Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 2 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 2 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Las Vegas Raiders

BALTIMORE RAVENS WIDE RECEIVERS

With Jack Jones on the right side and Nate Hobbs on the left or slot when applicable, Jakorian Bennett appears to be the third corner in nickel formations, replacing Hobbs on the left. Bennett struggled as a rookie but is super athletic, so it wouldn't be surprising if this trio turned out to be a solid one this year. Jones is skinny and more springy than fast, and he has easy instincts to jump routes on the underneath. Given that the Ravens willingly went into this year with no personnel capable of regularly posing a threat more than 10 yards downfield, Jones could be a real problem for them. Hobbs is a more complete player yet. Zay Flowers rarely advances downfield in this offense, which probably has Jones excited for this matchup, especially if the Ravens are going to continue giving nearly all of the slot snaps to tight end Isaiah Likely. Flowers and Likely both need the slot, and the one stuck outside is basically asked to do something they are not good at. Rashod Bateman is miscast as a downfield specialist in this offense, again, and the results won't be any better than the last time.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Davante Adams might or might not get a special assignment from Marlon Humphrey, who has a history of taking on some shadow assignments but not much recently. If Nate Wiggins (neck) is unavailable then the Ravens will have to play Jalyn Armour-Davis more than they'd prefer, and he would definitely be the easiest target between himself, Humphrey and Brandon Stephens. It's probably a tough matchup for Adams and Jakobi Meyers, though arguably it remains the case that the bigger limiting factor might be the quarterback play.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers

Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

CAROLINA PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Saints defense might be good, but it's not good enough to come close to rationalizing how bad Bryce Young was in Week 1. The Chargers corners are not very good – there's no reason a group of Asante Samuel, Kristian Fulton and Ja'Sir Taylor should be able to stand up to Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette, Legette in particular is a challenging matchup for guys like Samuel and Fulton, who are squatty corners built to face forward more than they are to turn and run against plus speed.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Xavier Legette, Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Ladd McConkey mostly played in the slot in Week 1, with Joshua Palmer and especially Quentin Johnston trending toward the boundary. Whoever avoids Jaycee Horn probably has the best matchup on the play – the remaining corners of Michael Jackson and Troy Hill is not impressive – and if McConkey is in the slot he might be able to see Hill more than Horn. Johnston against Horn is probably a no-go, and even Palmer would project much better against Jackson than Horn. There should be opportunity here but it's not easy to guess where it will be.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ladd McConkey, Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston

Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints

DALLAS COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVERS

Marshon Lattimore (right) and Paulson Adebo (left) make a uniquely formidable pair of boundary corners, to the point that the Saints might not bother trying to match Lattimore against CeeDee Lamb specifically. Dallas often moves Lamb into the slot, or wherever he might need to move to get the favorable matchup, so in this game it would make sense if Dallas tried to keep Lamb in the slot against Alontae Taylor. If Lattimore can't play through his hip and hamstring injuries then it would make the matchup better yet for Lamb et al., because it would force rookie Kool Aid McKinstry onto the field in Lattimore's place, likely making the boundary easier to beat than with Lattimore present. Brandin Cooks might take a step forward in his second year with Dallas, and the revenge narrative here is tempting, especially if New Orleans sells out its scheme to focus on Lamb. Jalen Tolbert probably needs someone to slip or botch their zone handoff to get open against corners like these, on the other hand.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jalen Tolbert
Even: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are too much to cover downfield for Trevon Diggs and Caelen Carson, but Dallas doesn't really put their corners in that position anyway. With a lot of downward-crashing coverages and a lively pass rush, playing corner for Dallas is almost more like playing for the Monte Kiffin Tampa defenses than almost any other modern defense. To beat this defense the dubious New Orleans offensive line needs to hold up to the pass rush, and there's no real reason to think they will. Then again, if Dallas somehow fails to get to Derek Carr then Olave/Shaheed will break ankles downfield.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed

Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

DETROIT LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS

Amon-Ra St. Brown will almost certainly bounce back here, and that would be true regardless of who the opponent was. His main matchup here seems to be Christian Izien, who might be a fine player but to no consequence here. Jamel Dean is a solid sideline-oriented boundary corner on one side, but Zyon McCollum is dubious on the other side. Jameson Williams probably can't get vertical against Dean without a double move, but laterally Williams is probably too much for these corners. With star safety Antoine Winfield (foot) out this is a good setup for the Detroit passing game.

Upgrade: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEEERS WIDE RECEIVERS

The usage should be somewhat favorable for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin if only because of how the stout Detroit run defense can encourage teams to take to the air, and so for that reason this should be a good game setup for the standout receiver duo. With that said, the matchup might not be that great, because the Detroit corner rotation is much improved from last year. Carlton Davis probably wants to shadow Evans but more likely is Davis will defend the left side while Terrion Arnold lines up on the right, with Brian Branch the primary slot defender. Branch would seem the be the most common opponent for Godwin, who played more in the slot in Week 1 than he did in 2023. Jalen McMillan is a bit of a wildcard, but the rookie third-round pick appears to be the flanker opposite Evans in most three-wide looks. That means McMillan should mostly see Davis and Arnold – two players more easily beaten by Evans.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan

Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts

GREEN BAY PACKERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Well this sucks. The Packers passing game should have been in a good spot here – the Colts corner rotation is one of the worst in the league, especially now that CB1 JuJu Brents is out for the year. With Malik Willis at quarterback, though, it's possible that the Packers can't throw against any NFL defense at the moment.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Michael Pittman was rapidly targeted in Week 1 but could only reel in four of his eight targets, so he's due for some improvement in his catch rate. That should happen here even if Pittman sees a lot of Jaire Alexander – Alexander is very good but Pittman doesn't need to get open to reel in catches with such a major build advantage. Eric Stokes or slot man Keisean Nixon would be more easily beaten yet. Stokes and Nixon both need to be careful in this game, because all of Pittman, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell have clear big-play ability, and Shane Steichen moves everyone around a good amount.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce (arguable upgrade if Alexander shadows Pittman), Adonai Mitchell (see Pierce)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Jaguars had all kinds of advantages over the Miami defense in Week 1, yet Press Taylor and Doug Pederson managed to make nothing out of it. This matchup is much tougher. The Browns probably have the best three-man corner rotation in the NFL between Greg Newsome, Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson, and when you factor in the incompetence of the Jaguars coaches it's difficult to imagine much more than 75 cents of production returns for every dollar of talent the Jaguars pose. Christian Kirk will probably see a lot of Newsome, which isn't what Kirk needs after a disappointing Week 1. Ward lines up on the left, and Emerson on the right otherwise in nickel looks. Brian Thomas has a major reach advantage over Ward, and a speed advantage over Emerson, though Ward can match Thomas' speed and Emerson can match his build. Gabe Davis doesn't really have any advantages over these corners, except he's bigger than Ward.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis
Even: Brian Thomas

CLEVELAND BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS

As bad as the Jaguars offense has it way Taylor/Pederson, at least they don't have to deal with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. It's difficult to project the fantasy viability even of dominant wideouts like Amari Cooper when the entire offense is at risk of collapse due to the quarterback. Cooper might face a challenge against Tyson Campbell, but Cooper has beaten better and players like Ronald Darby and Darnell Savage probably can't stand up much to Cooper. Jerry Jeudy can probably beat these guys too, but with the same caveats as in Cooper's case.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers

MINNESOTA VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS

Justin Jefferson will definitely see easier matchups this year, but even a corner as good as Charvarius Ward doesn't move the needle for Jefferson. In fact, there probably isn't a single corner who does. For Jefferson to disappoint in a given game requires a variety of unlikely outcomes occurring at once, but the most easily understood way would be the pass rush hitting the quarterback before Jefferson runs his route. That might or might not be an issue against the 49ers. San Francisco has a lively pass rush, of course, but if the Vikings offensive line is built for anything it's clearly pass blocking. Jordan Addison smoked Ward last year after Jefferson left the game with an injury, but Addison's ankle issues threaten to keep him out here. Jalen Nailor is interesting but he doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt against guys like Deommodore Lenoir or Renardo Green. Brandon Powell should not be on an NFL roster, but maybe the 49ers will forget to cover him.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell
Even: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers WIDE RECEIVERS

Is the Vikings defense good, or is Daniel Jones bad? One seems more likely than the other, and the 49ers offense is too much for most good defenses, anyway. Brandon Aiyuk will torch the likes of Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin with ease if they have to cover him for so many as three seconds, and even the relatively distinguished Byron Murphy is probably subject to the same rule. Deebo Samuel is set up well here but the Vikings probably crash downward better than they turn and run, so this might be a little bit more of an Aiyuk game. The answer being 'both' would make just as much sense, though.

Upgrade: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS

DeMario Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk are good players, but if the Patriots are throwing for only 121 yards per week then it doesn't matter who the receivers are or who they're playing against. Polk might be able to bully a corner like Tre Brown a little bit, but it's unlikely anyone gets going against Riq Woolen and Douglas will likely struggle against Devon Witherspoon.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS

Just like Patrick Surtain last week, Christian Gonzalez is potentially a major foil to D.K. Metcalf. Metcalf struggles when he faces corners who can match his build and speed, which he normally relies on for an advantage. Gonzalez and Surtain match those traits. Meanwhile, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba both have tough matchups in their own right against Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones. The Seahawks wideouts are formidable talents, especially Metcalf and Lockett, but if they produce here it would probably involve some amount of luck.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: D.K. Metcalf (arguably Even if not shadowed by Gonzalez)
Even: Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets

TENNESSEE TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS

In the past the Jets would generally line up Sauce Gardner on the left side and D.J. Reed on the right, but the duo switched up a little more in Week 1 than they have in the past. No real matter either way – the Jets corner rotation presents as strong no matter who lines up on which side, because each formation design has the full field in mind and all weak spots are anticipated + accounted for. Calvin Ridley can probably lose Gardner in a true one-on-one situation, but the Jets will probably just take measures to make sure that doesn't happen. Meanwhile, Ridley is unlikely to do well with the physicality of the Jets corners. DeAndre Hopkins doesn't need to get open to make a play, which is good because he probably won't be open here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd
Even: DeAndre Hopkins

NEW YORK JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Garrett Wilson is a candidate to see shadow coverage from L'Jarius Sneed, to uncertain effect. Wilson is likely a better receiver than Sneed is a corner, and it's unlikely that the other Jets targets will get open any easier. Allen Lazard is unlikely to get much going against Chidobe Awuzie or Roger McCreary, nor are Mike Williams or Xavier Gipson. To me that sets up for a scenario where the jets just end up that much more dependent on Wilson, even if his own matchup is less than great.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mike Williams

Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jayden Daniels for whatever reason showed a complete inability to throw the ball in Week 1, and that's despite the Tampa defense being less than great. Given that, it's difficult to assess the opportunity level for an otherwise excellent player like Terry McLaurin. There's little or no reason to think the Giants corners can cover McLaurin, but that was even more true about the Buccaneers. Daniels can only make two throws consistently: screens, and corner shots on the boundary. If you cut off the second he's only left with the first, as was the case in Week 1.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Terry McLaurin

NEW YORK GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Malik Nabers (knee) can play here then he has an excellent matchup. The Washington defense is one of the league's worst, with poor corner personnel compounded by the near absence of any edge rush. Daniel Jones is horrible but even he can't possibly have two bad games against two bad defenses two weeks in a row, right? Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt would also project well, especially Robinson. If Darius Slayton (concussion) can play then he's probably an improvement over Hyatt. Watch for Nabers/Robinson to target the lanky Benjamin St-Juste in particular.

Upgrade: Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams

ARIZONA CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS

Marvin Harrison ought to get going here, both just in general and because the matchup suits it. Cobie Durant (toe) might be the top Rams corner at the moment, but even his availability isn't certain. TreDavious White either lost something or is still working his way back from last year's Achilles' tendon tear. Harrison and Michael Wilson should get going a bit here, and Greg Dortch might see his opportunities wane as a result if so.

Upgrade: Marvin Harrison
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch

LOS ANGELES RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

Cooper Kupp is going to get monstrous usage in this game, even if guys like Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson or Jordan Whittington step up. It's possible that the Arizona defense is vaguely prepared for the task, but they're still figuring out their defensive personnel on a unit that has seen a lot of turnover. Sean Murphy-Bunting is probably the top corner at the moment, but Kupp can easily avoid him while instead going after the likes of Garrett Williams in the slot.

Upgrade: Cooper Kupp
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Bengals defense might turn out respectable in 2024 after a down year in 2023, but it's difficult to tell what they're made of after facing a New England offense that barely made any attempt to throw the ball in Week 1. Cam Taylor-Britt is a tough boundary corner on one side, but Dax Hill on the other is an experiment with an uncertain ending. Hill was a safety out of Michigan and initially in the NFL, but at around 190 pounds he was always small even by corner standards. Mike Hilton is a good slot defender but he's more of a rugged all-purpose type than a strong cover threat specifically. Rashee Rice will need to match Hilton's fire, but the fact is motor is the only thing Hilton has going for him against a receiver much bigger and more athletic than him. Hilton can probably limit Rice's yards-after-the-catch, but he might not be able to stop Rice from getting open. Xavier Worthy is dangerous as a constant rule, but it's still not entirely obvious where he has an advantage here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson

CINCINNATI BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS

Ja'Marr Chase figures to get the shadow treatment from Trent McDuffie, if only because McDuffie is so much better than the other present Chiefs corners. The Chiefs subtracted L'Jarius Sneed in the offseason and never replaced him, so guys like Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams just moved up one spot on the depth chart, and mostly on the boundary. If Chase somehow gets cracks at those two then he's probably getting open, and even McDuffie is a corner Chase should be able to overrule. The other Cincinnati wideouts are less reliable. Andrei Iosivas is likely overexposed as a WR2 in the absence of Tee Higgins, but the usage should be there. Trenton Irwin does his job, but he can't really do much more than work the chains.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase (arguable upgrade if not shadowed by McDuffie), Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin

Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

DENVER BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS

Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and De'Vaughn Vele are apparently the three-wide loadout for this ridiculously impotent offense. Sean Payton might have been surprised at how badly Week 1 turned out, but an offense this slow and condensed is every bit as impractical and archaic as the wishbone would be. Not just that, but the Steelers defense could very well be one of the most ferocious in the NFL. Good luck.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, De'Vaughn Vele
Even: N/A

PITTSBURGH STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS

George Pickens doesn't fear any corner, but he's going to get the constant Patrick Surtain treatment in this one. It's not a great setup for Pickens, even as fearsome as he can be at times. Surtain matches and exceeds all of Pickens' athletic traits, and the jumpballs where Pickens is so dangerous are looks where Surtain is one of the most capable league defenders. The volume should be there for Pickens since the other route runners in this offense basically don't exist, but efficiency probably won't be in Pickens' favor here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: George Pickens (arguable downgrade – needs volume to offset inefficiency)

Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears

HOUSTON TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Nico Collins is truly beastly in this offense, to the point that even the highly capable duo of Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs look somewhat lesser despite their own abilities to take over a game. It's not obvious how any defense is supposed to deal with all of these threats at once. The Bears defense is quite good overall and is about as well-stocked as a defense can be to deal with these players, but in Houston in particular it's not looking great for whoever faces these Texans. Jaylon Johnson might try to shadow Collins but it's Collins who holds the advantage even so. Kyler Gordon would usually get left with Diggs if Johnson is on Collins. Dell is emerging as a boundary specialist in three-wide looks rather than a slot receiver, so if Johnson is on Collins and Gordon is on Diggs it would seemingly leave Dell to run most of his routes against Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson might be good, but he's a bit tall and heavy-footed to have to mirror Dell.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell (arguable upgrade if Johnson shadows Collins)

CHICAGO BEARS WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Moore and the Bears offense had a rough Week 1, and things won't necessarily get better in this road game against a tough Houston squad. But given that the Texans should force the Bears to throw the ball, and given Moore's own talent, there's reason to like his setup for a bounce-back here. If Keenan Allen (heel) and Rome Odunze (knee) are out here then the Bears might need Tyler Scott to play as WR2, which probably isn't great, but at least Scott has the speed to burn by corners like Kamari Lassiter and Myles Bryant.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WIDE RECEIVERS

If AJ Terrell shadows A.J. Brown then the results probably won't reward Atlanta for it. Then again, DeVonta Smith can probably get the better of Terrell, too. If Terrell is the clear CB1 in Atlanta and if either of Brown or Smith can beat him, then it's not obvious where the Falcons coverage will draw its strength from here. Even with great safety play, it's tough to deal with these receivers if you have these corners in combination with a pass rush as weak as Atlanta's. Mike Hughes in particular is a corner who probably shouldn't be on the field.

Upgrade: AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ATLANTA FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS

What year is it? The Falcons have good pass catchers but their quarterback is absolutely killing them. To be fair to Kirk Cousins, he has the excuse of being a 36-year-old quarterback trying to return from a mid-season Achilles' tendon tear, but then again the results from Week 1 were completely unacceptable. The Falcons were unable or unwilling to run a real NFL offense, seemingly to keep Cousins locked into place, and the results were as bad as one would expect knowing those details. Drake London can smoke these corners and even Darnell Mooney can probably twist up a linear corner like Kelee Ringo, but it might not matter if the Falcons are running the exact same drops with the exact same timing every play.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London, Darnell Mooney