2026 CFL free agent rankings: receivers

Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL

It’s time to rank the CFL’s top pending receivers ahead of free agency.

This is a robust group of pass catchers with plenty of depth, but limited top-end talent. However, for those willing to gamble, there are plenty of reclamation projects to consider.

The league’s free agency communications window, often referred to as the legal tampering window, will be open from Feb. 1-8. During this time, all pending free agents will be allowed to negotiate with teams across the CFL without restrictions.

Some players will agree to terms on contracts with new teams during this time, though they can’t be signed until free agency officially gets underway on Feb. 10.

3DownNation has already ranked this year’s pending free-agent quarterbacks, running backs, and fullbacks. Check back tomorrow for our offensive line rankings.

These rankings were made based on feedback from 3DownNation contributors as well as CFL personnel people, who were granted anonymity.

Please note that “N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians), “A” denotes American players, and “G” denotes Global players.

Receivers

1) KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)

A former sixth-round NFL Draft pick, Johnson came into his own in the CFL in 2025, finishing fourth in the league with 1,159 receiving yards on 89 catches while adding four majors. He was a key part of the Riders’ first-place finish and earned All-CFL recognition, but it may be difficult for the team to retain him given what they have shelled out for Canadian receivers. At 29 years old, the six-foot-one, 201-pound target is in his prime and has averaged more than 68 yards per game during his time north of the border.

2) Tim White, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

The 31-year-old has been criticized for key drops and quiet stretches at points in his career, but his overall statistical production remains impressively consistent. With 84 catches for 1,016 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, White surpassed the thousand-yard mark for a fourth consecutive year, though his streak of all-star selections was ended despite finishing in the top 10 in CFL receiving. The five-foot-nine, 175-pound target has taken the Ticats down to the wire with high asking prices in the past, but will have to look elsewhere after mutually agreeing to part ways with Hamilton.

Courtesy: Dave Chidley/CFL.ca

3) Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Edmonton Elks (N)

The native of Ottawa, Ont., has struggled to recapture the All-CFL form that he had in 2022, but he has been consistently productive over six seasons in the league. Still just 28 years old, Gittens’ 777 yards receiving on 62 receptions ranked ninth amongst Canadians last season, and he has averaged nearly 50 yards per game since the pandemic. Given Edmonton’s lack of overall aerial success last season, he could be a prime candidate for improved production in a new system.

4) Dominique Rhymes, Calgary Stampeders (A)

Size mismatches aren’t easy to come by in the CFL, and even at 32 years old, Rhymes still offers one. The six-foot-four, 215-pound target is no longer the dominant outside playmaker we saw at his peak in 2022, but he still led the Stampeders with 50 catches for 886 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Miami, Fla., native can be a reliable field stretcher in any offence, even if he shouldn’t be your number one option anymore.

5) Dejon Brissett, Toronto Argonauts (N)

Brissett was highly coveted in the 2020 CFL Draft, but had failed to live up to the hype of being the second overall pick until this year. The 29-year-old blasted past his previous career highs with 65 receptions for 907 yards while adding three touchdowns to lead the Argos in receiving. Suitors will have to determine whether the Mississauga, Ont., native’s stats were inflated on a bad team, or if 2025 was a preview of a top-tier Canadian hitting his prime.

6) Joe Robustelli, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)

The six-foot-three, 220-pound target oozes potential and made the most of limited opportunities in the Riders’ loaded receiving corps, catching 59 passes for 544 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games last season. That included a 191-yard outing in Week 6 that should be proof of concept for what he can accomplish in a larger role. With just three seasons of high-level football experience, there is plenty of room for Robustelli to grow, but he’ll need to make a leap now at 28 years old.

Photo: Neil Noonan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

7) Dalton Schoen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The 29-year-old was the hardest player to place on this list, as he has only played eight games over the past two seasons due to back-to-back ACL tears and probably won’t be ready for the start of 2026. That will drive his price tag down and may be enough to scare some teams away entirely, though it is worth remembering what Schoen accomplished when healthy. The six-foot-one, 205-pound slotback led the CFL in receiving as a rookie in 2022 and earned All-CFL honours in each of his first two years, with a career average of 73.2 yards per game.

8)Tommy Nield, Saskatchewan Roughriders (N)

Nield may never have to buy a drink in Regina again, thanks to his game-winning touchdown catch in the West Final. That shouldn’t dissuade him from commanding a nice pay raise after proving he can be a valuable starting Canadian receiver. In 13 games last season, of which he only saw meaningful offensive snaps in 11, the Guelph, Ont., native produced 42 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns. Still just 26 years old, ‘Touchdown Tommy’ may not have reached his ceiling.

9) Ayden Eberhardt, B.C. Lions (A)

The Wyoming product finished last season with the sixth-most receptions on the B.C. offence, but amassed the 15th-most yards in the CFL thanks to some clutch plays downfield. The 27-year-old notched 45 catches for 863 yards and four touchdowns, with his 19.2 yards per catch being the highest for any qualifying receiver in the league. Those numbers came despite receiving just 13 targets of 20 yards or more, proving that Eberhardt makes the most of his opportunities.

10) Charleston Rambo, Montreal Alouettes (A)

The Miami product looked like a star in the making during his rookie season in 2024, going for 808 yards and five touchdowns, but took a step back last year. Rambo caught 54 passes for 585 yards and three touchdowns, downgrades in all categories, but is still only 26. Progress isn’t always linear, and he could be bounceback candidate in the right system.

11) Keric Wheatfall, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The Brenham, Tex., native saw his yardage total more than double in 2025, finishing with 42 receptions for 655 yards and four touchdowns. Even so, Wheatfall never delivered on his chance to become the Bombers’ number one receiver after Schoen was injured and faded after Ontaria Wilson returned from the NFL. At 26 years old, the six-foot-one, 187-pounder still has time to earn that title somewhere.

Photo courtesy: Ottawa Redblacks

12) Bralon Addison, Ottawa Redblacks (A)

After years of injury and reduced production, Addison put forth a resurgent campaign in 2025, notching 72 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns. While those were his best numbers since 2019, they were inflated by a pass-happy team forced to play from behind most of the year. The 32-year-old can provide valuable veteran leadership and experience to any unit, but is unlikely to see his statistical output grow again.

13) Steven Dunbar Jr., Edmonton Elks (A)

Any team offering Dunbar a contract will have to be certain which version of the six-foot-three, 202-pound pass catcher they are signing. He was an East Division all-star after 1,000-yard campaigns with the Tiger-Cats in 2022 and 2024, but underperformed in separate stints with Edmonton in 2023 and 2025. The 30-year-old collected 44 passes for 511 yards and two touchdowns last year, making him a solid contributor at the right price tag.

14) Shemar Bridges, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)

Bridges didn’t just take a step back in the Ticats’ offence last season; he nearly disappeared. The six-foot-four, 208-pound target caught 34 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns, being held to single digits in seven games. That was a far cry from 2024, when the 28-year-old was named an East Division all-star and a finalist for Most Outstanding Rookie. Can he find a way to get back to that level? We’ll find out.

15) Jerreth Sterns, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)

The five-foot-eight, 183-pound pass catcher has been a consistent role player over three CFL seasons, but has yet to truly breakout. A deal with Winnipeg last offseason was supposed to get him over the hump, but he again settled for a respectable 48 receptions for 530 yards and four touchdowns. The 26-year-old can be a complementary piece, and may have room still to blossom.

Best of the rest: Brendan O’Leary-Orange, Hamilton (N) | Malik Henry, Calgary (A) | Shawn Bane Jr., Saskatchewan (A) | Mitch Picton, Saskatchewan (N) | Arkell Smith, Edmonton (A) | Tyson Middlemost, Edmonton (N) | DaVaris Daniels, Toronto (A) | Dillon Mitchell, Winnipeg (A) | Luther Hakunavanhu, Ottawa (N) | Keaton Bruggeling, Hamilton (N) | Kody Case, Winnipeg (A)