• Stefon Diggs torches Miami: Diggs averaged 7.8 YAC yards per catch (fifth) and recorded 45 yards after contact (second). He also led all receivers with three touchdown catches, including a 55-yard catch and run over Kader Kohou.
• A.J. Brown excels against Washington: The Commanders surrendered 175 yards to A.J. Brown (first), including seven first-down catches (tied for second) and four plays of 15-plus yards.
• Dig into the numbers for yourself: PFF’s Premium Stats is the most in-depth collection of NFL and NCAA player performance data. Subscribe today to get full access!
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
It was an eventful fourth week of the 2023 NFL season. We had upsets, breakout and surprise performances and more. As we get ready for Week 5, here is each team’s highest-graded wide receiver from a week ago.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Buffalo Bills: Stefon Diggs (89.8)
Miami entered its matchup against Buffalo ranked fifth in coverage (84.0); however, the Dolphins could not keep up with Stefon Diggs. Diggs averaged 7.8 YAC yards per catch (fifth) and recorded 45 yards after contact (second). He averaged 4.62 yards per route run (third), and recorded three explosive plays (tied for fifth). Diggs led all receivers with three touchdown catches, including a 55-yard catch and run over Kader Kohou and finished with a target rating of 158.3 (tied for first).
Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle (77.5)
Buffalo, on the other hand, ranked second in coverage coming into this game (87.4) and was able to limit Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to seven catches for 104 yards and zero touchdowns. Waddle only averaged 1.48 yards per route run, however, he was still able to average 5.0 YAC yards per catch and record two explosive gains. Thirty-four of his 46 yards came from those plays.
New England Patriots: Demario Douglas (74.0)
New England had a rough day against Dallas. Demario Douglas led the Patriots receiver core in yards — most of which came on a 42-yard play early in the game.
New York Jets: Garrett Wilson (73.3)
Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard combined for 121 yards as the Jets nearly pulled off the upset over Kansas City. Wilson finished the game tied for first in targets and catches while gaining three first downs.
Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers (71.6)
Baltimore rebounded from its overtime loss against Indianapolis with a convincing win over Cleveland. Flowers recorded a 43-yard catch near the end of the second quarter and led all Ravens’ receivers in yards. No other Raven receiver generated over eight receiving yards.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase (71.2)
Cincinnati’s passing woes continued in Tennessee. Ja’Marr Chase led the team in catches and yards, but no other Bengal produced over 26 receiving yards. Chase was held scoreless in September; however, he is tied for 11th in first-down catches (16) and ranks sixth in targets (40).
Cleveland Browns: Elijah Moore
Cleveland came into this game without Nick Chubb or Deshaun Watson, and its offense struggled to get going. The Browns finished last in total receiving yards for the week (121). Amari Cooper was limited to one catch for 16 yards, and Elijah Moore led all Cleveland receivers with 20 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Calvin Austin III (58.6)
Pittsburgh’s passing game also struggled on Sunday. The receiving core combined for 57 yards and Kenny Pickett left the game due to a knee injury. Calvin Austin III recorded a 12-yard third down catch early in the third quarter. He was the only receiver to pick up a first down, and half of his yardage came from that play.
Houston Texans: Nico Collins (93.3)
Nico Collins had quite the turnaround from his Week 3 performance (34 yards). He finished the day with 168 receiving yards (second) and second in position grading. Every catch seemed to turn into a big play, as Collins tied for second in first-down catches and explosive plays (five) while forcing four missed tackles (first). He was targeted five times between 10 and 19 yards downfield and caught four passes for 99 yards (third). He recorded two plays of 40-plus yards, including a 52-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.
Collins has been one of the biggest surprises to start this season. He is ranked fifth in receiving yards through Week 4 (428) after collecting 950 yards total in his first two seasons. He leads all receivers in target rating (142.7) and missed tackles forced (10), and is tied for third in explosive gains (13).
Indianapolis Colts: Alec Pierce (62.5)
The Colts appeared to be headed for a blowout loss against the Rams after being shut out 20-0 in the first half. They responded with a 23-point second half to force overtime before ultimately losing the game. Indianapolis’ receiving core was limited to five catches for 93 yards. Alec Pierce provided the highlight for the group with his 38-yard catch over Ahkello Witherspoon early in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Kirk (70.6)
Jacksonville kicked off its London schedule with a convincing win over Atlanta. Christian Kirk led the team in catches and yards. He recorded two explosive gains, including a 30-yard play in the first quarter, and averaged 2.40 yards per route run.
Tennessee Titans: DeAndre Hopkins (78.2)
DeAndre Hopkins gained three first downs on four catches, including a 38-yard play over Cam Taylor-Britt in the second quarter. He leads the Titans with 216 receiving yards and has moved the chains on 12 of his 18 catches.
Denver Broncos: Marvin Mims (79.6)
Denver was able to come from behind against Chicago to earn its first win of the season. The Broncos continue to get big plays from Marvin Mims, who recorded a 48-yard catch with three minutes left in the game. He currently leads the league in deep threat percentage (54.5%). Mims leads the Broncos with 6.21 yards per route run, averages 7.7 YAC yards per catch and is tied for the team lead with five explosive plays.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kadarius Toney (69.2)
The New York Jets gave Kansas City all that it could handle. Isiah Pacheco paced the offense with 115 rushing yards and 43 receiving yards, Travis Kelce led the team in receiving with six catches for 60 yards, and Kadarius Toney recorded 22 yards with 15 coming on a third down play late in the second quarter.
Las Vegas Raiders: Davante Adams (66.3)
The Chargers were able to keep Davante Adams relatively quiet compared to his monster performance last week (13 catches, 172 yards). He was still able to pick up five first downs, and he recorded a 19-yard catch over Michael Davis on a fourth down play late in the game.
Los Angeles Chargers: Joshua Palmer (67.4)
On the other side, the Raiders were able to keep Keenan Allen quiet following his Week 3 performance (18 catches, 215 yards). Allen recorded three catches for 32 yards and one touchdown. Joshua Palmer stepped up to the plate with two explosive plays, including a 51-yard catch over Jakorian Bennett late in the fourth quarter.
Dallas Cowboys: Michael Gallup (68.1)
Dallas rebounded from last week’s loss against Arizona with a decisive win over New England. Michael Gallup led Dallas’ receivers in catches and yards for the second week in a row. He recorded two explosive gains, including a 28-yard catch on the second play of the game. He also recorded a 19-yard catch on a third down play in the third quarter. Gallup averaged 8.4 YAC yards per catch (third) and 2.36 yards per route run (1fourth).
New York Giants: Wan’Dale Robinson (73.0)
Monday night was a rough one for the Giants offense, as the team fell to 1-3 to start the season. Wan’Dale Robinson recorded four first downs on five catches — three of which came on third or fourth down plays. Robinson caught all three of these third-down targets for 26 yards and averaged 6.0 YAC yards per catch for the game (tied for ninth).
Philadelphia Eagles: A.J. Brown (89.4)
Washington suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss in Philly and fell to 2-2. The Commanders surrendered 175 yards to A.J. Brown (first), including seven first down catches (tied for second) and four plays of 15-plus yards. Brown was able to impose his will against Emmanuel Forbes (96.2 receiving grade against him). He caught six passes against him for 147 yards, two scores and five first downs. Forbes surrendered three 28-plus-yard plays to Brown, including 59-yard and 28-yard touchdown catches. Brown led all receivers on the day with 115 yards from 20-plus yards downfield.
Washington Commanders: Dyami Brown (74.8)
None of Washington’s receivers matched A.J. Brown’s performance, but the team was able to rebound from its disastrous three-point outing in Week 3 to score 31 points. Terry McLaurin finished with eight catches for 86 yards while Dyami Brown and Curtis Samuel each recorded 51 yards. Brown only had two catches but both came on third and fourth down plays with Darius Slay as the primary defender.
Chicago Bears: D.J. Moore (85.3)
Chicago remains winless heading into Week 5. DJ Moore recorded his highest receiving total of the season, and his second 100-plus-yard game in three weeks. Seven of Moore’s eight catches went for first downs (tied for second), and he recorded three catches of 20-plus yards in the second quarter. Moore averaged 3.45 yards per route run (seventh) and finished tied for third in receiver rating (152.1)
Detroit Lions: Josh Reynolds (82.2)
Detroit kicked off Week 4 with a convincing win over Green Bay on Thursday Night Football. Josh Reynolds led the team in receiving yards and each of his catches went for 20-plus yards. Reynolds has 12 catches for 215 yards so far this season, and each one has gained a first down.
Green Bay Packers: Romeo Doubs (71.6)
Doubs recorded his highest receiving total of the season against the Lions, and his yardage has increased each week. Doubs had three explosive plays on the night, including a 15-yard catch on a fourth down play in the third quarter. Doubs averaged 2.57 yards per route run and leads the team with 224 yards and 13 first downs on the season.
Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson (88.9)
Justin Jefferson did not cross 100 yards receiving; however, he still made an impact against Carolina. Jefferson recorded three explosive gains, scored twice and moved the chains with each catch. He finished fifth in yards per route run (4.05) and eighth in receiver rating (136.6).
Atlanta Falcons: Drake London (66.5)
Jonnu Smith and Bijan Robinson combined for 11 catches and 127 yards to lead the Falcons in receiving against Jacksonville. Drake London only had 28 receiving yards, but he recorded two first downs on three catches and scored Atlanta’s only touchdown on the day.
Carolina Panthers: Adam Thielen (73.5)
Sunday marked Adam Thielen’s first game against his former team, and he responded with another solid performance. Thielen led Carolina in receiving yards and first-down receptions. He also recorded two explosive gains and averaged 2.11 yards per route run.
New Orleans Saints: Michael Thomas (72.4)
New Orleans suffered a tough loss at home to Tampa Bay. Derek Carr looked hampered by his shoulder injury and Chris Olave was limited to four receiving yards. Michael Thomas led the team with 53 yards and recorded the biggest gain for the offense with a 20-yard play over Carlton Davis in the fourth quarter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Deven Thompkins (76.7)
On the other side, Tampa Bay got a big game from Chris Godwin (eight catches, 114 yards) and a solid performance from Deven Thompkins, who recorded three first downs and a touchdown on four catches. He also produced a 26-yard catch and run against Marshon Lattimore late in the second quarter.
Arizona Cardinals: Michael Wilson (77.3)
Arizona pulled off the upset against Dallas in Week 3, but the Cardinals were unable to do the same against San Francisco. Michael Wilson and Marquise Brown combined for 14 receptions for 172 yards and nine first downs. Wilson was able to gain four first downs and score twice on seven catches. He had two explosive plays, both in the second quarter. He recorded a 33-yard third down play and followed it up with a 16-yard touchdown catch right after.
Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua (89.1)
Defenses have been unable to find an answer for Puka Nacua through the first month of the season. He has 501 receiving yards (second) and 26 first-down catches (first) through four games. Nacua was able to torch Indianapolis downfield. He was targeted six times between 10 and 19 yards and caught five passes for 117 yards (first). Nacua recorded six explosive gains (first), including five 20-plus-yard receptions.
San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk (93.4)
Aiyuk returned to the field after sitting out Week 3 and didn’t look to be hampered at all. He caught all six of his targets and moved the chains each time (tied for fifth). Aiyuk finished the day as the highest-graded receiver, as he ranked fourth in receiving yards and recorded five explosive plays (tied for second). Four of those gains went for 20-plus yards, and he averaged 7.79 yards per route run (first).
Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Lockett (78.1)
Seattle won convincingly against the Giants on Monday Night Football. Tyler Lockett led the team in catches and yards and recorded a 23-yard third-down catch in the third quarter. Lockett is Seattle’s most-targeted receiver through Week 4 (26) and is second on the team in first down catches (10).
