It's a good time to be an NFL wide receiver -- and it's only going to get better

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 0940 GMT (1740 HKT) September 6, 2022

(CNN)«I like to stop and appreciate stuff along the way.»

To be sitting in the famous black and silver of the Las Vegas Raiders, associated with toughness and winning, is a 21-year dream come true for Davante Adams. And sometimes, he likes to just soak it all in. It's March and the All-Pro wide receiver has just been traded to the Raiders after eight successful years with the Green Bay Packers, reuniting him with his college quarterback, Derek Carr. The move — which tore arguably the best receiver in the NFL away from arguably the best quarterback, Aaron Rodgers — sent the league into overdrive, in particular the wide receiver market. Adams looks on during the first half of the 2022 Pro Hall of Fame Game between the Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars.With Adams — who signed a five-year, $141.25 million contract with the Raiders after joining, making him the most expensive receiver at the time — the first big domino to fall in free agency, teams began to reevaluate their own position group, resulting in the fabric of the league being shaken up with big trades and even bigger contracts. Read MoreIn addition, the trend of teams selecting exciting receivers early in the draft continued, with seven being drafted among the first 34 picks. The historic success of Ja'Marr Chase last year as a rookie continued the run of first-year wide receivers producing from day one, whereas previously they might have struggled. So why have teams suddenly decided that the position group is one of such importance, and one which requires huge assets to be invested in? According to Grant Caraway, founder of wide receiver training site, First Down Training, a stylistic change to the