CeeDee Lamb Claims He's The Best WR In The League, Which Is Objectively Wrong

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played exceptionally well against the New York Giants, and then claimed he was the best wide out in the league.

After recording 11 catches for 154 yards and two total touchdowns against one of the worst teams in the league, Lamb crowned himself king of the wide receivers in the NFL.

Wow, okay. He seems pretty convinced.

To be fair, these comments came after he made NFL history.

Dak Prescott also agrees with Lamb's self-coronation.

“No. 1. He’s the guy I throw to. I know the work he puts in,” Prescott said. “Talented guy. And he’s young. He’s scratching the surface. He’s special.”

No one denies Lamb is special or that he works hard. But is that enough to make him the undisputed number one receiver in the entire league? 

Absolutely not.

There Are Several Wide Receivers Better Than CeeDee Lamb

Lamb comfortably ranks in the Top 10 list of best receivers in the NFL. But he’s far from the upper tier of elite receivers in the game. There are at least three players who boast a better case for that title than Lamb.  That list includes Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, and Ja’Marr Chase. In case you were wondering, these are my top three receivers in the league.

But who’s the best? I’m glad you asked.

Below is my list of where these three guys rank. I need to let you know I’m not going to do a deep dive into a bunch of random statistics to make an argument. I want this to be fun, so I’m going to use some fun (albeit far more subjective) standards by which I rank them. Each player gets ranked by a score of 10 in three categories, and the highest combined score wins.

Th measurements I'll judge them by are as follows: speed, route running, and “unguardableness,” the highly scientific metric that shows how hard it is to guard each receiver.

Without further ado, here they are.

No. 1 - Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase (1) holds a slight edge over the rest of the NFL's wide receiver pack. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

Speed = 10, Route Running = 9, Unguardableness = 10 (29 total)

In a game against the Seahawks, Chase wore a chain with a jewel-studded 7/11 pendant. The bling indicated that he believes he’s always open, and he’s right.

Chase beats defenses in a variety of ways at all levels of his routes. What makes him great is that he’s content with finding open space and exploiting what defenses give them instead of forcing the issues. Chase runs exceptional routes, stops on a dime, and is crafty after the catch.

He’s not as fast as the others on this list, but his speed in tight areas makes makes up for that "deficiency." That’s why he’s the best receiver in the game, though not by much.

No. 2 - Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson is one of the league's most electric players. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Speed = 9 Route Running = 9.5, Unguardableness = 10 (28.5 total)

Jefferson’s case comes primarily from the fact that he simply can’t be stopped even if you key in on him. A 2022 game against the New England Patriots illustrates this point well.

Bill Belichck consistently makes offenses win by taking away their best option. Jefferson is Minnesota’s best option, so New England keyed in on stopping him. 

Despite all of the attention thrown his way, Jefferson still had nine receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. 

I still give Chase the slightest of edges on route-running because of his ability in short areas, but these guys are pretty interchangeable. Jefferson will be a nightmare for defenses for a long time.

No. 3 - Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Whether in Kansas City or Miami, Tyreek Hill has shown he's one of the NFL's best wide receivers. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Speed = 10, Route Running = 8, Unguardableness = 10 (28 total)

Nicknamed “The Cheetah,” Hill does one thing better than anyone else in the league: run. No one can keep up with this guy in a foot race, and he runs by double teams like they’re nothing. Because he’s so fast, defenders often play softer coverage on him, and he exploits that coverage with his route running. And once he’s got the ball in his hands, it’s over. 

He’s slightly below the others because he often just runs past everyone and therefore doesn’t have to run intricate routes as much. But there’s a reason he’s leading the MVP conversation right now.

I didn’t even mention Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen, A. J. Brown, Mike Evans, or Amon-Ra St. Brown. The bottom line is that Lamb does not have a case to be considered the best receiver in the NFL.

Like I said, he’s certainly in the Top 10. He could climb that list in the coming years, since he’s only 24. But he’s got a long way to go before he or Prescott crown him the best receiver in the NFL.