I was one of the more bullish rankers of Jaxon Smith-Njigba heading into the season, and his Week 1 performance surpassed even my expectations for the Seahawks’ WR1. He finished with 13 targets on the day, a league-best 54.2% target share, converting 9 into catches for 124 yards. New Offensive Coordinator, Klint Kubiak, is clearly looking to push JSN vertically this season as his average depth of target jumped from 8.7 in 2024 to 13.7, and his 178 air yards are the 2nd most in the league. Smith-Njigba draws a somewhat difficult matchup against the Steelers’ secondary this week, but that should be offset by an uptick in pass attempts as the Seahawks project to be trailing in this game. He’s inside my Top 10 this week. –Eric Romoff
DK Metcalf‘s Steelers debut wasn’t anything flashy, finishing with 4 catches for 83 yards on 7 targets, but it was very promising as proof of concept. Concerns about an aging Aaron Rodgers‘ ability to move the ball through the air and Arthur Smith’s run-centric game plan were quelled as the Steelers dropped back to throw on 65.4% of their plays. More promising still is the way in which they used their newly acquired lead receiver. Rodgers, as has become his calling card, was able to place his passes in the perfect spot to let DK run after the catch, and his 68 yards after catch are currently 2nd among receivers. Week 1 is cause for optimism about how the two new Steelers will navigate the 2025 season, and I have Metcalf ranked as my WR21 heading into a revenge game against Seattle in Week 2. –Eric Romoff
The Year-2 breakout is off to a great start for Keon Coleman. The 33rd overall selection from last year’s class soldiered through an injury-plagued rookie season that gave him little opportunity to build momentum. After an off-season of glowing reviews in camp, the Bills came out of the gate with getting Coleman involved as a clear priority. Coleman’s route participation ballooned up to 93.4% – the 4th-highest in the league – and Joe Brady was finding ways to get him the ball, as evidenced by Coleman’s 7 first-read targets on the day. The big-bodied Coleman took advantage of his additional opportunity to the tune of an 8/112/1 outing, enough to finish the week as the WR2 in Week 1. Small sample sizes are tricky and I’d expect there to be less passing for the Bills this week against the Jets but Keon Coleman’s Week 1 performance has bought him a ticket up to the #32 spot in my rankings. –Eric Romoff
When the Panthers drafted Tetairoa McMillan with the 8th overall pick in this year’s class, it was clear that they intended for him to step in as the offense’s primary target from day 1. While he was clearly the priority for targets from Bryce Young, McMillan did not perform up to the level that his draft capital might suggest. He led the team with 9 targets but was only able to haul in 55% of them and struggled to create separation, getting open on only 33% of his routes. He’ll face a tough test in Week 2 against another rookie, Will Johnson of the Cardinals. Johnson is fresh off of a Week 1 performance that earned him the 2nd-highest rating among cornerbacks. This all culminates in Tet settling in on the cusp of WR3 territory this week, as WR23 overall. –Eric Romoff