Over the next several months, the rosters of all 32 teams will begin to take shape for the 2020 season. In this series, NFL.com writers and analysts look at the best players available via free agency or the NFL draft at the following positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback, pass rusher. Today, James Jones looks at the top 10 wide receivers worth pursuing.
1) Amari Cooper, free agent
With the Dallas Cowboys focused primarily on keeping pending free agent Dak Prescott in the fold, it feels like we could see Amari Cooper hit the open market. If he does, expect teams to come running. Cooper, who's coming off the best season of his career, is a guy who would fit well in a lot of offenses. He's a big-bodied, physical No. 1 receiver and he's proven over five NFL seasons that he can be "the guy" who sparks an offense. He just needs to be on the field.
2) A.J. Green, free agent
When healthy, Green is one of the best at his position even at 32 years old (the age he'll be at the start of the 2020 season). In his last 16-game season (2017), he had 1,078 receiving yards and eight TDs. Teams in search of a WR1 would be foolish not to consider paying the seven-time Pro Bowler, especially if his recent injury history results in a lower market price than you'd expect for a player with his resume. I know some people are down on Green after he missed all of last season, but I'm confident he can still can beat any cornerback in the game.
3) Robby Anderson, free agent
Robby Anderson is known for his speed, and he made some big-boy catches for the New York Jets in 2019. Playing 91.2 percent of the offensive snaps last season, Anderson was a reliable target for Jets quarterbacks. A quarter of Anderson's 52 catches went for 20-plus yards, including two that exceeded 40 yards. The 26-year-old wideout has registered at least five receiving TDs in each of his last three seasons and could be a relatively affordable deep threat for teams looking to stretch the field.
The former Oklahoma star is widely labeled as the top receiver in this draft class, and I have to agree with that sentiment. He's far and away the best at his position. Just turn on his tape and you'll see how special he is. Lamb has the speed to run by defenders, strong hands and big-time playmaking ability.
The former Alabama wide receiver enters the draft with a lot of momentum coming off back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons. Jeudy will immediately demand respect from DBs because of his quickness off the line and top-end speed, along with his sound route running. Jeudy has the goods to be a top-10 pick and would certainly provide most offenses with Pro Bowl-caliber talent.
6) Emmanuel Sanders, free agent
Dealt at the trade deadline from Denver to San Francisco, Sanders came in and was the No. 1 receiver the Niners had been missing. His presence opened up opportunities for other playmakers, but he made plenty of big plays himself, finishing with 502 receiving yards and three TDs in 10 games with the 49ers. He's entering his 11th NFL season, but it feels like he's far from done. After seeing how he bounced back from a major injury that ended his 2018 season, expect a team to pay the veteran this offseason.
7) Nelson Agholor, free agent
Agholor has had an up-and-down career. Sometimes he's the best guy on the field and other days he has a mad case of the dropsies. In an injury-riddled 2019 campaign, the 6-foot, 198-pound wideout had 39 receptions for 363 yards (career-low 9.3 yards per catch). He has yet to put up 800 receiving yards in a season, but could provide a team with a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver when dialed in.
8) Breshad Perriman, free agent
Perriman has not lived up to his first-round draft status since entering the league in 2015, but he started to pick up some steam late in the 2019 season. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin sidelined in the final weeks of the campaign, Perriman stepped up in a big way for the Bucs, recording three consecutive 100-yard receiving games to close the season after having no such games in his first 48 career contests. Those late-season performances might give him the confidence he needs going forward.
9) Randall Cobb, free agent
Cobb, one of my former teammates in Green Bay, is a savvy veteran who can still contribute in any offense. He made some big plays for the Cowboys over the final two months of last season after building a rapport with Dak Prescott. It would make too much sense for the Cowboys to re-sign Cobb with ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthy now in town, but I'll leave that decision up to Jerry Jones.
There's always a dark horse or sleeper candidate in these lists, and Gandy-Golden is mine. Turn on his tape and you'll find the former Liberty wide receiver making splash plays left and right. The 6-4, 220-pounder helped his draft stock last month at the Reese's Senior Bowl as he turned heads with his size, agility, speed and ball skills. I know this will raise some eyebrows, but I really believe he has a chance to be the league's next Calvin Johnson.
BONUS) Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs
Watkins is a strong cut candidate this offseason due to his $21 million cap number in 2020. He has proven to be a top-notch No. 2 receiver in his two seasons in Kansas City -- he's coming off a great postseason run -- but since that price is likely too rich for the Chiefs to keep him around, I envision Watkins moving on and becoming part of a situation similar to the one-two punch in Minnesota with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.
Follow James Jones on Twitter @89JonesNTAF.
