ranking published Friday. Adams came in as the first wide receiver to show up. The outlet cites that the 30-year-old has the superior PFF grade and yards per route run figure over any period Jefferson has been in the NFL.
While Jefferson has Kirk Cousin and there’s an argument that elevates his production, Adams showed his numbers stay consistent regardless of who’s under center. The veteran receiver went from Aaron Rodgers, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, to inconsistency with the Raiders’ quarterback situation.
The Fresno State product racked up over 1,500-plus receiving yards and 10-plus touchdowns for a second straight season. Now with Jimmy Garoppolo in the mix, Adams will look to put up similar numbers again with a different quarterback for a third consecutive season. It’ll be interesting to see if Adams remains in the “top two” for these types of rankings after this upcoming season.
Is Raiders rookie Tyree Wilson the No. 2 candidate for DROY?
Wilson will have an opportunity to take advantage of playing alongside Maxx Crosby to rack up sacks. When Las Vegas selected the 23-year-old in the first-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the franchise likely envisioned Wilson forming a formidable tandem with Crosby.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. lifting the Defensive Rookie of the Year honor this season. Still, there are some impressive names that the Raiders’ rookie is ahead of for the award, such as the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Carter.
“Playing opposite Crosby will open plenty of one-on-one situations that Wilson could take advantage of,” Ballentine wrote. “Meanwhile, Jones is 33 years old and coming off a 4.5-sack season in his first year with Vegas. It’s not hard to envision Wilson eventually overtaking Jones if he shows some pass-rushing juice early in the season.”
The Alabama product will have free will to play on a rebuilding Texans team, so they will likely play their young players regardless of their mistakes. Wilson will only have Chandler Jones as competition for minutes as a starter to play on the other side of Crosby.
While it’s easy to dismiss Jones after a down 2022 season, Wilson must come ready to steal the veteran’s job.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images