Although there's plenty of talent, the rest of the NFL isn't exactly looking upon the AFC West with envy when it comes to the wide receiver position.
The Denver Broncos were the one team in the division that made a truly concerted effort to upgrade that position group this past season, and they did so in a substantial way by trading for Dolphins star Jaylen Waddle.
Out of all of the receivers in the AFC West, only Courtland Sutton eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving this past season. As a matter of fact, Sutton was the only receiver in the division who eclipsed 800 yards during the 2025 season (not including Waddle, who was in Miami). Again, this is not the division everyone in the NFL is looking to as a model of greatness at the position, but we're going to do our best to rank the top 8 receivers in the division entering the 2026 season.
Top 8 WRs in the AFC West ranked for the 2026 season
8. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
Xavier Worthy just barely made the cut, even though the goal is to at least try and get two players from each team. He was narrowly able to edge out Marvin Mims Jr. for a spot on this list, and even though Mims is the 4th or 5th receiver on the Broncos' depth chart, he's got a case to be made.
Worthy is a 1st-round pick and has been rather disappointing so far for the Chiefs, although he did show his ability as a versatile gadget player in 2024 with 9 total touchdowns.
Worthy is the fastest receiver in the division, for whatever that's worth, and is still a young and developing player. We'll see if he can grow a little bit more entering year three, but he's entering a pivotal year after catching just 42 passes for 532 yards last season.
7. Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders traded away their best receiver last year when they sent Jakobi Meyers packing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Tre Tucker is a solid weapon in his own right.
Although Tucker isn't putting up elite numbers year after year, he's steadily improved through his first three seasons in the league. He posted the best numbers of his career last year with 696 receiving yards on 57 receptions with 5 touchdowns.
He's played at least 940 snaps in each of the last two seasons, so the Raiders have been able to trust him with a pretty significant role. Slowly but surely, he's becoming more of an all-around threat, and it wouldn't be surprising for him to be the team's #1 target after Brock Bowers when the season comes to a close.
6. Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos
The Raiders didn't have a second receiver better than Troy Franklin, so the Denver Broncos ended up with three players on this list.
And Troy Franklin is deserving of being on it after what he showed last season. He had 709 yards on 65 receptions and was one of the top threats at the wide receiver position in the red zone this past year. Franklin was a machine when the Broncos got into the red zone, as well as on two-point plays. He not only had 6 touchdown catches, but added three two-point conversions on top of that.
Franklin had some huge games for the Broncos last year, but obviously didn't do enough for the team to skip the blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle. He's a very good secondary option in the passing game with the upside to go off for over 100 at any given time.
5. Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Even though he's only been around since 2023, it feels like Quentin Johnston has been around with the Chargers forever.
He's only entering his fourth NFL season in 2026, and has back-to-back years with 8 touchdown receptions. He caught 51 passes this past season and 55 the year before that, posting nearly identical numbers in 2024 and 2025.
Even though there's a relatively high probability of success when throwing Johnston's way, he sort of is what he is at this point. It feels like he has somewhat proven exactly what he can be at the NFL, which is more of a role player than a truly featured option. But he's been productive and fairly consistent, especially compared to some of his peers in the division.
4. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
The regression this past season for Ladd McConkey was as much of a surprise as it was a disappointment.
During his rookie season in 2024, McConkey racked up 1,149 yards on 82 receptions and looked like he was well on his way toward becoming a dominant possession player at the position. His drop percentage increased by over 1 percent (4.5 percent to 5.7 percent), and for whatever reason, the Chargers couldn't get the ball to him more "naturally".
They threw 5 interceptions last season when targeting McConkey compared to just one during his rookie season.
There is dynamic ability with McConkey to create separation at all levels of the field and make plays after the catch, but he's now in need of a bounce-back year.
3. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
In terms of talent, Rashee Rice could be the #1 overall player on this list. In terms of his actual on-field production, availability, and reliability, he could be off the list completely.
Not only because of injuries, but off-field issues have prevented Rice from reaching his full potential at the NFL level.
In three seasons, Rice has played just 28 total games. His per-17 game average is 95 receptions for 1,091 yards and 9 touchdowns. He's been a fantastic weapon after the catch, and that's how the Chiefs like to get him the ball. They want Rice working with the ball in space, making defenders miss and breaking tackles.
He can do all of those things, but how often is he actually going to play? Is he going to be available for this team? Because of injuries and off-field issues, he's bordering on being a liability.
2. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Over the last two seasons, Courtland Sutton has had over 1,000 yards receiving and a total of 15 receiving touchdowns. He's a tremendous weapon for Bo Nix, and one of the most reliable players in the league at the position.
Still, despite the fact that he's entering this upcoming season at the age of 30 going on 31 in October, it feels like there are yet levels Sutton has not reached as a player.
Having the pressure off of Sutton with the arrival of Jaylen Waddle could provide him with a ton of one-on-one opportunities. And historically speaking, we've seen how good Sutton can be, even when he is attracting the attention typically given to the undisputed #1 receiver on a team.
How much better can he be this upcoming season? Part of the issue with the receiver position in Denver, and why they went after Waddle with such premium resources, is the fact that they have thrown 9 interceptions when throwing Sutton's direction over the last two seasons. They've had to force the ball to their top playmaker instead of getting him involved more organically.
1. Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
There is no other receiver in the AFC West this season with the level of talent and pedigree of Jaylen Waddle. Although Waddle has never made a Pro Bowl, he's been a dynamic weapon ever since getting into the NFL.
He's averaged over 1,000 yards per 17 games played and opened up his NFL career with three straight seasons of at least 1,000. He's proven himself to be equally effective as a high-volume target as well as in the big play department.
With Waddle in the mix, the Broncos have a true separator at the position and someone who can create offense. He immediately becomes the most dynamic all-around receiver in the division, and will help elevate the Broncos' offense considerably.
The only question at this point is, how quickly can he develop chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix?
Add us as a preferred source on Google