With NFL training camps right around the corner, predictions are looming large about who will be the best in the league at various positions. Sometimes, the very best players are found in surprising locations. That’s certainly the case with the top-ranked wide receiver in the NFL.
Two-Time All-Pro Is The Top-Ranked WR Despite His Team Falling Short In 2025
Ja’Marr Chase isn’t just back. He’s back on top.
Despite the Cincinnati Bengals missing the playoffs in 2024, their No. 1 wide receiver delivered a season for the ages and has been recognized as the top wideout in football heading into 2025.
According to Pro Football Network’s Top 100 NFL Players of 2025 list, Chase is ranked No. 8 overall and the highest-rated wide receiver after capturing the elusive receiving triple crown. He led the league with 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards, and 17 touchdowns, the most dominant season of his career and the most prolific by any receiver in 2024.
Chase’s performance came amid a down year for the Bengals, who finished 9-8 and out of the playoffs. His contract extension drama is behind him, and franchise quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy, which means Chase is primed for another blockbuster season. He’s one of the league’s most feared playmakers, bookended by Tee Higgins, who just signed a four-year, $115 million contract extension.
“He’s a matchup nightmare,” PFSN’s Brandon Austin writes. “His ability to separate, create after the catch, and find the end zone makes him one of the very best in the game, a designation that isn’t tossed around loosely in this era of pass-catching talent.”
Even in advanced metrics, Chase dazzled. He averaged 2.41 yards per route run, eighth in the NFL, and 6.3 yards after the catch per reception, ranking 16th. While his 13.4 yards per catch ranked just 40th among wideouts, the volume and efficiency of his targets made him nearly unstoppable all season.
A former first-round pick out of LSU, where he and Burrow won the National Title in 2019, Chase burst onto the scene with 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Super Bowl appearance. He’s now a four-time Pro Bowler (2021-2024), two-time All-Pro (2nd team in ’21, 1st team in ’24), and the focal point of an offense looking to reclaim its place among AFC contenders.
Could We See a 2,000-Yard Receiver Soon?
“He delivered a spectacular 2024 season,” writes Austin. “An even more impressive feat given how productive Tee Higgins was on the other side.”
With the NFL’s continued focus on offensive production and points scoring, Chase predicts that the NFL will see its first 2,000-yard receiver sooner rather than later. Speaking with CBS Sports, Chase said, “The next three years, somebody has to do it,” he said, “if it’s not me.”
Now, with the spotlight squarely on him, Chase looks ready to defend his crown as the best receiver in football.