Most fans and analysts would agree that Garrett Wilson is the New York Jets’ best player.
But where does he rank among the league’s best wide receivers?
It continues to be a polarizing question. Wilson’s excellence is difficult to quantify due to the challenging situations he has endured throughout his four-year NFL career.
Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily are the latest analysts to take a crack at ranking Wilson among the league’s top receivers.
In their ranking of the top 32 wide receivers they would want most for 2026, Tice and Rosenthal placed Wilson inside the top 15:
- Justin Jefferson, Vikings
- Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
- Puka Nacua, Rams
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks
- Nico Collins, Texans
- CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
- Drake London, Falcons
- A.J. Brown, Patriots
- DeVonta Smith, Eagles
- Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers
- George Pickens, Cowboys
- Chris Olave, Saints
- Garrett Wilson, Jets
- Tee Higgins, Bengals
This is a list that many Jets fans are likely to take issue with, particularly because of the players ranked immediately above Wilson.
Statistically speaking, Wilson’s ranking can be justified. His career average of 62.8 receiving yards per game is below that of his college teammate, Chris Olave, who has averaged 67.8 yards per game with the Saints. Even George Pickens (65.7) has Wilson beat in that category.
However, Olave and Pickens have enjoyed better quarterbacking in their careers than Wilson. Can Wilson’s statistics actually be used as a true indicator of his talent when he has caught his passes from the likes of Zach Wilson and Justin Fields?
Based on the eye test, if Wilson and Pickens swapped places last year, it’s easy to see Wilson surpassing Pickens’ production in Dallas, and Pickens falling short of Wilson’s production in New York.
The Jets hope that Geno Smith is finally the right quarterback to unlock Wilson’s potential, especially in the deep part of the field, where Wilson’s lack of production has been astounding. Even if Smith is not an elite quarterback who will help Wilson reach the peak potential of his productivity, he is capable of at least being a league-average starter, which is a luxury Wilson has yet to enjoy.
And league-average quarterbacking might be all Wilson needs to finally show the world how much of a game-changer he really is.
