Ranking the Top Remaining Options for WR-Needy Teams Following Jaylen Waddle Trade

Tuesday's trade that sent wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins to the Denver Broncos serves as a sign that the NFL offseason is just getting started.

While the initial wave of free agency has come and gone, most teams are still in the early stages of building their 2026 rosters. More players will be signed, more trades will unfold, and the draft is still more than a month away.

For teams in need of wide receiver help, this means that the well isn't dry just yet. Big names like Alec Pierce, Romeo Doubs, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Mike Evans have already been scooped up—while Waddle, D.J. Moore, and Michael Pittman Jr. have been traded—but the market is far from closed.

Here, we'll rank the top remaining receiver options based on factors like potential cost, skill set, upside, recent production, and injury history.

8. Sign Tyreek Hill

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Before the Dolphins traded Waddle, they released Tyreek Hill. The 32-year-old now looms as one of the most intriguing free agents left on the market.

In his prime, Hill was among the fastest and most dangerous offensive skill players in the NFL. In 2023, he led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards. However, he's nearing the back end of his career and is coming off a significant knee injury that will, most likely, limit his burst in 2026.

"He had a really tough injury. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill ACLs." Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told the Stephen A. Smith Show (h/t Brad Crawford of CBS Sports). It was a multiple ligament injury, and he absolutely is on track for the start of the regular season."

Though Hill expects to be ready by Week 1, he's still a somewhat risky option because of his age and the injury—he's also, unsurprisingly, looking to land with a contender, per Rosenhaus.

Still, Hill is a seasoned vet and a borderline Hall of Famer who will command defensive attention if he's even close to 100 percent. Taking a swing on him would make sense for a team with playoff aspirations like the Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens.

7. Sign Deebo Samuel

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

While Deebo Samuel isn't recovering from a significant injury, he turned 30 in January and is coming off a disappointing two-year stretch. The former San Francisco 49ers star last topped 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2023, and he last topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2021.

Yet, Samuel showed in his lone season with the Washington Commanders that he is still a solid contributor. He tallied 802 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns despite playing in an offense that was substantially hampered by injuries. With Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, and others missing significant stretches in 2025, Washington finished dead-last in total offense.

He might not be the dynamic dual-threat that he once was, but Samuel is a dependable No. 2 receiver who can provide a change of pace to the ground game.

While Samuel's age would make him best-suited for a team with an open playoff window, he should still draw some interest as a multi-year option. A return to San Francisco would make plenty of sense for Samuel, as would joining an up-and-comer like the Carolina Panthers.

6. Sign Stefon Diggs

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Any team interested in Stefon Diggs must be comfortable with a couple of caveats. For one, the 32-year-old wasn't as explosive this past season as he was earlier in his career, unsurprisingly, given the torn ACL he suffered in 2024. Secondly, Diggs faces an ongoing legal battle stemming from the alleged assault of his personal chef.

However, Diggs is probably the closest thing to a legitimate No. 1 receiver that teams are going to find on the open market. He can still use positioning and route-running to get open, and he did just lead the New England Patriots with 1,013 receiving yards.

This past season, Diggs provided a passer rating of 112.9 when targeted, and he led the NFL in ESPN Analytics' Catch Score.

Diggs would be a sensible target for a team like Miami, which no longer has a No. 1 receiver to pair with new quarterback Malik Willis. His past experience with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll makes him an interesting option for the Tennessee Titans and second-year signal-caller Cam Ward.

5. Trade for Brandon Aiyuk

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File

The 49ers were widely expected to release Brandon Aiyuk at the start of the new league year on March 11. That's been the expectation since November, when Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic reported that San Francisco had voided his 2026 guarantees.

The voiding of guarantees was the 49ers' reported response to Aiyuk's refusal to cooperate with the team amid recovery from a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

However, Aiyuk is still on the team, and while a release with a post-June 1 designation still feels likely, the 49ers may be holding out for a trade. They'd probably settle for a minimal return.

"They're not getting anything significant for him in trade," one unnamed NFL executive said, per Armando Salguero of OutKick. "...Right now my guess is they're teaching him a lesson in what it means to do right for your team."

Aiyuk's injury and four-year, $120 million contract are potentially problematic. However, he's an enticing option for teams with cap space to spare, like the Titans and Commanders—Aiyuk and Daniels were briefly teammates at Arizona State. Aiyuk just turned 28, is a good route-runner with some breakaway ability, and topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his last two complete campaigns.

4. Sign George Pickens to an Offer Sheet

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Yes, the Dallas Cowboys used the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. However, that doesn't mean that he can't be had for a price.

Dallas used the non-exclusive tag on the 25-year-old, meaning he's free to sign another team's offer sheet. If a team offers Pickens a contract that the Cowboys won't match, it can acquire him at the cost of two first-round picks.

Between trade capital and a new contract, the price would be steep, which is why Pickens falls in the middle of our list. However, the potential reward could be massive. Pickens is just entering his playing prime and finished last season with 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.

There would be risk involved with signing Pickens to an offer sheet, considering the cost and the maturity concerns that forced him away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it could be worth considering for teams with a surplus of cap space and a need at receiver, like the New York Jets and New England Patriots.

3. Sign Jauan Jennings

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Compared to other options on this list, signing Jauan Jennings as a free agent would be a low-risk move by comparison. While the 28-year-old did battle shoulder, ankle, and rib injuries this past season, he doesn't carry significant injury concerns. He should also be available at a reasonable price point in the second wave of free agency.

Spotrac gave Jennings a projected market value of $22.6 million, but that's probably on the high side for the second half of March.

Jennings has plenty to offer, too. While he doesn't possess enough explosiveness to be a true No. 1 receiver, he's been a go-to target for the 49ers when healthy over the past two years. He recorded 975 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games two seasons ago and had 643 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games this past season.

Most teams with a fair amount of cap space and the need for a dependable possession receiver should have interest in Jennings. Teams with young quarterbacks like the Titans and Las Vegas Raiders—who are expected to take Indiana's Fernando Mendoza first overall next month—should be near the front of the line.

2. Trade for A.J. Brown

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

A trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown wouldn't make sense for every team. The Mississippi product will turn 29 in June and isn't going to be available at a bargain price.

According to Dianna Russini and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, the Eagles' asking price for Brown is a first- and a second-round pick. That's just a bit more than what Miami got in return for Waddle.

That said, Brown has the combination of size, speed, and physicality needed to be a No. 1 receiver, which he's been for the bulk of his career. He has reached 1,000 receiving yards in four straight campaigns and in six of his seven seasons.

Teams that have an open playoff window and a need for a difference-making perimeter pass-catcher might want to view Brown as Plan A at this point in the offseason. Rebuilding franchises need not apply, but teams like New England—which is interested in Brown, per Russini and Rodrigue—and the Chiefs would make the most sense, albeit after the draft.

Philly is more likely to trade Brown after June 1, when the Eagles would save $7 million in cap space. Trading him before June 1 would cost $20.1 in additional 2026 cap room.

1. Target the 2026 NFL Draft

AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File

At this point in the offseason, the best option for many teams will be to focus on next month's draft.

It's a less-enticing option for teams looking to chase a Super Bowl this year, which is why the Broncos' trade for Waddle and the Bills' trade for Moore made plenty of sense. However, the 2026 draft class has both top-end talent and depth at the wide receiver position.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department ranked seven wide receivers among its top 40 prospects: Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, Ohio State's Carnell Tate, USC's Makai Lemon, Texas A&M's Kevin Concepcion, Notre Dame's Malachi Fields, Washington's Denzel Boston, and Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II. It wouldn't be a shock to see all seven off the board by the early second round, but future NFL starters will be available later on Day 2.

Indiana's Elijah Sarratt, Mississippi's De'Zhaun Stribling, and Louisville's Chris Bell are just some of the talented receiver prospects who should be available in the second and third rounds.

The risk in targeting an incoming rookie is that he has no NFL resume. Of course, the potential reward is getting a young pass-catcher with great upside on a rookie contract.

No draft selection is a sure thing, but teams that have yet to add a notable wide receiver this offseason can still dream of landing one next month.