ESPN analyst's recent declaration involving the Chicago Bears might be wildest yet
No. 2: Minnesota Vikings
This was a tough decision and it's probably likely that my Bear Goggles are on too tight. However, there are reasons why I am putting the Chicago Bears first and the Vikings second. Let's look into the Vikings roster and then I'll explain why Chicago tops them this season.
Depth Chart:
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Jalen Nailor
WR4: Brandon Powell
WR5: Trishton Jackson
WR6: Trent Sherfield, Sr.
TE1: TJ Hockenson
TE2: Robert Tonyan
TE3: Josh Oliver
Justin Jefferson
Honestly, I don't think there is anything worth writing about here. Jefferson is easily the best wide receiver in the division. Enough said.
Jordan Addison
Anyone who thinks Jordan Addison isn't a good receiver needs to check themselves.
Addison finished with 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie season. I would take him over any of the receivers in Green Bay and I'd take him over Jameson Williams too. Addison was my WR1 for most of the offseason leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, but I moved Jaxon Smith-Njigba ahead of him after the Combine (same tier). That was my mistake.
TJ Hockenson
Hockenson is the second-best tight end in the division behind Sam LaPorta. He shined in Minnesota after not living up to his hype while in Detroit. It will be interesting to see how he does without Kirk Cousins, but he is a massive receiving threat. Last year he was second on the team with 960 receiving yards. He also grabbed five touchdowns.
The Rest
The fact that I have nothing to add here outside of maybe Robert Tonyan being a below-average backup tight end tells you why the Vikings are not in the driver's seat of these wide receiver rankings.
Final Thoughts
I agree with Dan Orlovsky that Justin Jefferson deserves to be the reason a curve is put on the grades of each of the other receivers. However, even with that extra boost, the team doesn't have anyone of note behind its top three receiving options. Since the purpose of this article is to prove why Green Bay doesn't deserve the top spot, let's make a quick comparison. Despite a lack of depth, the top three receiving options combined for more receiving yards than Green Bay's top five receiving threats. The downside of course is that they will likely struggle more without Kirk Cousins.