Ja'Marr Chase holds the crown as the NFL's top WR, but three challengers are circling his throne

Sensational Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase won the prestigious 'triple crown' title in 2024 after leading all receivers in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

The dangerous Joe Burrow-to-Chase connection keeps the reigning champ firmly in the mix to lead the league again as the top wide receiver. But with no wideout ever winning back-to-back receiving titles since Calvin Johnson achieved the feat in 2012, it opens the door for someone new to rise.

So, who’s next in line to be the NFL’s most productive pass-catcher in 2025?

DAZN News weighs up the chances that one of the following three challengers could inherit Chase's throne, before delivering a final prediction for who is going to be the league's best WR in 2025.

Contender 1: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

'Jettas' is the rare example of a player who has dominated from his very first year in the league. He's topped 1,000 yards - once the benchmark figure used to separate the best from the rest - in each of his five years in the league.

The 26-year-old's defining moment came in his least productive year in 2023 when, despite missing the best part of eight games and catching passes from career backup Joshua Dobbs, he still managed to post a 68-1074-5 receiving line.

Jefferson undoubtedly has the talent to lay claim to the title of the NFL's best receiver, but his odds of usurping Chase took a hit when the Vikings parted ways with quarterback Sam Darnold. The 28-year-old signal-caller left the Vikings after a string of subpar performances in the postseason, but before that, he enjoyed a career renaissance season, finishing fifth in passing yards and touchdowns.

Former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy is set to take up the mantle and lead the Vikings' passing attack in 2025, but he's never thrown a pass in a competitive NFL game and will surely endure some early-career struggles.

Jefferson has proven he can be quarterback-proof to a certain extent, but performing well - and performing better than any other wide receiver in the league are two very different things.

Contender 2: CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

In 2023, Lamb led the league in receptions and came within 50 yards and one touchdown of earning a triple crown. His quarterback that year was Dak Prescott, who, when not missing time due to injuries, had finished no lower than 6th among all signal-callers in passing yards and touchdowns every year since 2019.

Prescott suffered a hamstring injury last year, which cost him the final eight games of the season. In his absence, Lamb caught passes from Cooper Rush, who averaged only 210 yards passing per game, some 54 yards per game fewer than Prescott managed before his season was cut short.

The good news for Lamb? Prescott is healthy and ready to reprise his role as the Cowboys' quarterback , rekindling a partnership that has been so dangerous in years past.

Those who doubt Lamb's potential to become the league's best in 2025 might point to Dallas' offensive coordinator change or the added competition for targets after the Cowboys acquired George Pickens in a trade with the Steelers. Those cynics should be reminded of two things.

Firstly, the offensive coordinator who architected Lamb's best year, Brian Schottenheimer, is now the head coach. He will still be calling plays,  has a great relationship with Prescott, and will almost certainly help his 31-year-old quarterback return to his former best.

Secondly, while Lamb can and will serve as the focal point for the Cowboys' aerial attack, he has performed at his best when Dallas has a capable complement in the receiving game. Lamb has thrived despite playing alongside Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper, and Brandin Cooks throughout his career. The presence of Pickens will help to draw double coverage away from Lamb.

Contender 3: Malik Nabers, New York Giants

The third choice was a close tie between four players: Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams' wideout Puka Nacua, Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr, and Nabers. While all four players have a realistic shot to become the most productive wide receiver in 2025, Nabers deserved the nod.

One of the differentiators between Nabers and the rest is the presence of Brian Daboll, the Giants' head coach. He took over play calling duties in 2024, and New York finished seventh among all teams in passing play percentage .

Granted, the Giants were behind in several games, which led to an increase in passing frequency, but the same could be said of Thomas Jr's Jaguars, and Thomas may not dominate targets now that Travis Hunter is in town.

Nabers' talent was also a factor in this decision. Drafted sixth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, the former LSU phenom took the transition to the NFL in his stride, setting records by amassing 109 receptions for 1229 yards and seven touchdowns.

Here's how he did it.

What's particularly impressive is that the youngster managed this while catching passes from a myriad of mediocre quarterbacks, including Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle.

Imagine, then, what Nabers could be capable of achieving with a year under his belt, and new arrival Russell Wilson under center - the most capable quarterback he has played with since entering the NFL.

Prediction

All three players who made this list, and the three mentioned above who did not, have the opportunity and talent to surpass Chase in 2025 as the most productive WR in the NFL if things fall their way.

But, when all is said and done, Chase has an elite quarterback in Burrow, with whom he shares undeniable chemistry on the field. He also has at least the same, if not superior, talent to most of the players mentioned here.

After crunching the numbers, one thing’s clear: Ja’Marr Chase is still that guy. He’s our pick to lead all wide receivers in production, defend his title as the NFL’s WR king, and if the stars align, become the first back-to-back triple crown winner since Megatron.

 

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