Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 3 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 3 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. Indianapolis Colts

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Colts corners are not good. They're lucky the weather forecast looks dubious, because none of the Colts corners can cover any of the Ravens receivers.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers (Upgrade if no weather), Rashod Bateman (Upgrade if no weather), Odell Beckham (Upgrade if no weather)

INDIANAPOLIS WIDE RECEIVERS

As much as the Colts corners are lucky to get the aid of wind and rain, the same is true of Baltimore however long Marlon Humphrey is out. Without Humphrey the Ravens don't have anyone who can counter Michael Pittman, who as a big wideout might be able to handle the weather more easily than a smaller target would.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman (Upgrade if no weather), Alec Pierce, Josh Downs

Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans

CLEVELAND WIDE RECEIVERS

Players like Kristian Fulton and Roger McCreary are rugged defenders with technically-sound games for the most part, but they lack the tools to mirror the movements of standout athletes. Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones both have the wheels to give those guys trouble. McCreary should primarily face Elijah Moore, who definitely has the athleticism advantage though at a significant size disadvantage. If Moore wants to burn McCreary he probably needs to do it vertially. Sean Murphy-Bunting is more toolsy than Fulton but probably less skilled as the other outside corner.

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

TENNESSEE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Tennessee offensive line is completely busted and the Browns defense looks improved under Jim Schwartz. DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks won't find it easy to separate from Denzel Ward or Greg Newsome. Hopkins in particular has a long history of making catches despite being covered, but probably not with a quarterback as hurried as Tannehill will be all year.

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

Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons

DETROIT WIDE RECEIVERS

A.J. Terrell has only lined up on the left side to this point. If the Falcons continue that here then it would be easy to get Josh Reynolds away from Terrell and lined up instead against the more beatable likes of Jeff Okudah and Dee Alford. Amon-Ra St. Brown has the toe issue and it's difficult to know what to make of it, but the matchup isn't a concern. Marvin Jones can't beat anyone.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Josh Reynolds (Downgrade if shadowed by Terrell), Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones

ATLANTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Drake London should be in a good setup here against a battered Lions team, one still without top corner Emmanuel Moseley. Jerry Jacobs and Cam Sutton don't really have the reach or general dynamism necessary to mirror London through all phases. Brian Branch is probably the most feared Lions cornerback at the moment, but as a slot defender he's more likely to see Kyle Pitts than London or Mack Hollins.

Upgrade: Drake London
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mack Hollins

Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Christian Watson (hamstring) might finally make his 2023 debut here, giving Green Bay their full wideout rotation as Jordan Love tries to make a stand at home against a tough New Orleans defense. Watson and Romeo Doubs are both tall and fast, yet the same is true for all three of the Saints corners. Marshon Lattimore is the most skilled of the trio, but the athletic tools of Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor rival those of Lattimore. It's Taylor who has been most vulnerable in 2023, perhaps because he's been forced to play the slot for the first time despite possessing a prototypical boundary corner build and skill set. Taylor will likely improve in the slot with time there, but in the meantime he might be the easiest target and the primary matchup of Jayden Reed.

This is a tough matchup for Watson, especially if he gets shadowed by Lattimore, but keep in mind that the Packers probably won't be able to run that easily against the Saints. The Packers might be more dependent on Watson to move the ball than usual.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Christian Watson (downgrade if shadowed by Lattimore), Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed
 

NEW ORLEANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaire Alexander doubtlessly wants to shadow Chris Olave in this game, and the Packers have good reason to go along with it. There's reason to believe Olave is almost completely unstoppable, but even if Alexander can't slow Olave it would likely be a better result than letting Olave get a look at Rasul Douglas. Douglas is a better trait match to Michael Thomas in that both are big and slowish for their respective positions. Rashid Shaheed is dangerous to players like Douglas and slot corner Keisean Nixon.

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

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans

JACKSONVILLE WIDE RECEIVERS

Calvin Ridley will have a formidable matchup in Steven Nelson but one Ridley should be well-suited to winning. If the targets funnel away from Ridley then it would likely be due to Christian Kirk getting a comparatively easy matchup as a result of Nelson following Ridley. Derek Stingley and Tavierre Thomas are out, depriving Houston of their top boundary and slot corner, respectively. The Jaguars have no depth behind Ridley and Kirk, so Tim Jones probably isn't threatening to whoever the Texans need to roll out.

Upgrade: Christian Kirk
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley (upgrade if not shadowed by Nelson)

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyson Campbell is the one Jacksonville corner you need to worry about, and he's a good candidate to shadow Nico Collins. The Texans have distributed plenty of targets to Robert Woods and Tank Dell also, but Collins is the biggest and fastest of the three, posing the greatest big-play threat of the three as a result. Darious Williams isn't a burn risk against Robert Woods but also might be a little too small to bully Woods underneath. Tre Herndon is at a disadvantage against Dell.

Upgrade: Tank Dell
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins (arguable downgrade if followed by Campbell), Robert Woods

Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyreek Hill will likely see extra attention from Patrick Surtain, though to what effect is less clear. The NFL corner with the best results against Hill is Jonathan Jones, and Surtain doesn't look like Jones. The issue for Surtain is the build type – Surtain could very well be the best corner in the league, but he's most comfortable against receivers who look and move like him. Hill is the opposite end of the spectrum, making it a difficult matchup for Surtain. With that said, the shadow assignment is a near-no brainer because it has to be preferable to letting Hill get a look at any of the other Denver corners, particularly if Jaylen Waddle (concussion) is out. Damarri Mathis cannot cover Hill or Waddle. Braxton Berrios against Essang Bassey doesn't have an obvious favorite. River Cracraft appears to be the next player up if Waddle is out.

Upgrade: Jaylen Waddle (concussion)
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft

DENVER WIDE RECEIVERS

Courtland Sutton might or might not get followed by Xavien Howard, but the answer to whether he does is probably inconsequential. Howard isn't the type to be feared anymore, though he is a good counter to Sutton build-wise. Jerry Jeudy should see the most of Kader Kohou, who might be the best Dolphins corner at the moment, but it's not an intimidating matchup for Jeudy. Brandon Johnson isn't threatening to any NFL corners.

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

Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Chargers

MINNESOTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Justin Jefferson has no obvious limitations here. Whatever cornerback he faces is at a disadvantage. The Chargers have no choice but to roll coverage his way, though easier said than done even then. Jordan Addison is also at an advantage against each of these corners, if Kevin O'Connell would like to consider such matters. K.J. Osborn will produce at a much less rapid rate than Addison but has played more to this point anyway.

Upgrade: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison
Downgrade: N/A
Even: K.J. Osborn

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Keenan Allen has been on a tear since last year so the Vikings might want to deploy Byron Murphy as Allen's primary assignment, especially since both trend toward the slot. With that said, to this point the Vikings have generally used safety Josh Metellus in the slot. If they keep doing that here then they're begging for Allen to go off. It would also be a waste because Mike Williams has a major reach advantage over Murphy anyway, and you don't want your best coverage reps to go to waste on a caught jumpball. Whoever avoids Murphy gets an easy matchup on a given play.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Keenan Allen (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Murphy), Mike Williams (upgrade if Murphy shadows Allen)

New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Keep in mind, this is another Weather Game. Garrett Wilson might see an effective shadow coverage from Jonathan Jones if Jones' shoulder permits, which is an unwanted layer of concern given the Jets' quarterback situation. Christian Gonzalez would be left for Allen Lazard in this case – a difficult matchup for Lazard. Slot corner Myles Bryant is the most beatable of the three and that would seem to be left for Randall Cobb.

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

NEW ENGLAND WIDE RECEIVERS

Sauce Gardner almost always plays on the defense's left side, so the Patriots would be smart to only line up DeVante Parker on the offense's left side. D.J. Reed is only 5-foot-9 and isn't built to defend the rim against someone like Parker. This matchup would leave Kendrick Bourne to burn reps against Gardner, but Bourne isn't more likely to beat Reed than Parker is. JuJu Smith-Schuster would mostly get Michael Carter.

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

Washington Commanders vs. Buffalo Bills

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Terry McLaurin would normally draw the shadow assignment from Tre'Davious White, though it's difficult to tell if McLaurin is healthy enough for Buffalo to consider him a clearly higher risk than Jahan Dotson. Whoever avoids White gets the comparatively easy matchup of Christian Benford on boundary snaps. Slot corner Taron Johnson is a tough one, so that could primarily be Curtis Samuel's problem.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Curtis Samuel
Even: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

Benjamin St-Juste has played ahead of Emmanuel Forbes in two-wide sets, with Kendall Fuller a candidate to shadow the WR1 in such sets. St-Juste would be a major mismatch for Stefon Diggs, but Fuller would be a tougher look. St-Juste might be able to hold his own against Gabe Davis, meanwhile. In three-wide sets Davis might more so see Forbes, who at once won't let Davis separate but also might get boxed out by Davis, who's nearly 50 pounds heavier. St-Juste moves to the slot in three-wide, in which case he'd probably see the most of Dalton Kincaid and Deonte Harty.

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

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

Donte Jackson can run with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in straight lines, but throughout the phases of a route is a different question. Jackson wasn't supposed to be left in charge of so much – it was the injured Jaycee Horn who the Panthers had in mind for such tasks – so it's a general weakness for Carolina. At some 50 pounds heavier Metcalf can bully Jackson physically, moreover. Whoever doesn't get Jackson gets C.J. Henderson, who's much more beatable yet. Jaxon Smith-Njigba should mostly see Troy Hill.

Upgrade: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Chark and Terrace Marshall are speedy sideline threats but lack additional dimensions, which is a problem against a speedy sideline corner like Tariq Woolen or even Mike Jackson. Devon Witherspoon in the slot was the fifth overall pick, moreover, so that could add a difficult matchup for Adam Thielen there. Despite these concerning trait-match details with the Carolina receivers relative to the Seattle corners, the Seattle defense has been completely busted in the first two weeks and deserve no benefit of the doubt.

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

Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

Marquise Brown gets a matchup upgrade with Trevon Diggs out. Stephon Gilmore might have something left, but he's not built to run with a player like Brown. Michael Wilson isn't at an obvious advantage against either of Gilmore or DaRon Bland. Rondale Moore would either see Bland or Jourdan Lewis, neither or which is easy but are probably better matchups for Moore than Wilson will face.

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

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Not good for Arizona. Marco Wilson and Kei'Trel Clark can't cover CeeDee Lamb or Brandin Cooks. Michael Gallup is more easily managed than Lamb or Cooks, yet you'd probably have to say Gallup has the advantage here, too.

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

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears

KANSAS CITY WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaylon Johnson is the top Bears candidate and is a candidate to see a coverage assignment of some sort after seemingly following around Chris Godwin in Week 2. It probably doesn't matter either way for Kadarius Toney, whose role as a screen and drag specialist largely omits him from coverage matchups. Skyy Moore might be the sort of receiver to struggle against Johnson if the matchup occurs, but that outcome requires too much speculation to cross out Moore in an otherwise favorable matchup. Marquez Valdes-Scantling can easily outrun all these corners, so it could be a good game for him.

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

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Moore can beat corners tougher than these, but the Bears' playcalling and general dysfunction makes it difficult to tell what can be taken for a given. L'Jarius Sneed is a good candidate to shadow Moore, which is at once a difficult matchup yet one Moore can still win. Sneed is frequently aggressive in ways that won't pay off as reliably against Moore – namely that Moore rarely loses at the catch point and rarely takes the worse end of a hit, not to mention Moore isn't the sort of receiver you want to cut loose with a missed tackle. Darnell Mooney is also capable but maybe less likely than Moore to transcend the circumstances.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Steelers probably won't allow many traditional man coverage matchups to occur for Davante Adams – no one they have can cover him at all – but through two weeks the Steelers' coverage results have been awful even if they've tried hiding their subpar corners the whole time. The scheme they depend on to cover up the lack of talent isn't showing any results, so it's difficult to see why they'd be able to slow Adams here. Jakobi Meyers was off to a fast start before his concussion in Week 1, so if he returns he too will have an advantage over Pittsburgh's coverage.

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

PITTSBURGH WIDE RECEIVERS

If you're the Raiders you need to find a way to get Nate Hobbs on George Pickens. If you're the Steelers you need to find a way to get Pickens away from Hobbs. Pickens either now or one day will be able to beat corners even as good as Hobbs, but why deal with the trouble now if you can just target Marcus Peters or Jakorian Bennett instead? The Raiders tend to move Hobbs into the slot in nickel formations, so if the Steelers stay in three wide they should be able to line up Pickens against Peters and Bennett as much as they want. Allen Robinson has a prayer of sorts against Peters or Bennett, but probably not against Hobbs. Calvin Austin probably has a better shot against Hobbs than Robinson would, but he'd still likely have better luck against Peters or Bennett.

Upgrade: George Pickens
Downgrade: Allen Robinson
Even: Calvin Austin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Godwin has played the slot surprisingly little in 2023, with rookies Trey Palmer and Deven Thompkins stealing reps there while Godwin plays on the boundary more than any previous point of his career. Godwin is not slot-dependent by any means, but it's still surprising to see him used this way. If Godwin continues to line up outside then he'll have to run against the toughest Eagles corners – Darius Slay and James Bradberry – instead of the comparatively mortal Avonte Maddox. Maddox is still solid, but he's easier to beat than the Eagles' boundary. Mike Evans doesn't have an advantage over the likes of Slay or Bradberry, but it will be interesting to see if the Buccaneers motion Evans into the slot more than usual after he beat up on Maddox in the playoffs two years ago.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin (raise to Even if moved back into slot)
Even: N/A

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS

No corner is truly intimidating to A.J. Brown but it's worth noting that Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean are good trait matches to Brown, who stands out for his size and speed. Davis isn't fast but if an adept mover underneath, especially for a bigger corner. Dean might be the most gifted size-adjusted athlete in the NFL, and he can definitely run with Brown far downfield. Brown is a great route runner in addition to his loud athletic tools – he can beat trait-matched corners about as well as anyone – but it still might be DeVonta Smith who loses big corners like these more easily.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams

CINCINNATI WIDE RECEIVERS

It's a simple but dreary situation: the Rams corners can't cover the Bengals receivers, but Joe Burrow (calf) might not be in the game shape necessary to capitalize on the fact regularly. The Bengals also had a major advantage over the Ravens secondary last week, yet Burrow struggled to do anything while the game was competitive. With all of that said, if Burrow can snap out of it then Ja'Marr Chase will immediately go off. Tee Higgins got going a bit last week himself and will look to maintain that momentum against Rams corners who just don't have the build or wheels to match up with him. Tyler Boyd should also be a bit open, though it's a long line he's waiting in.

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

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

Puka Nacua is difficult to question at this point, so while the matchup here is far from favorable it's also probably not cause for concern to Nacua, who can afford major statistical regression and still remain productive for fantasy purposes. With that said, corners like Chidobe Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt are almost perfect trait matches to Nacua, matching his size while possessing better athleticism. As long as Nacua is working so well with Stafford, though, the rest might now matter. Tutu Atwell has been loud through two weeks as well, and he might have the easier matchup here against slot rover Mike Hilton, who isn't built to run downfield often.

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