2021 NFC North Receiving Corps Rankings

Which NFC North team has the best group of wide receivers?

Training camp is a mere 10 days away for the Detroit Lions, with it opening up July 31 at the team's practice facility in Allen Park. 

As it's been said here at SI All Lions and across many other websites and news outlets throughout the offseason, the Lions will have one of the NFL's weakest receiving corps entering the 2021 season. 

However, do they have the weakest group of receivers in the NFC North?  

Let's take a closer look now at the rest of the division to see where Detroit ranks at the position. 

4.) Detroit Lions 

The Lions have the weakest receivers group of the four NFC North teams, with no clear-cut No. 1. 

Sure, Tyrell Williams has proven to be a reliable receiver during his career, and could emerge as Detroit's go-to WR as the season progresses. 

However, he didn't play a single down in 2020, and hasn't put up north of 700 yards since 2017 with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

With not a lot of quality depth behind Williams, either, it's pretty obvious to me that the Lions have the weakest roster of wideouts in the NFC North going into training camp. 

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© Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

3.) Chicago Bears 

When it comes to the position of receiver in the Windy City, it's Allen Robinson and then everybody else. 

Sure, Robinson is great and all, and he has put up two straight 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. 

So, there's no doubting the fact that he's a bonafide No. 1 wideout. However, the depth behind him isn't very expansive. 

It's why I've got the Bears at No. 3 in my NFC North receiver rankings. 

2.) Green Bay Packers

Davante Adams leads the way in the Packers' receivers room. 

The 28-year-old, who is one of the best wideouts in the game today, has made four straight Pro Bowls, and was named first-team All-Pro in 2020. 

He finished with a career-high 115 receptions for 1,374 yards and a career-best 18 touchdowns in 14 games a year ago. 

Green Bay also has a rather solid batch of receivers behind him, with Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.  

Whoever's throwing passes for the Packers this season -- whether it's Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love -- won't have any room to complain about the team's WR depth. 

1.) Minnesota Vikings 

The best one-two punch at receiver in the NFC North belongs to the Vikings, with veteran Adam Thielen and second-year pro Justin Jefferson. 

Both are very capable of being No. 1 wideouts. 

Thielen posted 925 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 2020, while Jefferson, as a rookie, amassed 1,400 yards and seven scores. 

Sure, it can be argued that the Packers have better depth at the position. 

However, Thielen and Jefferson are one of the most explosive receiving duos in the league. It's why I had to place Minnesota ahead of Green Bay in my NFC North WR rankings.

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Published
Vito Chirco
VITO CHIRCO

Vito has covered the NFL and the Detroit Lions for the past five years.  Has extensive reporting history of college athletics, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Mercy Athletics.  Chirco's work include NFL columns, analyzing potential Detroit Lions prospects coming out of college, NFL draft coverage and analysis of events occurring in the NFL.  Extensive broadcasting experience including hosting a Detroit Tigers podcast and co-hosting a Detroit Lions NFL podcast since 2019.