Rankings week continues here at Action Network, and today we're unveiling our first ever Skill Position rankings.
These are the guys you know from your fantasy football leagues, but that also makes this exercise tricky because real football isn't played on spreadsheets or draft boards.
So who exactly counts for today's exercise? Let's keep it very simple: we're talking offense only, so no bonus for kick returners or special teams, and it's just everyone that's not a quarterback or offensive lineman. That means running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and anything in between like a fullback, H-back, slot receiver, etc.
Of course, not all positions are created equal. I rank RBs, WRs, and TEs separately before combining for this exercise, but receivers are worth more than half of my final composite score. The passing game is so important in modern football. In fact, I weigh tight ends about as much as running backs.
And while stars matter, depth might be even better. Show me versatility! Do you have tight ends that block and others that act as extra receivers? Can your RBs catch passes or block? How many skill players are ready to step in and make an impact when that inevitable injury happens?
Enough preamble. You get one set of weapons on a new NFL team, agnostic to contracts, scheme, or coaching — which team's skill players give you the best shot to win a Super Bowl? These are your 2025 skill position rankings for every team, from 1 to 32.
2025 NFL Skill Position Rankings
| Tier Number | Category |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | I Mean, You Remember Last Season, Right? |
| Tier 2 | As Good as Anyone When Whole |
| Tier 3 | Heavy Star Investment |
| Tier 4 | Strength In Numbers |
| Tier 5 | Saved By The Tight End |
| Tier 6 | One Huge Blind Spot |
| Tier 7 | Those Vets Have Seen Better Days |
| Tier 8 | One Star Is Better Than None |
| Tier 9 | Don't Expect Highlights |
| Betting Takeaways |
Tier 1 — I Mean, You Remember Last Season, Right?
1. Eagles (Last Year: 3)
2. Lions (Last Year: 7)
3. Ravens (Last Year: 16)
Not a lot of surprises here at the top… I mean, you did watch football last season, right?
Stars win in the NFL, and these teams are absolutely loaded.
The Eagles are an easy choice at No. 1 and would be in their own tier if health were guaranteed, but Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith have all had some injury history, and Philadelphia has precious little depth behind those three and Dallas Goedert.
Turns out stars and scrubs works pretty well if they're all healthy for the Super Bowl run, though.
How well will the Lions weapons hold up without Ben Johnson? That's the big question facing Detroit this season. Johnson helped turn Amon-Ra St. Brown into one of the NFL's elite receivers and helped Sam LaPorta make an immediate splash as a rookie tight end, and his run schemes have created gaping holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Let's see how Detroit's guys hold up without Johnson, and with a significantly downgraded offensive line too. Some of those downgrades could be offset a bit if Jameson Williams finally has the breakout many are predicting.
The Ravens don't prioritize WR as much as I'd like, but you probably don't need much of a sell on the other positions.
Derrick Henry continues to reign as king and gets plenty of help from capable backups Justice Hill and the speedy Keaton Mitchell, plus fullback Patrick Ricard. Baltimore also ranks No. 1 with a bullet at tight end, with both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely top 10 PFF grades at the position.
Even the Ravens receivers are good now. Zay Flowers has established himself as maybe the best WR1 Lamar Jackson's ever had, and DeAndre Hopkins adds depth.
Tier 2 — As Good as Anyone When Whole
4. 49ers (Last Year: 1)
5. Vikings (Last Year: 12)
6. Dolphins (Last Year: 2)
7. Buccaneers (Last Year: 21)
8. Rams (Last Year: 8)
The 49ers ranked No. 1 on my skill positions groupings a year ago in a tier all on their own, and like the other teams in this tier, they still have the firepower to get there again this season if things go right.
Christian McCaffrey looks healthy and remains as good as any RB when whole, and the 49ers get a nice boost from FB Kyle Juszczyk too. They also have the league's best tight end in George Kittle, as great a blocker as he is a pass catcher.
Does San Francisco have any other pass catchers though? Jauan Jennings looks set to break out and is an elite run blocker to boot but is dealing with preseason injuries. Sophomore Ricky Pearsall gets a fresh start after getting shot last August and mostly losing his season. And Brandon Aiyuk was quietly elite before tearing his ACL, with the No. 2 PFF grade the previous season, but will likely miss a third of the season before ramping up late.
This is a group of 49ers skill players that could lap everyone again at No. 1 if healthy — or drop into the bottom half of the ranks if injuries crop up again.
Justin Jefferson is as good as any receiver, but the Vikings are thinner behind Jefferson than you'd think, especially with Jordan Addison suspended to start the season. But Minnesota is a well-rounded set of skill players.
You already know Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson are reliable above-average veterans, but their backups are the type of depth that lock a team into this top five. Jordan Mason was an outstanding runner last season and his presence should keep Jones fresh, and Josh Oliver is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. The Vikings rank top six at tight end, one spot behind Travis Kelce and Kansas City!
Is it possible everyone has moved on a little too quickly from the Dolphins?
Miami certainly feels like it's in turmoil, and Tyreek Hill appears to be at the center of things. But on paper, the Dolphins still have an elite trio of hyperspeed weapons in Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De'Von Achane. Add in the un-retired Darren Waller in place of Jonnu Smith, and you wonder if this offense might have actually become underrated and worth investing in now.
The Bucs make a huge leap from last season, even with Chris Godwin still recovering from that gruesome ankle injury to start the season. Tampa Bay is my No. 1 receiver room when healthy. Godwin was an absolute stud before injury, and Mike Evans is terrific every year, plus now the Bucs have added elite first-round talent Emeke Egbuka.
Tampa Bay also saw elite running back production for the first season in ages when Bucky Irving broke out his rookie season. Irving is an every-down back with his pass catching ability, and he's turned Rachaad White into a useful backup too. Tampa comes at you in waves.
The Rams replace Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams, and it's not hard to see a world where Adams and Puka Nacua are the best 1-2 receiver punch in the league. Kyren Williams and sophomore Blake Corum could be quite a duo at running back too — which is perfect for as much duo as Sean McVay wants to run.
LA's biggest issue is probably just staying healthy.
Tier 3 — Heavy Star Investment
9. Bengals (Last Year: 15)
10. Falcons (Last Year: 19)
11. Seahawks (Last Year: 6)
You probably expected the Bengals way before now, and there's no need to introduce Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins.
There's no better WR pair in the league, but Cincinnati doesn't get a ton of other help. There's very little WR depth behind those two, and though Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant are recognizable fantasy names, they're one-way tight ends are are decent receivers but terrible blockers, something this team's bad offensive line may be reminded of far too often.
Chase Brown looks good and could raise this team's rating if he shows he can handle a full load, but Cincinnati is top heavy and that lack of depth could come back to haunt them.
The Falcons have invested heavily into their skill positions. Kyle Pitts probably isn't going to break out anytime soon, but Atlanta's early draft picks of Bijan Robinson and Drake London have paid off handsomely.
Atlanta does have a big three, though, and the third guy's name is Tyler Allgeier. He's quietly become the best RB2 in the league, with a top-10 PFF grade all three seasons in the league, and his presence only keeps Bijan even fresher and more valuable.
I suppose the Seahawks are a bit of a pet ranking for me. I just can't quit Seattle, slowly fading from No. 2 two years ago to No. 6 last year and now No. 11.
I'm convinced Kenneth Walker will put up a top-three RB season if he ever stays healthy, and Zach Charbonnet adds excellent depth.
And though DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are gone now, Jaxon Smith-Njibga looks ready to break out next to veteran Cooper Kupp. Kupp has finished around 50th in PFF grade among receivers in each of the last two seasons though, so between that and the injuries, we'll see if Seattle is a refresh or just a last stop.
Tier 4 — Strength In Numbers
12. Packers (Last Year: 11)
13. Texans (Last Year: 5)
14. Colts (Last Year: 23)
The Packers ranked surprisingly high in this exercise a year ago, and this is where depth kicks in, even for a team without any real stars.
Josh Jacobs has been outstanding in Green Bay but isn't quite a top tier RB difference maker, and the Packers have yet to see a receiving option emerge but they sure have a ton of options in Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Weeks, and TEs Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave.
Even with all those weapons around, Green Bay went out and invested a pair of top-three picks in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. That's just a ton of outs toward positive production, though these guys may need to actually produce this year or the Packers will finally have to slip down the rankings.
You might think Houston and Indianapolis rank this high on the strength of Nico Collins and Jonathan Taylor, but that's not the case.
Collins is a superstar, no doubt. The Texans need him to stay healthy, but they also remade the receiving room around Collins by drafting Ohio State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who already complement each other well, plus veteran slot Christian Kirk.
It's a much more rounded receiving group after all last year's injuries — though it appears those injuries might have just moved over to Houston's RB room with ongoing injuries to Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb.
The Colts ranking isn't about Taylor at all, because I actually think Taylor has fallen off mightily since his monster 2021 season. He ranked just No. 58 among RBs last year, but his dropoff has been disguised by excellent offensive line play.
But Khalil Herbert is a capable depth piece behind Taylor, and Indianapolis is flush with interesting depth up and down the roster. Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree were disappointing as lead tight ends but function as great blockers behind rookie TE Tyler Warren. Michael Pittman is a low-end WR1 but gets to play next to breakout candidate Josh Downs and speedster Adonai Mitchell plus Alec Pierce.
These teams enter the season with an open-ended straight flush draw. The pieces aren't there yet, but sometimes it's just nice to have a heap of outs and see what sticks.
Tier 5 — Saved By The Tight End
15. Cardinals (Last Year: 22)
16. Chiefs (Last Year: 9)
17. Bears (Last Year: 4)
18. Bills (Last Year: 25)
This is the tier where I remind you how much I value tight ends — just as much as the running backs.
Trey McBride is as good a receiving weapon as any tight end for the Cardinals, and James Conner has put up a top-six PFF grade in three of his last four seasons at running back.
Arizona still ranks bottom five at receiver though. Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn't as bad as it felt last season — he's a great route runner and especially good planting his foot and cutting off routes over the middle, but that's an area of the field Kyler Murray isn't really able to access with his size. The Cards haven't found much else at receiver outside of Harrison, so Arizona really needs Murray to make the connection work.
It's probably a bit jarring to see the Chiefs and Bills so low as Super Bowl contenders, and the rosters are built similarly.
Each team has one pseudo-star weapon — James Cook for Buffalo and whatever's left of Travis Kelce for Kansas City — and one underrated go-to receiver — Khalil Shakir and Rashee Rice — and otherwise just throw an absolute glut of names out there and hope Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen can make them valuable.
Can I interest you in Josh Palmer? JuJu Smith-Schuster? Elijah Moore or Marquise Brown? Curtis Samuel or Elijah Mitchell? Ten points if you know which of these two teams each guy belongs on, but either way, Mahomes and Allen have enough weapons to make it work.
That's where having a couple valuable tight ends can make a difference. Noah Gray's pass blocking next to Kelce is vital with this Chiefs line, and Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox give Buffalo two versatile pass catchers at TE.
Tight end is also why the Bears rank higher than you figured. Cole Kmet is just a guy as a lead TE, but his blocking makes him an outstanding No. 2, and top-10 rookie TE Colston Loveland is an elite receiving prospect in the mold of Sam LaPorta, a guy Ben Johnson just turned into a star at his last stop.
Chicago's running back room is a disaster, but D.J. Moore is set to bounce back after a lost season, and don't forget about last year's rookie WR investment Rome Odunze, who was so good he was being compared favorably against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.
Tier 6 — One Huge Blind Spot
19. Cowboys (Last Year: 17)
20. Chargers (Last Year: 32)
21. Jaguars (Last Year: 13)
22. Raiders (Last Year: 24)
Unfortunately, we're going to focus on the negatives in this tier, because all of these teams have one huge glaring weakness.
CeeDee Lamb can bet as good as any receiver at his best, and the Cowboys finally got him a running mate in the slightly overrated George Pickens. But Dallas is absolutely barren at RB, dead last in my rankings. Javonte Williams was never great and has been even worse since his major injury, and Miles Sanders has never done much either.
The Chargers and Jaguars have intriguing young receivers and options at RB, but both rank bottom five at tight end with no real options of note, and that's especially disappointing for two teams with poor offensive lines.
Ladd McConkey and Brian Thomas Jr. were the two best rookie WRs in the league last season, and Travis Hunter will look to fall in their footsteps, but the lack of tight ends hold these units back.
The Raiders take the caboose in this group despite all the deserving Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers hype, partly because these youngsters need to prove themselves but more because Las Vegas has a bottom five receivers room after trading Davante Adams. Jakobi Meyers is fine but not a WR1, and the cupboard is mostly bare from there.
Tier 7 — Those Vets Have Seen Better Days
23. Saints (Last Year: 20)
24. Commanders (Last Year: 28)
25. Patriots (Last Year: 29)
Alvin Kamara, Deebo Samuel, and Stefon Diggs probably would've been a killer fantasy team half a decade ago, but those vets are just rotation pieces at this stage of their careers.
Chris Olave is a top 15 receiver for the Saints when healthy but might be one more concussion away from retirement, though the Saints do have an underrated pair of tight ends in Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau.
The Commanders paid up for Deebo Samuel and now are short changing Terry McLaurin, but I fear they've gotten it backwards. Samuel has lost a step, hardly unexpected for a guy that's played like a RB much of his career amidst endless injuries, and both Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz were better around a decade ago.
Diggs could bounce back for the Patriots coming off injury, but New England needs help from its young guys to make a real splash. Rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams are intriguing and could help this unit get out of the cellar.
Tier 8 — One Star Is Better Than None
26. Steelers (Last Year: 27)
27. Jets (Last Year: 10)
28. Giants (Last Year: 31)
29. Panthers (Last Year: 26)
It's getting pretty bleak down near the bottom, but at least these teams can hang their hats on one star receiver.
The Steelers swapped out George Pickens for DK Metcalf but we'll see how he holds up in a new setting. Pittsburgh ranks bottom five at both RB and WR, but they have the deepest tight end group in the league in Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington.
Garrett Wilson hasn't fully broken out for the Jets yet but will get another chance this season because it sure isn't going to be any other pass catcher on this roster. Could Braelon Allen overtake Breece Allen at some point? He's the better runner and plays behind an intriguing young line.
You might be surprised to see the Giants ranked this low as great as Malik Nabers looked, and he certainly flashed Terrell Owens 2.0 at times. But Nabers has had ongoing injury issues, and the rest of these skill position players are horrendous across the board.
Folks are excited about rookie RB Cam Skattebo because of his play style, but it's not great when you can't even beat out last year's undrafted rookie Tyrone Tracy at the top of the depth chart.
As for the Panthers, they're just excited to be included in the one-star group. Carolina has an underrated RB duo in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, and guys like Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker are solid receiving depth, but the Panthers badly need rookie WR Tet McMillan to blossom into a star to hit any semblance of a ceiling offensively.
Tier 9 — Don't Expect Highlights
30. Browns (Last Year: 18)
31. Broncos (Last Year: 30)
32. Titans (Last Year: 14)
If you're a fan of one of these AFC teams, thank your lucky stars for NFL RedZone. At least you can see some highlights from other teams.
The Browns running back room is running on fumes, and the receivers are basically just leftovers other teams didn't want in Jerry Jeudy and Diontae Johnson. Cleveland might actually just be tanking.
There's a path for the Broncos to get out of this group, but it probably involves rookie RJ Harvey exploding on the scene a la Bucky Irving for Tampa bay last year. The other weapons just aren't that inspiring. Courtland Sutton has never graded as a real WR1 at PFF, and Evan Engram is just above average and not enough to move the needle.
And then there's the Titans, who are just praying Calvin Ridley stays healthy and are already dismayed at a Tyjae Spears preseason injury, and if that doesn't paint a picture, I'm not sure what will. Sorry Cam Ward. You'll have to wait for some new toys next year.
5 Key Takeaways for Bettors
- There probably aren't many surprises toward the top of the list! Skill wins in the NFL, so the top skill positions are the teams everyone already knows are good.
- Unlike quarterbacks, the NFC rules the skill position rankings. The top two teams are in the NFC, and so are six of the top eight and nine of the top 12. And that's no coincidence! The AFC has the top five QBs — the NFC is using all that extra money it's not spending on superstar QBs on all these star weapons.
- The top five Super Bowl contenders in order of odds are Baltimore, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Detroit. Three of those teams were the first three in today's weapons rankings. The other two were right at league average, and that's exactly why Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are so valuable… though it does make their teams significantly more vulnerable too.
- Be careful about trusting the Commanders, Steelers, and Broncos to run it back and make it back to the playoffs. All three teams rank bottom 10 in skill positions, and only Washington has a star QB with the ability to go win a game on his own. We saw just last year what happened when Denver and Pittsburgh got to the playoffs and didn't have a QB or playmakers who could create offense at the highest level.
- Look at those bottom five teams again: Giants, Panthers, Browns, Broncos, and Titans. These teams are all expected to give significant time to a young quarterback this season. Jaxson Dart, Bryce Young, Shedeur Sanders, Bo Nix, and Cam Ward sure aren't getting much help. It's tough to look good as a young QB without any skill players to make you look good on the easy stuff!
