{"id":289202,"date":"2026-07-10T17:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=289202"},"modified":"2026-06-30T13:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:08:16","slug":"afc-east-wide-receivers-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/10\/afc-east-wide-receivers-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the Top AFC East Wide Receivers for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The AFC East has never been a true powerhouse when it comes to wide receivers. The four teams within this division have never really been known for the position. However, that doesn’t mean great players haven’t played for these teams recently. The Dolphins rostered both Tyreek Hill<\/a> and Jaylen Waddle<\/a> for multiple seasons. The Bills had Stefon Diggs<\/a> in his prime during Josh Allen’s rise to fame. He returned to the division in 2025, but with the Patriots, and helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance. Finally, the Jets drafted Garrett Wilson back in 2022, and he’s been good and underrated due to the lack of team success for a few years now.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to 2026, and most of the aforementioned players are not there anymore, but there are a few good, even great players who now grace these teams. Let’s check out the rankings for AFC East wide receivers for 2026.<\/p>\n

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Ranking the Top AFC East Wide Receivers for 2026<\/h2>\n

5. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills<\/h3>\n

Kicking off this list is the player who has been the WR1 for the Bills for the last two seasons. A unique player, Khalil Shakir<\/a> has led the Bills wide receivers in yards for the last two seasons. However, his depth of reception is not reflective of a WR1. In 2024 and 2025, he combined for eight deep (20+ yards downfield) catches and 10 intermediate (10-19 yards downfield) catches. This lack of usage is not a drop issue, as he has only had 3 drops in these categories. The large majority of his usage comes in the short game and the screen game. In fact, he led the league in catches and yardage on passes caught behind the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n

Khalil Shakir fits perfectly at the number five spot on this list of AFC East wide receivers. He has proven he can make plays for a team, especially a contender like the Bills. However, he hasn’t had the opportunity to show that he can be a true alpha. He’s also going to most likely move down the totem pole a little bit as the team added D.J. Moore this offseason. Shakir’s talent should not be slept on for this reason, though, as this addition should help the overall Buffalo passing attack and could thus help Shakir grow.<\/p>\n

4. Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots<\/h3>\n

The #4 entrant on the AFC East wide receivers list is the first new face, as Romeo Doubs signed a four-year, $68 million contract<\/a> with the Patriots back in March. This move went under the radar due to the Patriots making an even bigger splash at the position (once again, more on that later). However, Doubs is not one person people should be sleeping on. While he has not yet had a 1,000-yard season in his four-year career, he was reliable in Green Bay. He led the team in receptions in half of those four seasons, including last year, following injuries to Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft. He has hauled in 23 touchdown catches in that four-year span as well.<\/p>\n

Romeo Doubs fits in as the WR2 for the Patriots, a team that just lost in the Super Bowl due to their offense being outplayed. Luckily, Doubs is certainly an upgrade at the position over the likes of Kayshon Boutte<\/a>, Mack Hollins, and Demario Douglas. Notably, Doubs had 9 catches on 18 deep targets last year with zero drops. His new quarterback, Drake Maye, is proficient with the deep ball, as he was top 2 in deep completions and touchdowns. Doubs lands at #4 due to being a more complete receiver than Khalil Shakir, but is not at that WR1 level like the next three entrants.<\/p>\n

3. D.J. Moore, Buffalo Bills<\/h3>\n

The first WR1 on this list is also a new face when it comes to AFC East wide receivers. D.J. Moore<\/a> was traded to the Bills in March for the cost of a second-round draft choice. The Bills needed this upgrade on the outside as they lacked the caliber of player they are getting in D.J. Moore. Moore runs a complete route tree in the NFL, garnering a solid volume of targets at every level of the field throughout his career. He’s also come up time and again in the clutch for both Chicago and Carolina, making game-winning catches such as this one from just last season.<\/p>\n

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CALEB WILLIAMS TO DJ MOORE<\/p>\n

BEARS WIN pic.twitter.com\/3ShtuowNYm<\/a><\/p>\n

— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n