Skip to main content

Jordan VanekNov 9, 2023

Vanek ranks the NFL's top 24 wide receivers at the 2023 midseason, with Tyreek Hill first, and adds that Ja'Marr Chase will eventually become the league's best receiver and that Tee Higgins is one of the best No. 2 receivers in football.

Published in writing · The 33rd TeamRead the original

2 of 4calls landed2 hits · 1 close call · 1 miss · all settled
65.8Average accuracyout of 100, across 4 calls
75A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge
4 of 4Settlednone still waiting
0Waitingnot graded yet

What Jordan Vanek said

our reading, beside the words we read it from
Chase is close to surpassing Jefferson and will eventually be the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Jordan Vanek, the lead quote · each call’s own words are below
Where it was published
The 33rd Team
The piece
2023 NFL Midseason Top 24 Wide Receiver Rankings | The 33rd Team
  1. SaidNov 9, 2023
  2. GradedAug 5, 2026
  1. 1Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart“He is one of the best No. 2 receivers in football.”
  2. 2DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart“DeVonta Smith is the second-best receiver on his team but could be a No. 1 option elsewhere.”
  3. 3Top Player Lists“This article attempts to account for all those factors when ranking the league's top 24 wide receivers. NFL's Top 24 Wide Receivers”
  4. 4Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards“Chase is close to surpassing Jefferson and will eventually be the best wide receiver in the NFL.”

Box score

HitCloseMissWaiting
VerdictCallKindWhat happenedScoreNaiveSkill
Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart1Depth Chart CallsNo. 391.6791.670
DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart2Depth Chart CallsNo. 210091.67+12.5
“This article attempts to account for all those factors when…”3Top Player Lists—63.1750+19.76
Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards4Positional FinishesFinished #128.3366.67−87.5
4 calls · 2 hits · 1 close call · 1 miss · all settled65.875

How each call scored

a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive

4 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 positional finish and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 4 have settled, averaging 65.8 out of 100, against 75 for a naive guess at the same calls.

Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.

Their call against what happened

2They said
3What happened

Their call against what actually happened.

  1. 1Depth Chart CallsTee HigginsCincinnati Bengals

    Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart

    What happenedNo. 3called No. 2 · by receptions
    91.67Hit · naive 91.67
    91.67this call91.67a naive guess0better than naive1.5difficulty0skill
    How this was scored
    club:
    CIN
    skill:
    0
    player:
    Tee Higgins
    season:
    2023
    accuracy:
    91.67
    baseline:
    91.67
    position:
    WR
    naive slot:
    2
    actual slot:
    3
    difficulty:
    1.5
    measured by:
    receptions
    the naive guess:
    where he sat last season
    weeks in the season:
    18
    predicted slot:
    2
    weeks left when called:
    9
    Think this is wrong?
  2. 2Depth Chart CallsDeVonta SmithPhiladelphia Eagles

    DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart

    What happenedNo. 2called No. 2 · by receptions
    100Hit · naive 91.67
    100this call91.67a naive guess8.33better than naive1.5difficulty+12.5skill
    How this was scored
    club:
    PHI
    skill:
    12.5
    player:
    DeVonta Smith
    season:
    2023
    accuracy:
    100
    baseline:
    91.67
    position:
    WR
    naive slot:
    1
    actual slot:
    2
    difficulty:
    1.5
    measured by:
    receptions
    the naive guess:
    where he sat last season
    weeks in the season:
    18
    predicted slot:
    2
    weeks left when called:
    9
    Think this is wrong?
  3. 3Top Player Lists

    “This article attempts to account for all those factors when ranking the league's top 24 wide receivers. NFL's Top 24 Wide Receivers”

    VerdictClose
    63.17Close · naive 50
    63.17this call50a naive guess13.17better than naive1.5difficulty+19.76skill
    How this was scored
    naive:
    a coin-flip ordering scores 50
    skill:
    19.76
    placed:
    24
    season:
    2023
    players:
    24
    accuracy:
    63.17
    baseline:
    50
    by position:
    WR 24: 63.17
    difficulty:
    1.5
    weeks in the season:
    18
    could not place:
    0
    weeks left when called:
    9
    Think this is wrong?
  4. 4Positional FinishesJa'Marr ChaseCincinnati Bengals

    Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards

    What happenedFinished #12called #1 · by receiving yards
    8.33Miss · naive 66.67
    8.33this call66.67a naive guess−58.34worse than naive1.5difficulty−87.5skill
    How this was scored
    skill:
    −87.5
    player:
    Ja'Marr Chase
    season:
    2023
    zero credit this far off:
    12
    accuracy:
    8.33
    baseline:
    66.67
    position:
    WR
    ranked by:
    receiving yards
    difficulty:
    1.5
    the naive guess:
    where he finished last season
    weeks in the season:
    18
    naive finish:
    16
    actual finish:
    12
    weeks left when called:
    9
    predicted finish:
    1
    Think this is wrong?
  5. All

    The take as a whole

    the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once

    65.8naive 75

Others on the same people

More depth chart calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.