Ja’Marr Chase Ranked No. 1 NFL Wide Receiver by ESPN

Just days after ESPN listed Joe Burrow as the No. 4 quarterback in the NFL, prompting a wave of backlash and criticism from media members across the league, executives, coaches and scouts gave another Bengals player a high ranking: wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Chase was ranked the No. 1 receiver in the NFL for the second consecutive season, which was little surprise to anyone who watches professional football, as Chase has proven to be the best receiver in the game. Fellow Bengals receiver Tee Higgins was in the “also receiving votes” category on the list, alongside players such as Alec Pierce, DK Metcalf, DeVonta Smith and Garrett Wilson.

The list is as follows:

1. Ja’Marr Chase

2. Justin Jefferson

3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

4. Puka Nacua

5. Amon-Ra St. Brown

6. CeeDee Lamb

7. George Pickens

8. Nico Collins

9. A.J. Brown

10. Davante Adams

Since entering the league in 2021, Chase has racked up 6,837 yards on 520 receptions with 54 touchdowns. Chase is second in yards, catches and touchdowns since he entered the league. He has missed just seven games over five seasons. In 2024, Chase won the triple crown, leading the NFL in yards (1,708), receptions (127) and touchdowns (17), as Joe Burrow made his case for NFL MVP.

Chase may have the best combination of speed, route-running and catching ability in the NFL. He’s a big reason why Joe Burrow was ranked so high and is Cincinnati’s most dangerous weapon on offense. His numbers didn’t fall off in the games Joe Flacco was at the helm of the offense, as he reached 100-plus yards in multiple games, including a historic 16-catch, 161-yard game in the Bengals’ Thursday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The closest receiver on this list to catching Chase would be Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who didn't appear on last year's rankings, led the NFL with 1,793 yards in 2025 as a major piece of the Seattle Seahawks offense, which propelled the team to a Super Bowl title. Smith-Njigba also checks many different boxes and really showed off his catching ability last season.

However, Chase is in a position to reign supreme at the top of this list for a few more years. With Joe Burrow at quarterback and Tee Higgins opposite him over the next three seasons, everything is set up for Chase to be one of the best receivers in the NFL for the foreseeable future, especially if he can stay as healthy as he has throughout his career.