Throughout most of the 105-year history of the National Football League, the ground game was king. But over the last few decades, and with rule changes undoubtedly helping this shift, the air game has taken center stage. A trickle-down effect has also made passing a priority in college and high school football.
The 2024 NFL season saw quarterbacks complete 65.3 percent of pass attempts, the highest rate ever.
With that type of efficiency, the passing game isn’t going anywhere, and that was evident in 2025 draft. Just six running backs were selected within the first 100 picks, while 13 wide receivers were taken in that range. While many of these rookie wideouts will pair with proven veteran receivers, do those tandems crack the top receiver duos currently in the NFL? Here are the best five wideout duos, ahead of teams beginning OTAs on May 19.
5. Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
Both players’ numbers dipped last year as Tua Tagovailoa missed five games, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of wideout teammates who fit into a system better than Hill and Waddle do with Mike McDaniel’s offensive philosophy. It emphasizes pre-snap motion, raw speed and explosive plays, with dynamicism being the key element that Hill and Waddle bring to the table. However, one has to wonder how long this pairing will last. Hill infamously requested a trade at the end of last season, was involved in a domestic dispute in April, and has undergone two wrist surgeries this offseason.4. Dallas Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
The newest entry on this list is also the youngest after Dallas traded for the 24-year-old Pickens, from Pittsburgh, to pair him with the 26-year-old Lamb. Pickens is a much-needed addition to take some of the load off Lamb, who despite not having a fellow Cowboys wideout reach 700 yards in each of the past three season, still leads the NFL in receptions over that span. He was frequently getting double-teamed but still producing.Pickens, arguably the league’s best deep threat, is the perfect complimentary piece for Lamb. He led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2023, then had a league-high 12 catches of 30-plus air yards in 2024 despite missing three games.
3. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
During the 2024 season, Cincy’s quarterbacks had a 119.5 passer rating when targeting Higgins, with Chase right behind him at 118.9. That made them one of two wideout teammates to rank in the top 12 in QB rating when targeted, with the other duo occupying the No. 1 spot on this list. They, along with Joe Burrow, were essentially the Bengals’ offense as the team ranked 30th in both rush attempts and rush yards.Chase became the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to win the Receiving Triple Crown by leading the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17). As for Higgins, despite missing five games, he set a career high with 10 touchdowns and was one catch shy of tying his career high in receptions. This duo is so in sync with each other that they even signed $100 million-plus contract extensions on the same day in March.
2. Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua and Davante Adams
The Rams replaced one veteran wideout with another by acquiring Adams to fill the role of the departed Cooper Kupp. In his age-32 season last year, Adams turned back the clock a bit in splitting time between Las Vegas and New York. He’s never been known as much of a run-after-catch player, but his 5.6 YAC per reception were his most since the stat has been tracked (2018). He also surpassed 100 touchdown receptions in 2024, which moved him into the all-time top 10 list.Adams will have to turn back the clock again this season, to 2016, the last time he wasn’t the clear No. 1 option on a team. That honor goes to Nacua, who ranked third in receiving yards per game last year. While Adams rediscovered his yards-after-catch ability in 2024, Nacua provides yards after contact. His 10 broken tackles were the third-most among wideouts a year ago, while his one dropped pass was the fewest among the 32 players with at least 70 receptions.
1. Philadelphia Eagles: A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith
Since Brown joined the Eagles in 2022, the two have combined to average 2,375 receiving yards and 15.7 touchdowns per season. That’s despite playing in the most run-heavy offense in the league. No team has run the ball more than Philly over the last three seasons. Brown is the rare, physical downfield threat who also has sure hands—he didn’t record a single dropped pass last year. Smith is the silky, smooth intermediate wideout and one of the best route runners in the game.
A bonus for the Eagles’ offense is that both are willing and capable run blockers. Saquon Barkley doesn’t reach 2,000 rushing yards without the receivers’ blocks allowing 10-yard gains to become 50-yard gains. One could only wonder what types of receiving stats they would put up if they played in a pass-friendly offense, which is something every other duo on this list is afforded the luxury of.
