2026 NFL Free Agency: Top landing spots for the five best wide receivers

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As NFL franchises reevaluate and reload their rosters this offseason, now is the time to identify the key pieces at each position and plug them into the best fits based on scheme and usage. 

Here are the best fits for each of the top five free-agent wide receivers of the 2026 NFL offseason.

For more data on the 2026 free-agent class, check out the PFF free-agent rankings.

George Pickens

• Best Landing Spot: New York Jets
• PFF Free-Agent Ranking: 2

As PFF’s top-ranked offensive free agent, Pickens, if he hits the open market, will have nearly every NFL franchise as a suitor. The Cowboys lack the cap space to facilitate a long-term deal, and recent reports from NFL insider Ian Rapoport indicate that Pickens could be a candidate for the franchise tag and a subsequent trade.

Not many teams have both the necessary cap space and draft capital to make the potential move. However, one team that does fit the bill is the New York Jets, who possess nine combined draft picks in Rounds 1-3 over the next two drafts and hold the fourth-most cap space ($83.2 million) entering the offseason. Not to mention, the two franchises have a working relationship following the trade that sent Quinnen Williams from New York to Dallas at the deadline.

While there isn’t yet clarity on the Jets' plans at quarterback, the notion of combining Pickens with Garrett Wilson is enticing. With Pickens profiling as an elite contested-catch receiver (80th-percentile contested catch rate) with the ability to rip the top off defenses and Wilson possessing the skills to separate (81st-percentile open-target percentage) from sticky coverage, New York could build its offense around the young receiver tandem.

2025 PFF Receiving Grades (WRs)

Alec Pierce

• Best Landing spot: Tennessee Titans
• PFF Free-Agent Ranking: 10

Pierce, the 10th-ranked free agent on PFF’s board, is projected to command contract offers in the range of $24 million annually. That figure alone could price out numerous teams currently strapped for cash heading into free-agent negotiations. 

In my previous evaluation for Pierce’s best landing spot, the New York Giants were the highlighted franchise, given their need for a lethal deep threat to pair with Jaxson Dart. Without ample cap space, the Giants may be unable to field a competitive offer. However, there is a team for which the need and the scheme make sense: the Tennessee Titans. 

With Brian Daboll serving as the Titans’ new offensive coordinator, the fit for Pierce is strong. Prior to being relieved of his duties as the Giants' head coach following Week 10, Daboll helped New York lead the NFL in percentage of passes targeted 20-plus yards downfield. Pierce is a threat to take the top off any defense, having tied for the third-most deep receptions (24) over the past two seasons.

Mike Evans

• Best Landing spot: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• PFF Free-Agent Ranking: 13

Despite missing out on notching an NFL-record 12th consecutive 1,000-yard season, Mike Evans can unquestionably still play at an exceedingly high level when healthy. Even amid a series of injuries causing him to miss time in 2025, Evans posted a 70.0-plus PFF receiving grade, a mark he has never fallen below during his 12-year career. That level of consistency is unmatched at the NFL level and should warrant plenty of interest this offseason despite his age (33 in 2026).

Evans has called Tampa Bay home for the entirety of his career, and given his level of play, the Buccaneers should do everything in their power to retain him until the day he decides to hang up the cleats. It wouldn't be just for sentimental reasons; it's also tied directly to his production and chemistry with Baker Mayfield. 

Since Mayfield’s arrival in Tampa Bay in 2023, the two have showcased a connection not easily replicated. Over that span, Evans is one of 12 receivers to generate a PFF receiving grade above 90.0, ranking in the top 15 in yards per route run (2.27, 11th), explosive receptions (79, 15th), and contested catches (42).

Mike Evans Career PFF Grades

Deebo Samuel

• Best Landing spot: Miami Dolphins
• PFF Free-Agent Ranking: 23

As PFF lead fantasy analyst Nathan Jahnke highlighted in his look at fantasy football’s ideal free agent landing spots, the Dolphins are likely to release Tyreek Hill this offseason to free up cap space (currently projected at $16.4 million over the cap) and could look to fill the void with Deebo Samuel. The move would reunite newly elevated offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik with Samuel, whom he had a hand in coaching during their time together in San Francisco.

Slowik helped orchestrate Samuel’s All-Pro campaign in 2021, in which he earned the third-highest PFF overall grade (90.2) among receivers. Despite some citing age as a concern as Samuel enters his age-30 season, the veteran still profiles as a strong option to find holes in coverage and exploit them for chunks of yardage after the catch. Last season, Samuel ranked in the 92nd percentile among qualifying receivers in yards after catch per attempt, with his 6.5 mark ranking seventh among 83 qualifiers. 

His skill set would provide a welcome boost to a Dolphins passing game that ranked just below the league average in receiving yardage generated after the catch in 2025.

Jauan Jennings

• Best Landing spot: San Francisco 49ers
• PFF Free-Agent Ranking:

Over the past two seasons, Jennings has seen his role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense increase to the point that he has become a highly dependable target who understands the scheme and its nuances. While his statistical profile doesn’t jump off the page, his grading profile is much more favorable. His 78.9 PFF receiving grade over that span places him among the top 32 qualifying receivers. Most impressively, his 39 contested catches (including postseason) since the start of 2024 are the most among receivers.

With the 49ers navigating an offseason full of questions regarding the health of key faces like George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall, as well as the future of Brandon Aiyuk, it makes little sense to allow Jennings to walk out the door.

Current PFF contract projections place Jennings in the range of just over $16.6 million per year, a figure that would rank 29th in average annual value. The 49ers are projected to possess over $42.9 million in cap space, so an extension is highly feasible and would answer a crucial offseason question for this offense.