Ranking top 10 QB-WR/TE tandems involving rookies: Packers, Bears, surprise NFC South team lead way

With the NFL’s free agency period and the NFL Draft now in the books, hope springs eternal for many of the league’s 32 teams in the lead-up to training camp and the 2025 season.

Front offices, coaching staffs and fan bases can daydream about how their new players will mesh together in the pursuit of postseason and Super Bowl contention. That’s why now is as great a time as ever to take a look at the top 10 pass-catching duos that involve rookies entering the upcoming season. 

For the sake of this exercise, running backs were not included in these rankings as they typically don’t emerge as primary options in most NFL teams‘ passing attacks. That means a rookie at quarterback, wide receiver or tight end was considered eligible in the construction of this list one can dive into below. Tandems with notable question marks at the quarterback position, the most valuable position in football and perhaps North American professional sports, will be listed lower in these rankings. Sit back, relax and get ready to project how these notable rookies will translate to the NFL with their veteran offensive playmaker in the 2025 season. 

New tandem: QB Anthony Richardson/Daniel Jones and 14th overall pick TE Tyler Warren

The rookie in this equation, tight end Tyler Warren, could easily be ranked a lot higher on this list, but the quarterback uncertainty is why the Colts duo isn’t higher. Warren set Penn State’s single-season catches record with 104 as well as the Big Ten Conference’s single-season receiving yards record by a tight end with 1,233 en route to being named the 2024 John Mackey Award winner, which goes to college football’s best tight end. He’s also incredibly versatile, becoming the only FBS player since at least 2017 with at least 30 snaps while lining up at tight end, slot receiver, out wide, in the backfield and a quarterback in a single season, per CBS Sports Research.

Problem is his likely starting quarterback Anthony Richardson is a total boom or bust: He was dead last in the entire NFL in completion percentage (47.7%) but first in the league in yards per completion (14.4) last season. That made Richardson the first quarterback to rank last in completion percentage and first in yards per completion since Washington rookie quarterback Heath Shuler in 1994. He’s also struggled to be available as a pro, playing in just 15 of a possible 34 games in his career (44%). That ranks as the second-fewest starts among 24 quarterbacks to start in Week 1 in each of the last two seasons, ahead of only Cleveland Browns disappointment Deshaun Watson’s 13, per CBS Sports Research. 

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New tandem: 25th overall pick QB Jaxson Dart and WR Malik Nabers

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is a budding superstar. As a rookie, he set New York’s single-season receptions record with 109. Nabers’ seven touchdown catches represented 46.7% of the Giants’ 15 team receiving touchdowns, which ranked as the second-highest share of a player’s team receiving touchdowns in 2024. He trailed only former LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr.’s 52.6% rate (10 of the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 19) last season.

However, there’s no guarantee the rookie in this equation, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart will play in 2025. General manager Joe Schoen made it clear he feels the rookie, who led college football in pass yards per attempt (10.8) in 2024, will benefit from sitting to start his career. Russell Wilson is currently entrenched as the starter. 

“Jaxson’s going to come in, he’s got to learn the offense, there’s a lot to learn, these NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute, so the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros [Wilson and Jameis Winston] already will be beneficial for him,” Schoen said on May 1. 

Schoen did say Dart has to be ready if “his number’s called and he has to go out and execute.” TBD on when this duo will actually be on the field together. 

New tandem: QB Bryce Young and 8th overall pick WR Tetairoa McMillan

Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan comes to the Panthers with elite size (6-5, 212 pounds) as well as plenty of production. He led college football in receiving yards (3,423, an Arizona program record) and catches of 20 or more air yards (35) over the span of this three-season collegiate career.

* Arizona program record

He could turn 2023 first overall pick quarterback Bryce Young’s career around. Young started slow with 12 total touchdowns to 19 total interceptions in his first 18 games, a span in which Carolina went 2-16 while averaging 12.3 points per game. However, he came back playing at a slightly higher level after his return from a midseason benching in 2024: Young racked up 20 total touchdowns to only eight total turnovers in his last 10 games, and the Panthers went 4-6 while averaging 23.1 points per game. It will be interesting to see if the Young from the second half of the season was mirage, or if that level of play, or higher, is here to stay.

New tandem: 1st overall pick QB Cam Ward and WR Calvin Ridley

Miami quarterback Cam Ward was the obvious choice for the Tennessee Titans, the owners of the 2025 NFL Draft’s first overall pick. He led college football with 39 passing touchdowns in 2024 while setting Hurricanes single-season records for passing yards (4,313) and passing touchdowns (39). That earned him the 2024 Davey O’Brien Award as the best quarterback in the nation and the 2024 ACC Player of the Year honors. 

He’ll have a dependable No. 1 wide receiver in the 30-year-old Calvin Ridley. He’s logged over 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two seasons since his return from a gambling suspension that wiped out his entire 2022 campaign. Ridley is one of 15 players in the entire NFL since 2023 with over 2,000 yards receiving (2,033) and over 10 receiving touchdowns (12). They’ll form a solid a tandem, and they could rise a lot higher on this list the more experience Ward gets at the NFL level. 

6. Jacksonville Jaguars

New tandem: QB Trevor Lawrence and 2nd overall WR/CB Travis Hunter

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 10 toes down for wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. They traded up from fifth overall to second overall to go get him, marking the first trade up into the top two picks for a non-quarterback since 1997 when the Rams went up to draft offensive lineman Orlando Pace. Pace went on to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame after 13 seasons, 12 with the Rams. 

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, became the first player in FBS history (since 1978) with either 1,000 or more yards receiving and three or more interceptions in a season or 10 or more receiving touchdowns and three or more interceptions in a season, per CBS Sports Research. He’s a special player. However, it’s unknown how much he’ll be able to see the field with quarterback Trevor Lawrence throwing him the football. Lawrence played in a career-low 10 games last season because of an AC joint sprain in his shoulder as well as a concussion. Injuries have been a recurring issue for Lawrence the last two seasons. 

Trevor Lawrence injuries, last two seasons

• Week 6, 2023: Knee sprain
• Week 13, 2023: High ankle sprain
• Week 15, 2023: Concussion
• Week 16, 2023: AC joint sprain
• Week 9, 2024: Severe AC joint sprain
• Week 13, 2024: Concussion

New tandem: QB C.J. Stroud and 34th overall WR Jayden Higgins

Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud quickly established himself as one of the better, young quarterbacks in the NFL with an outstanding 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign. He led the league in both touchdown to interception ratio (23-5) and passing yards per game (273.9) that year. He took a step back in Year 2 in 2024 in both categories (20-12 touchdown to interception ratio and 219.2 passing yards per game) while taking 14 more sacks (38 in 2023 to 52 in 2024). 

That’s why the Texans worked to get Stroud another weapon to make his life easier in the passing game with the second-round selection of Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins. He’s 6-foot-4 with an 80-inch catch radius, making him a strong target on short and intermediate routes as a red-zone jump-ball weapon. Higgins’ hands are also impeccable with only three drops on 209 targets at Iowa State since 2023. He could get meaningful snaps sooner rather than later as Texans No. 2 receiver Tank Dell and No. 3 receiver Christian Kirk both have lengthy injury histories. 

New tandem: QB Geno Smith and 58th overall WR Jack Bech

New Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith is one of the NFL’s most accurate passers. His 68.5% completion percentage since becoming the Seattle Seahawks‘ starting quarterback in 2022 is the third-best in the entire NFL, trailing only Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (69%) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (68.9%). His career-high 70.4% completion percentage and career-high 4,320 yards passing in 2024 both set Seattle single-season records. 

He’ll team up with All-Big 12 wide receiver Jack Bech, whom the Raiders selected 58th overall in the second round out of TCU. Bech comes with a polished route tree, decent size (6-foot-1, 214 pounds), solid hands and nice run after catch ability. He’ll likely be one of the Raiders’ starting wide receivers as a rookie, and he could put up nice numbers while working alongside young playmakers like 2024 first-team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and 2025 sixth overall pick running back Ashton Jeanty. 

New tandems: QB Caleb Williams and 10th overall TE Colston Loveland & 39th overall WR Luther Burden

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2024 overall first overall draft pick, had a decent rookie year statistically, excluding the fact that he took 68 sacks. That’s tied for the third-most in a season in NFL history. Some of that was on his offensive line but plenty of the blame fell on Williams as he learned the hard way that sometimes it’s better to just throw the football away. He joined fellow draft classmate Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud (2023) and Robert Griffin III (2012) as the only four rookies with 4,000 or more total yards and fewer than 10 interceptions in NFL history, per CBS Sports Research. 

Chicago handed him two rookie weapons at the top of the draft with its first two picks. The Bears selected Michigan All- Big Ten tight end Colston Loveland 10th overall and All-SEC wide receiver Luther Burden 39th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Loveland’s 582 yards receiving accounted for 34.7% of the Wolverines’ team receiving yards in 2024, the second-highest rate by any tight end in college football last season. He’s not a great blocker, but he’s a strong, fluid route runner over the middle. Loveland will compete for TE1 reps with Cole Kmet. 

Burden led the SEC in catches (192) during his three-year career at Missouri while racking up the second-most yards receiving (2,263) and receiving touchdowns (21) in the conference in that span. He thrives after the catch with 1,407 yards receiving after the catch, the fifth-most in college football across the last three seasons. Burden wasn’t asked to have an extensive route tree at Missouri: ESPN reported NFL teams asked the Tigers for Burden’s practice film in order to see him running more routes than what was put on tape during games. So, it will be interesting to see how fast he gets up to speed in the NFL as Chicago’s No. 3 receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. 

New tandem: QB Baker Mayfield and 19th overall WR Emeka Egbuka

Buccaneers Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield has completely revived his NFL career with Tampa Bay. In 2024, he produced the fourth season in NFL history with a completion percentage of at least 70% (71.4%) while throwing at least 40 touchdowns (41). The others to do so are Drew Brees (2011), Aaron Rodgers (2020) and Joe Burrow (2024). That’s incredible. Mayfield does need to be a little more discerning with his decision-making as he co-led the NFL in interceptions with 16 along with Kirk Cousins this past season. 

Tampa Bay gifted him a third solid wide receiver with the 19th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting Ohio State All-Big Ten wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Despite never being the Buckeyes’ No. 1 option in his four-year career, he left Ohio State as its all-time catches leader with 205. Egbuka has dependable hands and is outstanding out of the slot and over the middle of the field. He’ll start as Mayfield’s No. 3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but they both dealt with injuries last season. Egbuka could rise higher on the depth chart should injuries strike to either veteran wideout once again. 

New tandems: QB Jordan Love and 23rd overall WR Matthew Golden & 87th overall WR Savion Williams 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has begun his tenure as his squad’s starting quarterback in rousing fashion. Love’s 57 passing touchdowns since taking over for the departed Aaron Rodgers in 2023 are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL in that span along with 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen. That figure is also four more than Patrick Mahomes‘ 53 scoring strikes since 2023. Despite leading the youngest team in the NFL in each of the last two years, he and the Packers have reached the postseason in both 2023 and 2024. 

General manager Brian Gutekunst rewarded Love by drafting Green Bay’s first first-round receiver since 2002, ending the longest streak of not drafting an offensive weapon (RB, WR, TE) in the first round in the common draft era (since 1967). Packers head coach Matt LaFleur will likely insert Texas Longhorn Matthew Golden, the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine’s fastest wide receiver with a 4.29 40-yard dash, into Christian Watson‘s deep-threat role, with Watson recovering from a torn ACL. The SEC’s co-receiving touchdowns leader in 2024 (nine) could thrive there in the Packers offense. 

Golden wasn’t the only receiver Gutekunst gifted Love in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft. He also selected TCU Swiss Army knife wide receiver Savion Williams 87th overall (third round). Williams is an athletic freak: he measured in at 6-4, 222 pounds and ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His ceiling given those athletic traits is high. 

That’s why the Horned Frogs lined him at wide receiver, running back and Wildcat quarterback in 2024. Williams totaled 611 yards receiving and six receiving touchdowns to go along with 322 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns. By doing so, he became only the third player in college football within the last decade to cross the following benchmarks in a season: 600 or more receiving yards, five or more receiving touchdowns, 300 or more rushing yards and five or more rushing touchdowns. The other two college football players to do so in this span are Stanford All-America running back Christian McCaffrey in 2015 and Ohio State All-America wide receiver Curtis Samuel in 2016. LaFleur can get creative with how he wants to deploy Williams as a weapon in Love’s arsenal in 2025.