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Folks, a big theme for 2021 will be the desire to look ahead to the better days that hopefully lie ahead. For some NFL teams, that will personify itself in the form of one of these receivers on this list adding another dimension to their offense.
This year’s free agent class at wide receiver is absolutely loaded. There are some legitimate targets that could hit free agency and make a huge impact for a new team by the start of next season.
Realistically, there’s a chance that none of these guys end up hitting free agency. There’s also a chance that 3-4 of them end up hitting free agency. It’s a total crapshoot at this point and that’s what makes the speculation fun.
So let’s get to the list.
1. Allen Robinson- $20M Spotrac Market Value
In my eyes, Allen Robinson is the most prized wide receiver on this list. For starters, he’s going to be just 28 years old at the start of next season which is still young enough to make an elite impact. He’s also had three 1,000+ yard seasons in his career with the likes of Blake Bortles, Mitchell Trubisky, and Nick Foles throwing him the football. Put him on a team with an actual quarterback and the sky is the limit for this guy.
2. Chris Godwin-$17.1M Spotrac Market Value
I want to preface this by saying that this guy is the least likely of the five guys on this list to become a free agent this offseason but man if he does he will break the bank. At just 25 years old and the ability to play both outside and in the slot, Godwin is an offensive coordinator’s dream. I firmly believe that Tampa Bay will resign him but if they don’t then he may just become the biggest fish in the free agency pond.
3. Kenny Golladay-$17M Spotrac Market Value
Kenny Golladay is definitely the most interesting name on this list. He’s an absolutely outstanding talent when he’s on the field and playing. The issue for him is that he’s missed games in every season except one (2019) that he’s played in. He only played in five games last season. That could cost him some money this offseason but I still wouldn’t be shocked to see a team offer north of $15M per season for him.
4. Corey Davis- $9.8M Spotrac Market Value
Corey Davis may be my favorite NFL Draft prospect of all time. Watching what he did at college for Western Michigan was out of this world. That being said, his NFL career hasn’t gotten off to the brightest start. The Titans even declined the former 5th overall pick’s fifth year option this past offseason.
How did Davis respond to that this season? He had the best season of his career. He tied his career high in catches with 65, set a new personal record in yards with 984, and had a career high 5 touchdowns. He’s starting to come into his own. He could still be a number one receiver in this league.
5. Juju Smith-Schuster- $16.1M Spotrac Market Value
Rounding out our top 5 is full time twitch streamer and part time NFL wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. I found his market value from Spotrac to be incredibly high for the production we’ve seen from him throughout his career. While he did have 97 catches this season, he only had 831 yards. At just 8.6 yards per catch, can he really call himself a true number one receiver?
That is the problem with Juju that I have. I don’t think he’s a number one guy. I think he’s a guy who can excel as a strong number two. I think he’s got the ability to be the best robin in the league or be the best player in a committee but I don’t think he’s a true alpha at this point in his career.