Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 2 Matchups

--------I apologize but I'll have to post the blurbs for the final three games – Sunday Night Football and the two Monday games – some time Friday afternoon or evening. Ok they're up now

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.

ATL vs GB

ATLANTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Drake London is a good candidate to get followed by Jaire Alexander, which is not what the second-year wideout needs. London is an exceptional talent and will at least eventually be able to hold his own even against corners as good as Alexander, it's just not clear whether now is that time. Mack Hollins is probably at no advantage against Rasul Douglas, who neutralizes Hollins' height utility.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Drake London (unless not shadowed by Alexander)
Even: Mack Hollins

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Romeo Doubs (hamstring) probably shouldn't be favored against A.J. Terrell, though the two should only see each other about half of the time if the Falcons keep playing Terrell on the left side. Christian Watson (hamstring) would normally split the other half or so, but if he can't play then Jayden Reed would be the receiver most likely to catch Terrell if it's not Doubs. Reed might be the primary slot receiver regardless of Watson's status, in which case Malik Heath might be the third outside corner behind Watson and Doubs. Tre Flowers is probably easily beaten opposite Terrell, but maybe not by Heath. Slot corner Dee Alford might be a tough test for Reed – Adam Thielen was a dud against Atlanta last week – but Jordan Love might be farther along than Bryce Young at the moment.

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

BUF vs LV

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

Nate Hobbs is the top corner for the Raiders, but if he stays in the slot he'll mostly face the likes of Dalton Kincaid and Deonte Harty rather than Stefon Diggs. That could mean a big game for Diggs. Marcus Peters on the left and rookie fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett on the right are potentially overmatched by both Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Upgrade: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Tre'Davious White is a candidate to shadow Davante Adams, not that it matters much for Adams. If White does follow around Adams then it would leave more room for Jakobi Meyers (concussion) against Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, the latter being the primary slot corner for Buffalo. If Meyers is out then Hunter Renfrow presumably becomes the slot wideout to face Johnson, but who knows what the Raiders will do there. Renfrow doesn't appear to be a part of Josh McDaniels' plan at this point despite signing an expensive extension last year. Kristian Wilkerson appears to be the other candidate for outside reps aside from Adams and Meyers.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers (concussion), Hunter Renfrow

CIN vs BAL

CINCINNATI WIDE RECEIVERS

Some disclaimer is apparently necessary for Joe Burrow's calf condition after an incredibly brutal Week 1, but if Burrow is anywhere near his normal self then there's no need to hedge about the fact that this is a favorable matchup for the Cincinnati receivers. The top Baltimore corner is Ronald Darby, who might have something left but probably not a whole lot after signing a one-year deal with Baltimore late in training camp. Moreover, Darby even at his peak was not the sort of corner to give trouble to receivers on the level of Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. Darby should play on the left and Brandon Stephens on the right, with Ar'Darius Washington the main matchup for Tyler Boyd in the slot. Boyd usually doesn't have much room to function in the Cincinnati offense, but at 5-foot-8 Washington isn't a good trait match to Boyd.

Upgrade: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyler Boyd

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

Zay Flowers got a ton of work catching underneath passes from the slot in Week 1, but it will be interesting to see how slot corner Mike Hilton handles that. Hilton isn't as good in coverage as he is in pursuit, but if Flowers is mostly catching YAC opportunities then pursuit might be the main determining factor for whether this is a good matchup for Flowers. The Ravens made Rashod Bateman split snaps with Nelson Agholor in Week 1, but Agholor predictably did nothing while Bateman produced. Bateman and Odell Beckham will run primarily against Chidobe Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt, both of whom are big and fast. There's no obvious trait advantage that Bateman or Beckham hold here.

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

DET vs SEA

DETROIT WIDE RECEIVERS

Amon-Ra St. Brown is probably in a good spot regardless of what's going on with Devon Witherspoon (hamstring). Witherspoon might have high expectations as the fifth overall pick, but he's still unproven and St. Brown is an unreasonably difficult first test. Josh Reynolds probably needs to cut toward the middle of the field to get away from Tariq Woolen or Mike Jackson, who have the build and speed to outrun Reynolds vertically. The Lions foolishly started Marvin Jones at the spot opposite Reynolds last week, but it's not clear how long they'll stand by an approach that won't yield results.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett hold the advantage over the corners they'll face in this game. The issue is the Seattle offensive line, which will be without both of its starting tackles. Jerry Jacobs and Cameron Sutton will need that pass rush to step up to prevent Metcalf/Lockett from getting open deep. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a challenging matchup against Brian Branch.

Upgrade: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

HOU vs IND

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Tank Dell did reasonably well in his NFL debut, and with Noah Brown going on IR there should be more snaps available for Dell in the next month. In this game he should mostly run in the territory of Kenny Moore, who's probably more dangerous as a proactive disruptor than he is in coverage. Dell needs to keep his head on a swivel but should be able to find some room as a route runner. Robert Woods needs to improve his efficiency from Week 1 and could be in a good position to do so against the Colts' unimpressive boundary corner duo of Dallis Flowers and Darrell Baker. Flowers and Baker are fairly athletic and have bigger builds by corner standards, but they still probably shouldn't be starters. Nico Collins is looking fairly good, though he'd ideally create some separation since Flowers and Baker can run and have some reach.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Tank Dell

INDIANAPOLIS WIDE RECEIVERS

Tavierre Thomas has done a good job at slot corner, so this looks like a difficult matchup for Josh Downs. The matchups don't get much easier for the Colts wideouts beyond that – Derek Stingley can run with both Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce, while Steven Nelson is a quality corner especially at the intermediate or shallower. With that said, both Pittman and Pierce have reach advantages over Stingley and Nelson, so jumpball opportunities could be in play at least.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Josh Downs
Even: Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce

JAC vs KC

JACKSONVILLE WIDE RECEIVERS

Christian Kirk did a number on the Chiefs defense in 2022, so you'd normally assume the Chiefs would make it a priority to stop Kirk in this game. Given Calvin Ridley establishing himself as the team's clear WR1, though, the Chiefs will only roll so much help toward Kirk's route regions. While Zay Jones played more snaps than Kirk against the Colts in Week 1, the more overt shootout threat in this game will probably result in fewer tight end snaps for the Jaguars.

The Chiefs corners are solid across the board, and with a fairly diverse skill set between them. Trent McDuffie might be a decent counter to Kirk in the slot, especially now that he's not a rookie. L'Jarius Sneed should be on the left side while McDuffie is on the right in two-wide, while 2022 fourth-round pick Joshua Williams should replace McDuffie on the right after he moves to the slot in nickel. Williams showed some promise as a rookie last year and is certainly toolsy, but he's also the likely easiest target among the three in man coverage. Not just that, but at 6-foot-3 Williams' build might sooner be a hindrance if forced to change directions quickly, especially against Ridley.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones

KANSAS CITY WIDE RECEIVERS

Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore will look to prove they're over the yips after a disastrous Week 1, and the setting should be favorable for just that. Andy Reid had a few extra days to game plan for this one, and the Jaguars cornerback depth is dubious. Tyson Campbell is quite good and can probably handle any of Toney, Moore or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The other two Jaguars corners are more easily beaten – Darious Williams because he's under 5-foot-10, and Tre Herndon for general reasons. The best matchup for the Chiefs here might be Valdes-Scantling against Williams or Herndon. Rashee Rice can probably bully both Williams and Herndon, if the Chiefs give him the shot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice

TB vs CHI

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Mike Evans has beaten tougher corners and should remain in most starting lineups in this one, but Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson are probably tougher to beat on the outside than Josh Blackwell or Jaylon Jones would be in the slot. Chris Godwin arguably gets an easier matchup just for the fact that he should get into the slot most. The Bears originally wanted Kyler Gordon in the slot, but he's out.

Upgrade: Chris Godwin
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

The Bears' offense was a complete mess in Week 1, and if that continues here then it threatens what otherwise looks like a manageable matchup for DJ Moore. Moore can probably beat a corner like Carlton Davis, yet Davis is questionable at best with a toe injury. Jamel Dean on the other side rarely is beaten deep, though he can be beaten laterally a little easier. Undrafted rookie Christian Izien might need to sit out with a concussion, which would be a substantial loss after a promising beginning to his NFL career. Darnell Mooney would be Izien's primary opponent in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore (arguable upgrade if Davis is out), Darnell Mooney (arguable upgrade if Izien is out)

TEN vs LAC

TENNESSEE WIDE RECEIVERS

It's doubtful that the Chargers pass defense is frightening anyone after last week, and DeAndre Hopkins has certainly beaten tougher coverage. The concern with Hopkins is the ankle injury he's managed this week, which caused him to miss practice Wednesday and Thursday. Treylon Burks would stand to benefit if Hopkins is out or limited. J.C. Jackson is probably the easiest target among the Chargers corners, as the former New England standout struggled in Week 1 and might continue to struggle in his return from a 2022 patellar tendon tear.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Sean Murphy-Bunting should be the primary left corner for the Titans with Kristian Fulton (hamstring) mostly on the right. Roger McCreary seems the primary slot corner of the three, though safety tweener Elijah Molden will also play some slot looks.

If you're Keenan Allen you'd probably rather see Molden than McCreary, but neither is intimidating. Mike Williams would ideally bounce back in this game, because none of Murphy-Bunting, McCreary nor Fulton are intimidating matchups for him. Fulton and McCreary have particularly poor reach, so they shouldn't be able to stop Williams at the rim. These corners and nearly all others can probably cover Joshua Palmer without too much difficulty, at least.

Upgrade: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Joshua Palmer

ARI vs NYG

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

Marquise Brown could probably give some harsh route-running lessons to the rookies Deonte Banks and especially Tre Hawkins, and there's a chance he does that in this game. Even if Brown beats the Giants corners, though, there's a good chance Josh Dobbs can't get the ball there. Rondale Moore probably gets the tougher matchup of the two, because he might see a lot of Adoree' Jackson in the slot. Michael Wilson might be neutralized when in coverage against his two fellow rookies, because both Banks and Hawkins are big enough to counter Wilson's build.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Rondale Moore, Michael Wilson
Even: Marquise Brown

GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

In Week 1 the Giants mostly used Darius Slayton on the right and Isaiah Hodgins on the left, with Parris Campbell in the slot. It would therefore seem like it would be Campbell whose playing time gets pinched when Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) can return, though it's not clear when that might happen.

Marco Wilson was the primary right corner for Arizona in Week 1, with rookie sixth-round pick Kei'Trel Clark the primary left corner. Former safety Jalen Thompson was the primary slot corner. It's difficult to tell what Thompson presents – normally safeties are coverage liabilities relative to pure corners, but Campbell mostly appears an after-the-catch target underneath, where Thompson's tackling background as a safety could be helpful. Wilson and especially Clark both are likely vulnerable, however – Hodgins has a major build advantage over Clark.

Upgrade: Isaiah Hodgins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell

LAR vs SF

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell broke out in a big way against the Seahawks in Week 1, making them two of the most interest-generating receivers going into Week 2. The 49ers defense is unlikely to face the struggles the Seahawks did, so it's a heightened test for the two prospects. With that said, no specific matchups really jump out, because all of Nacua, Atwell and Van Jefferson line up all over, and at about equal splits with each location. 

It's safe to say that Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas are the 49ers corners most easily beaten, as Charvarius Ward is generally tough and Isaiah Oliver has seen some promising results in the slot. Basically, the receiver with the easiest matchup is the one lined up outside and on the left, and it seems like Nacua, Atwell and Jefferson might split that scenario fairly easily. It's a difficult matchup overall.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Van Jefferson

SAN FRANCISCO WIDE RECEIVERS

The general story between these two teams is that Kyle Shanahan seems to be a step ahead of the Rams' defensive scheming, to the point that this has been a reliably favorable matchup for Brandon Aiyuk and especially for Deebo Samuel. This fact doesn't necessarily come down to player matchups as much as the play designs and sequences of Shanahan's, which tends to catch the Rams' defense off guard various ways. Not to mention, the Rams' actual cornerback personnel is worse this year than it was during those previous years. If the Rams couldn't stop Samuel and Aiyuk back then it's difficult to see why getting rid of Jalen Ramsey would help anything.

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

DAL vs NYJ

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Sauce Gardner is on a bit of a rough streak lately, and teams are getting a little better at attacking him. That he struggles to turn and race vertically is maybe compounded by the fact that Gardner is always on the left and D.J. Reed always on the right, allowing offenses to more accurately predict the ways the Jets' coverages unfold from pre- to post-snap. The Jets pass defense is still very strong overall and the Jets corners will have the ongoing benefit of a strong pass rush, but as far as the cornerback personnel goes specifically this matchup isn't as intimidating for CeeDee Lamb as it might look at a glance. Dallas does a good job of getting Lamb into the slot, too, where he should be able to face Carter. Brandin Cooks (knee) might sit out, and if so it's difficult to see Michael Gallup doing anything against Gardner. Gallup might be able to beat the 5-foot-9 Reed, though.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup
Even: CeeDee Lamb

JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Garrett Wilson has beaten better corners than what the Cowboys present, and so it's no secret that guys like Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore can't cover Wilson. With Zach Wilson at quarterback, though, the question might be moot. Allen Lazard might see the most of DaRon Bland in the slot, but the same quarterback concerns apply.

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

DEN vs WAS

DENVER WIDE RECEIVERS

Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) will need to do a lot of lifting in his return from injury, as Denver is desperate for help at receiver after voluntarily playing Brandon Johnson over Marvin Mims last week. The Washington corners are far overqualified for covering Johnson, but Jeudy is a very different challenge as a receiver who can beat any of the Washington corners. 

Emmanuel Forbes and Kendall Fuller both look good at outside corner, and Forbes in particular might be an interesting faceoff for Jeudy. Then again, Jeudy might be able to avoid Forbes by running from the slot, where he'd more so see safety/corner tweener Kamren Curl. Courtland Sutton probably can't separate from either of Forbes or Fuller but might be able to bully either, especially Forbes.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Terry McLaurin is the clear WR1 for Washington when healthy, and Patrick Surtain generally follows around opposing teams' WR1. If that happens here then it feels like a downgrade for McLaurin. You rarely want to bench McLaurin even so – his lesser games are often good by normal standards – but you'd much rather see him get looks against Damarri Mathis or Essang Bassey. Instead, it seems like Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel might be better bets to catch those matchups.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Terry McLaurin (raise to 'even' if not shadowed by Surtain)
Even: Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel

NE vs MIA

NEW ENGLAND WIDE RECEIVERS

It's not clear whether JuJu Smith-Schuster is struggling for reasons due more to ability or durability issues at this point, but even if it's the latter the concerns seem persistent enough to assume that Smith-Schuster is not the player he was with the Chiefs, let alone the Steelers. If Smith-Schuster can't claim outside snaps then it limits his appeal quite a bit, especially since slot corner Kader Kohou might be the best among the Dolphins cornerbacks. Outside corner Xavien Howard is the bigger name and gets paid much more, but the aging corner was already slowish when he entered the NFL, and the issue isn't improving with age. DeVante Parker (knee) would normally be threatening to a player like Howard but it's not clear what Parker's status is. Kendrick Bourne functioned as the lead wideout in Week 1 and might need to again, especially if Parker is out.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS

This would normally be the toughest matchup in the league for Tyreek Hill, but Jonathan Jones is likely out after previously holding Hill to just seven catches for 88 yards on 16 targets in six games, according to MassLive.com reporter Mark Daniels (https://twitter.com/ByMarkDaniels/status/1702043313736483248). Marcus Jones is probably the second-closest thing the Patriots have to Jonathan, but Marcus never ran a 40-yard dash before his draft and it's not clear whether he's especially close to Jonathan's 4.33-second 40.

Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez appear to be the top two corners, with Myles Bryant in third. Bryant is slow for a small corner, even by slot standards, so he could be a target for both Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Gonzalez is probably the best of the three, yet at 6-foot-1 he's a little taller than you'd like against darts like Hill and Waddle.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle

CAR vs NO

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS

Although DJ Chark and Terrace Marshall have good ability as outside, downfield receivers, they unfortunately draw very difficult matchups here against Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, both of whom are tall and athletic. Alontae Taylor is probably the most vulnerable Saints corner, because he seems somewhat miscast as their by-default slot corner. Taylor is probably a better fit where Lattimore and Adebo play, because Taylor is also a big, fast corner. Adam Thielen is probably the best bet to see the most of Taylor.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall, Jonathan Mingo
Even: Adam Thielen

NEW ORLEANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Donte Jackson has the wheels to keep stride with Chris Olave, but Olave wins with a lot more than speed and Jackson probably isn't the type of player to match Olave's skill level as a route runner. This should be the primary matchup for Olave, with that said, if only because Jackson's burning speed would go to waste against Michael Thomas. If Jackson follows Olave it would likely leave Thomas against C.J. Henderson, which would be a clear advantage for Thomas.

Rashid Shaheed is something of a wild card, stuck in the WR3 role for New Orleans but presenting loud big-play ability that's difficult for the offense to ignore. Running primarily from the slot Shaheed should mostly avoid Jackson and (unfortunately) Henderson, instead facing some combination of Jeremy Chinn or/and Troy Hill. Shaheed is much faster than Hill.

Upgrade: Michael Thomas (lowered to Even if Olave is not shadowed by Jackson), Rashid Shaheed
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Olave (arguable upgrade if not shadowed by Jackson)

PIT vs CLE

PITTSBURGH WIDE RECEIVERS

In Week 1 the Browns used Denzel Ward as their primary left corner and Martin Emerson the main corner on the right, leaving Greg Newsome to man the slot. All three corners are good, especially Newsome and Ward. The problem the Browns might have is that George Pickens can outmuscle a smaller corner like Ward, to the point that the Browns might want to make Pickens' primary matchup against Emerson, who is one of the NFL's bigger corners and might be better suited to stopping Pickens at the rim. Allen Robinson should mostly see Newsome, and it's difficult to see that as a good thing for Robinson. Although Calvin Austin has a slot-type build, it was Robinson who saw most of the slot snaps in Week 1. If Robinson remains in the slot then Austin would see either Emerson or Ward – another reason for the Browns to match up Emerson against Pickens, because Austin is much too fast for Emerson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin
Even: George Pickens
 

CLEVELAND WIDE RECEIVERS

The Steelers corners don't play traditional man coverage the vast majority of the time, and in Week 1 they seemed to have no clue how to run the Pittsburgh system, either. Patrick Peterson looked awful and Levi Wallace is normally beatable on the other side. The Steelers desperately need to get Joey Porter up to speed outside and Desmond King in the slot. If they're not prepared to do that for this game then it sets up nicely especially for the outside receivers, who are Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Elijah Moore should be able to hold his own or better against Chandon Sullivan in the slot, but when Minkah Fitzpatrick lines up there things probably get more difficult.

Upgrade: Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Elijah Moore