This article will go game by game for the Week 1 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the WR vs. CB matchups likely to occur. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.
Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.
Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Ladd McConkey might warrant a shadow assignment for Trent McDuffie, whose talents are probably wasted against the likes of Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston or Tre' Harris.
Chamarri Conner is often the slot corner otherwise, and as a safety/rover he is ill-suited to covering most receivers, with McConkey certainly
This article will go game by game for the Week 1 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the WR vs. CB matchups likely to occur. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.
Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.
Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Ladd McConkey might warrant a shadow assignment for Trent McDuffie, whose talents are probably wasted against the likes of Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston or Tre' Harris.
Chamarri Conner is often the slot corner otherwise, and as a safety/rover he is ill-suited to covering most receivers, with McConkey certainly included on that list. If the Chiefs let McConkey run against Conner then Conner will almost certainly get beat for it. Jaylen Watson should be a challenging matchup for any of Allen, Johnston or Harris. Kristian Fulton gives the Chiefs their best third corner in a long time, and you'd probably have to give him the advantage over Allen, Johnston or Harris, too.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ladd McConkey (Upgrade if not shadowed by McDuffie), Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris
CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVERS
Xavier Worthy is the headliner with Rashee Rice suspended but Hollywood Brown is more than capable of doing damage here, too. Both wideouts are close to worst-case matchups for a taller corner like Cam Hart, and even the Chargers' one fast corner (Donte Jackson) is not particularly imposing.
Tarheeb Still appears to easily be the Chargers' best corner, yet even he might be stressed by the speed of Worthy and Brown. The Chargers corners want to keep the receivers in front of them so as to always be in position to pounce on the ball, but speed like Worthy/Brown has a way of getting the corner turned around.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster
New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders
PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Stefon Diggs should primarily run against Darien Porter and Eric Stokes. Both Porter and Stokes have excellent reach and speed, but their fundamentals in coverage are subject to some amount of question – Porter because he's a rookie third-round pick, and Stokes because for the most part he burned out in Green Bay as a former first-round pick. Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins deserve less benefit of the doubt against such corners, but there's nothing intimidating about the matchup for them.
DeMario Douglas should be a tough cover for most slot corners, Darnay Holmes included. Although Holmes is definitely more comfortable underneath (where Douglas runs) than he is downfield, Douglas' quickness and speed could still prove challenging for Holmes, who's likely a below-average first-string slot corner. The end duo of Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce could force Drake Maye to get rid of the ball quickly, moreover, and that would generally suit Douglas as the Patriots wideout with the likely lowest ADOT.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins
RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The absence of Christian Gonzalez is a huge problem for the Patriots, who in light of that have extra reason to fear former teammate Jakobi Meyers. Carlton Davis is competent and could follow around Meyers in this one, but Meyers can probably withstand that. It still would probably be preferable to get looks at Alex Austin when on the boundary, with that said.
It will be interesting to see how New England manages the slot, where the otherwise distinguished Marcus Jones is sometimes vulnerable due to his lack of height at 5-foot-8. Meyers might be able to bully Jones in the slot, so against Meyers especially the Patriots might want to move safety Craig Woodson into the slot to counter Meyers' build.
Dont'e Thornton and Tre Tucker are the kinds of receivers who Davis and Austin project worst against – neither Davis or Austin have much in the way of downfield speed, so if they race against Thornton or Tucker they will lose. With that said, target volume is far from assured for either wideout, and both might get stuck with frequent decoy tasks to free up Meyers and Brock Bowers.
Upgrade: Jakobi Meyers
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Dont'e Thornton, Tre Tucker
New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
JETS WIDE RECEIVERS
Garrett Wilson draws what might be the best Pittsburgh cornerback rotation in a decade or more, yet each of Joey Porter, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay would sooner look vulnerable to Wilson than the other way around. The pass rush is probably a more reasonable concern for Wilson investors, especially with Alijah Vera-Tucker out.
While Wilson deserves the benefit of the doubt even against these distinguished corners, the same cannot be said for Josh Reynolds or Allen Lazard.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard
Even: Garrett Wilson
STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Jets might want Sauce Gardner to shadow DK Metcalf in this one, if only to keep Metcalf from getting cracks at Brandon Stephens. The Steelers have almost no choice but to feed Metcalf this year regardless of matchups, so if Gardner shadows Metcalf it's still not much reason for Metcalf investors to worry.
Calvin Austin could actually give some trouble to Gardner and Stephens, both of whom are too tall to account for Austin's stop/start ability.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Tampa's corner rotation is quite big and fast between Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum, and the rookie third-round pick Jacob Parrish gives them even more blazing speed. At under 5-foot-10 Parrish's eventual place might be in the slot, though last year the Buccaneers mostly used safety Tykee Smith at that spot.
Dean and McCollum match the build of Drake London and can easily outrun him, but London is an advanced route runner who has unusual start/stop and flexibility for a 6-foot-4 receiver. The Falcons are dependent on using London every week, including this one, so there's no reason it can't be one of his best games of the year, especially with Darnell Mooney (shoulder) probably at less than 100 percent.
If Mooney is ready to rock then he could be a challenge for taller, heavier-footed corners like Dean and McCollum. If it's another year of Ray-Ray McCloud then whatever – defenses certainly won't care much about him, and that's the true source of McCloud's fantasy utility. McCloud won't beat anyone, but defenses do have a way of forgetting about him while chasing around London, Mooney and Bijan Robinson.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud
BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS
A.J. Terrell figures to follow Mike Evans in this one, but given Evans' target share the matchup just doesn't really matter. If Terrell is on Evans then it would be reassuring for Emeka Egbuka, who probably deserves less benefit of the doubt against a corner as solid as Terrell.
The Atlanta corners aside from Terrell are less than inspiring, so whoever avoids Terrell should be in a good spot on any given rep. Mike Hughes and Billy Bowman just isn't intimidating.
Upgrade: Emeka Egbuka (lower to Even if Terrell does not shadow Evans)
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans
Indianapolis Colts vs. Miami Dolphins
COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Miami defense looks like a mess. Storm Duck and Jack Jones are your likely starters, with rookie Jason Marshall in the slot.
Josh Downs and Michael Pittman seem to have a great setup here. Alec Pierce can hurt these corners too, but Daniel Jones is a garbage downfield passer and unfortunately Pierce is mostly a downfield specialist. Pierce probably will get open, though.
Upgrade: Josh Downs, Michael Pittman
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Alec Pierce
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS
Although cornerback has been an issue for years in Indianapolis, this might finally be the year where the Colts have a strong secondary. Charvarius Ward is a big addition on the boundary, and Jaylon Jones was already on the verge of establishing himself as one of the league's standout boundary corners in 2024. The two of them could be a legitimately strong duo, and Kenny Moore is always a notable presence in the slot.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are both the kind of wideout who give trouble to taller, lankier corners like Ward and Jones, however. Even if the Colts corner rotation is strong now, it's probably most vulnerable to speedy, stop/start devils like Hill and Waddle.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals
SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Max Melton and Will Johnson give the Cardinals a promising duo of boundary prospects while Garrett Williams is already a formidable corner in the slot. This position should sooner be a strength for the Cardinals this year than a weakness.
With that said, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are not to be taken lightly, and Olave in particular still seems capable of taking the youngsters to school. Olave can't be covered by the vast majority of NFL corners, and Shaheed is a major threat in his own right.
Rather than the matchup, the concern for Olave and Shaheed will be New Orleans' quarterback situation.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed
CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS
Marvin Harrison is very good in my opinion, but the Arizona offensive design forces defenses to double-team Harrison nearly every play. Most offenses try to free up their playmakers from double teams so that they can get viable targets, but the Cardinals sentenced themselves to using Harrison as a decoy when they chose to enter the season with Michael Wilson and Zay Jones as the next two receivers on the depth chart.
Wilson is a quality player but one who lacks the speed to press downfield, and Jones doesn't really do anything at this point. Because those two are the only alternatives, the Cardinals give Harrison the highest depth of target on almost every single pass play, which means if there is so much as a Cover-1 call then the safety in question will always end up on Harrison. If it's a two-high then forget about it.
Arizona needs to lower Harrison's depth of target to get him more viable targets, but to do that they need to send Wilson and Jones farther downfield – something they are understandably hesitant to call for, given the futility of the suggestion.
If the Cardinals wake up and stop using Harrison as a decoy then Harrison should start producing more in line with expectations, and against the Saints defense there's nothing concerning in the matchup. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor project as no better than average as a starting duo, and the Saints might not have the pass rush necessary to hurry Kyler Murray.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson, Zay Jones
Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants
COMMANDER WIDE RECEIVERS
Terry McLaurin is a must-start given his talent and role, but the fear of training camp rust might be warranted after an extensive holdout. If he's back to his normal self then McLaurin gets the easy benefit of the doubt against the Giants corners.
Paulson Adebo might be the best of them, but he's a gambler who will give up plays and on the other side Deonte Banks has been more bad than good. Dru Phillips in the slot might be the best Giants corner, yet he won't see McLaurin much from there.
It's not clear who will be the primary slot wideout for the Commanders with Olamide Zaccheaus gone – Zach Ertz might be the general answer – but there's a chance Deebo Samuel sees a lot of those looks, too. Noah Brown played on the boundary the vast majority of the time in 2024. For this particular matchup the boundary might be the easier target.
Upgrade: Terry McLaurin (arguably lower to Even if concerned about missed practice)
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown
GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Marshon Lattimore is a legit CB1 when healthy and Mike Sainristil looks like a strong CB2. With Trey Amos and Jonathan Jones otherwise, the Commanders have excellent depth at corner.
Just the same, Malik Nabers appears matchup-proof and it's plenty possible that he's straight up good enough to beat corners even as good as Lattimore, and there aren't many of those. Similarly, Darius Slayton is one of the best deep threats league-wide and he can hurt Washington if they don't take him seriously. Sainristil at under 5-foot-10 probably needs to be especially careful the farther downfield Slayton gets.
Sainristil might more often play in the slot, though, where he would mostly see Wan'Dale Robinson. Robinson is a good player, but I'll take the liberty of calling the advantage for Sainristil in that case, especially given Russell Wilson's inability to strike the middle of the field.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Wan'Dale Robinson
Even: Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS
Brian Thomas will likely see a lot of Jaycee Horn, which is at once a matchup you'd like to avoid if possible yet isn't a huge concern if you can't. Horn can be beaten, and Thomas can beat anyone with enough chances.
If Horn shadows Thomas then it assures an easy matchup for Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown and/or Parker Washington. The CB2 is the toolsy but less than punctual Mike Jackson, while in the slot Chau Smith-Wade looks sketchy at best.
Upgrade: Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, Parker Washington
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Brian Thomas (raise to Upgrade if not shadowed by Horn)
PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Jaguars might keep Tyson Campbell on one side of the defense and Jarrian Jones on the other, but they might want to consider using Campbell to shadow Tetairoa McMillan. Good as Jones might be, he primarily played the slot as a rookie and has very short arms. McMillan is going above the rim often and Campbell is probably the only non-Travis Hunter corner on the Jags who can meet McMillan there.
Xavier Legette can't be completely counted out but there's less reason to give him the benefit of the doubt against Jones and especially against Campbell. Hunter Renfrow against Jourdan Lewis in the slot might be the better target.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tetairoa McMillan (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Campbell), Xavier Legette, Hunter Renfrow
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jerry Jeudy can probably get the better of Cam Taylor-Britt, and Cedric Tillman can probably bully the fast but tiny DJ Turner. With Joe Flacco at quarteback, this matchup looks good for both wideouts.
Jamari Thrash might be your main slot receiver and if so he could make for an interesting punt play in DFS. Slot corner/safety tweener Dax Hill could be the best corner the Bengals have, but any time a safety is on a receiver it's worth monitoring.
Upgrade: Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jamari Thrash
BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS
Denzel Ward is a corner you'd rather avoid but if you're Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins you don't care much either way. Even if Ward stays on them, Chase and especially Higgins are big enough to just win the ball at the catch point.
Greg Newsome is also a quality corner and generally played the slot for Cleveland historically, but it's not clear whether it will be him or second-year corner Cameron Mitchell in the slot this year. Andrei Iosivas was the primary slot wideout for Cincinnati last year, so if Mitchell is the most beatable one (he is) then the Browns might prefer to keep Mitchell in the slot so that Ward and Newsome are always on Chase and Higgins.
More important than the corner matchups in this case might be the question of how well the Browns produce on offense. If Flacco can make it a close game then the volume variable for Chase and Higgins becomes a strength, at which point the matchup simply wouldn't matter.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas
Denver Broncos vs. Tennessee Titans
BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS
L'Jarius Sneed (knee) seems headed toward activation, but given how badly his 2024 season went and given his ongoing durability issues there's probably not much reason to consider Sneed any concern for Courtland Sutton or Marvin Mims. Meanwhile, boundary CB2 Jarvis Brownlee probably isn't suited to covering either receiver, either.
It's slot corner Roger McCreary who stands out as the most established Tennessee corner – McCreary should play the boundary in two-wide situations – but in three-wide he should see less of Sutton and Mims and more of Evan Engram or whoever might be running from the slot.
Rather than the Tennessee defense, the main threat to the production of the Denver passing game here is probably just the Denver defense and run game. The Broncos are expected to breeze to an easy victory and, while guys like Sutton and Mims are plenty worth starting, it's not as if there will be a shootout response from the other side to drive up their usage over all four quarters.
Upgrade: Courtland Sutton
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant
TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett will face a brutal assortment of corners in this one, and per-target efficiency is not a realistic hope.
While efficiency might be out of reach, target volume could be sufficient to offset those concerns in the case of Ridley. Sure, he might catch less than 50 percent of his targets at something abysmal like 6.0 yards per target, but if he's getting 12 targets then Ridley's fantasy investors can plug their nose and get over it despite the intimidating matchup. Lockett can't bank on such things, but Tennessee is expected to fall behind early and thus play catch-up football for most of the game.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Tyler Lockett
Even: Calvin Ridley
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to get spammed targets all year and this game should be no exception. Solid as Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green might be, they don't really move the needle for JSN's projection given Seattle's level of dependence on JSN.
Cooper Kupp is the tougher one to gauge, if only in the sense that it's not clear how much he has left. Whatever Kupp can do at this point presumably can only occur in the slot, and if so the 2024 matchup would be Lenoir, who has generally moved into the slot in nickel formations. Lenoir probably deserves the benefit of the doubt against Kupp.
Tory Horton is an interesting wildcard, and a player who the 49ers need to take seriously. Lenoir doesn't have the wheels to match Horton's speed (4.41-second 40) or reach (6-foot-3), and Green (4.5 40) probably doesn't want to chase Horton downfield, either.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Tory Horton
49ERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings (calf) really need to step up here for the 49ers' injury-plagued wideout rotation, but there's a lot of uncertainty here.
It's especially not clear who would line up in the slot when applicable – Jennings had played that primarily before 2024, but in 2024 he lined up more often on the boundary than previous years. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a history of playing in the slot, but using him there forfeits the underneath game because his only utility is downfield.
Using MVS as a downfield decoy to wear out and limit the presence of Devon Witherspoon might be the right call, because you'd rather spend your best routes on more beatable corners like Riq Woolen and especially Josh Jobe. Woolen is extremely big and fast but struggles with multi-part routes due to longer legs and heavier feet, while Jobe on the other side can't run much at all.
Pearsall's downfield game should be a concern for both Woolen and Jobe, while Jennings' underneath game could prove similarly challenging for both. It will be key for the 49ers to handle Seattle's potentially strong pass rush, so that goal is easier said than done.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
PACKERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jayden Reed (foot) is rarely allowed to log boundary reps, which limits his fantasy utility even when he isn't playing through a Jones Fracture, which he apparently is. If Reed's workload gets scaled back in the slot then tight end Luke Musgrave might be the person to capitalize most, but the next technical wide receiver might be Dontayvion Wicks (calf), who absolutely killed Green Bay in 2024 but was much more productive as a rookie in 2023. If Wicks is in the slot he could be challenging for Amik Robertson, who at 5-foot-8 is liable to get bullied by receivers any bigger than 6-feet (Wicks is 6-foot-1 and 3/8).
Matthew Golden is the real headliner, and in general there's reason to buy the hype. Neither Terrion Arnold nor D.J. Reed have the wheels to run with Golden downfield – very few corners do – but the challenge for Golden will be getting around the aggressive press coverage of Arnold and Reed, both of whom figure to be grabby at the line of scrimmage.
Romeo Doubs might have the best trait combination for challenging the shorter and lighter duo of Arnold/Reed, because at 6-foot-2 Doubs is the Packers wideout best suited to playing above the rim.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks
LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Amon-Ra St. Brown couldn't get much going against Green Bay in 2024, so perhaps defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has some novel method or another to account for St. Brown despite Green Bay's lack of cornerback talent. CB1 Nate Hobbs is playing through a knee injury that kept him out about a month, and Keisean Nixon is no better than average on the other perimeter rep. Even at Lambeau and even with two quiet 2024 games against Green Bay, St. Brown seems well situated here.
Both Hobbs and Nixon needs to be careful around Jameson Williams' speed. Jared Goff generally is not a good downfield passer, however and did not push the ball downfield against Green Bay in 2024.
Perhaps Isaac TeSlaa or Kalif Raymond can provide a timely big play or two behind St. Brown and Williams, but in general Detroit's wideout depth is lacking and they'd probably prefer to keep their offense on 2TE terms if they have the luxury.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams
Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans
RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS
Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter are a tough draw for Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Throw in the Houston pass rush and you have a stressful overall matchup for the Rams passing game.
Although the target rates for Nacua and Adams dictate that they are must-starts in fantasy, Stingley might be the best corner in the game and Lassiter's lack of speed isn't threatened by receivers like these. Lassiter has the twitchy pouncing ability to harangue receivers who live in the shallow depths, which Nacua and Adams often do, especially if Matthew Stafford (back) needs to get rid of the ball quickly.
Tutu Atwell is actually the Rams receiver who might have the clearest angle on these corners, especially Lassiter and his 4.6 (lack of) speed, but who knows what to expect from the Rams rotation after Nacua and Adams. It's possible the Rams try to use more two-TE looks than last year, which would occur at Atwell's expense if so.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell
TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Xavier Hutchinson might play more on the boundary than Jayden Higgins investors would like to see, and Nico Collins is otherwise locked into a three-down role on the boundary. It's not clear if Jaylin Noel will start in the slot with Christian Kirk (groin) out, but Noel is a very good prospect with a lot of similarities to Kirk.
Darious Williams and Cobie Durant are tiny corners on the boundary, making them look particularly vulnerable to Collins but also potentially the 6-foot-4 Higgins. The Rams prefer to move safety Quentin Lake into the slot when applicable, and even by safety standards Lake was never especially highly regarded for his coverage. The Rams need to worry about him against Noel.
Upgrade: Nico Collins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson
Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens
BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS
Although the Bills went with a rotation-heavy approach at wide receiver in 2024, with this year's group we should pretty reliably see a three-wide loadout of Khalil Shakir (slot), Joshua Palmer (flanker) and Keon Coleman (X).
Shakir is a candidate to see Marlon Humphrey pretty much all game, if only because Humphrey will rarely leave the slot as long as Jaire Alexander and Nate Wiggins are active. Alexander is playing through a knee issue, as always, but if healthy Alexander's arrival makes corner a position of absurd strength for Baltimore. All three players profile as CB1 talents.
With that said, Baltimore will need to be careful not to let Coleman downfield in single coverage against Wiggins, just because Wiggins is skinny and Coleman is prepared to fight for his catches. Alexander also needs to be careful there, but the good news for Baltimore is that Coleman is not fast and so he needs a little time to reach his ADOT (15.2 yards in 2024, 92nd percentile).
Palmer has no obvious angle on any of the Ravens corners, but as a generally competent player locked in a full-time role he should see some level of viable opportunity even against tougher defenses.
The Ravens cornerback rotation is a very tough matchup for any receiver group, but in this matchup's case it's probably worth deferring to the urgency over the matchup details – the Bills might go with an aggressive game plan and as long as they do the wide receivers would stand to benefit.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer
RAVENS WIDE RECEIVERS
DeAndre Hopkins was a notable addition to the Baltimore wideout rotation this offseason, but it's not clear how much he'll play behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. It's also expected that Devontez Walker will get more snaps in 2025 after basically redshirting as a rookie fourth-round pick last year.
Christian Benford on the boundary and Taron Johnson in the slot are the two Bills cornerbacks of note for now, as Maxwell Hairston (knee) is out and presumed perimeter starter Tre'Davious White (A) hasn't played more than 295 snaps in a season since 2020 and (B) missed practice Wednesday with a groin issue. White has the bull's eye on him if he plays, and if he's out then Buffalo might need to promote someone like JaMarcus Ingram.
Both Benford and Ingram are taller corners who might struggle to cover Flowers for more than a few seconds, though the trade off is that they are generally comfortable hovering in Flowers' preferred route depths, which tend to be underneath. Bateman seems less likely to stress such corners, but both Flowers and Bateman could prove challenging for White or/and Ingram.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
BEARS WIDE RECEIVERS
Although the Vikings corner personnel is far from intimidating, Minnesota is a notorious example of how the equation is not as simple as just Wide Receiver Versus Cornerback. If the Vikings corners aren't good enough to cover the Bears wideouts, then a ferocious pass rush and disguised coverages will bridge the gap for Minnesota.
With that said, DJ Moore can beat corners better than Byron Murphy, yet Murphy is by far the best Minnesota corner. Rome Odunze will also likely reach that point in his development, if he isn't there already. Isaiah Rodgers is the big question the Vikings have at corner, and as a smaller defender (5-11, 180) Rodgers could struggle with the physicality of both Moore and Odunze.
Slot defender Josh Metellus is a valued leader of the Minnesota defense, but coverage is not his strength. Indeed, with Metellus in the slot the Vikings sacrifice some coverage ability in exchange for superior run defense. Good as he might be, Metellus is a safety playing corner. If Metellus has to run long with Luther Burden or even Olamide Zaccheaus for long then he's likely to slip a bit.
Again, the Minnesota pass rush is the concern here. The Vikings corners can't cover the Bears receivers, but Brian Flores knows that and basically intends to make it that the Vikings corners don't need to cover for long. Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were added to an already potent Minnesota pass rush this offseason, so the Bears offensive line might struggle.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Olamide Zaccheaus
VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS
Justin Jefferson is too good to care about matchups, so the fact that Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are otherwise a standout starting cornerback duo doesn't really affect the equation for Jefferson.
Adam Thielen is more the category of player who might have cause to worry about the Bears corners, yet even he is tough to write off after playing great from the slot the last two years. The Vikings often don't feature a slot rep – they prefer to have TE2 Josh Oliver on the field – but that's still where Thielen projects best at this point in his career. When in the slot Thielen would likely see Gordon the most.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen
