The Top 10 Wide Receivers In The NFL, We Think...

Where does T.O. rank on the list? Read on to find out...
We've done this before, and this doesn't have just my biased opinion on the best. So, we brought in a couple of consultants and one loyal reader to give us 5 varying opinions on the best flankers, split ends, and slot receivers in the league.

Big thanks to Antone (www.yougotdunkedon.com), Michael (www.mkrob.com), Kenny (ETSF & www.kennymasenda.blogspot.com) and fan favorite B. Lew repping The Great State of Texas. Oh yeah, I chimed in with my own 2 cents as well.

Here we go. (Notation provided by Antone and Ed)

10. Plaxico Burress: Wow, this was a tough decision, because who knows what's going to happen to Plax next season, but he has to make the list, for now at least. One of the best playmakers in the NFL in the redzone, Plax probably would have been good for 10 plus TDs again this season, if not for, you know, that little incident with a gun and his leg.

9. Calvin Johnson: Truth be told, by this time next year, this guy could shoot up all the way to #2 on this list. I probably could put him there now and it wouldn't cause TOO much argument, but for now I have to leave him behind some other strong WR who have been doing it a lot longer than he has. There's not to many WR who would make this list after having just one great season.

8. Brandon Marshall: In the same mold of Calvin Johnson, except I think Brandon thinks he's the best receiver in the league right now. That's not a bad thing, but he's got to work on his game some more. He's put up consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, makes big-time catches, and he is a real problem in the open field. If he can stay consistent for a full season, he might be top 5 in 2009.

7. Terrell Owens: Love him or hate him, when he isn't dropping passes, he's usually getting into the endzone. He's scored double digit touchdowns in 8 seasons over his career, including 3 straight with the Cowboys. I could probably bump him up to third on this list, but I dinged him a spot for all the drops he's had the last few seasons.

6. Anquan Boldin: I initially was not going to include Boldin on my list, but after looking things over, he is one of the few WR's left who has a track record of more than a couple good seasons, who is still in the prime of his career. Boldin is a tough SOB after getting knocked out against the Jets and coming back to play after a face fracture, but he is also is a really damn good WR, who could be someone's # 1 wideout next season.

5. Reggie Wayne: Wayne is a consistent WR who has 5 straight years of 1,000 yards and more than 77 catches. He has replaced Marvin Harrison as Peyton Manning's go-to-guy. The only question about him is if he is a product of Peyton Manning's greatness or if he is just a real damn good WR.

4. Steve Smith: Smith is big time play maker who has got to be considered one of the Top 5 WR in the NFL. He puts up big numbers despite playing with a not-so-great QB. Yeah, I'm talking about YOU, Jake Delhomme. Makes you wonder what he would do with a Pro Bowl level QB. I'd love to see him in San Diego's offense, who loves to throw the deep ball.

3. Andre Johnson: Johnson is certainly a beast, but he has two knocks against him. The first is that he is seen as an injury prone player. However, he has played in 16 games in 4 of the 6 seasons he's played in the NFL, so that knock is not 100% true. The second is that he has never scored more than 8 TDs in a season and to be a great WR, you need to get into the endzone more frequently than that.

2. Randy Moss: I strongly considered Andre Johnson for the # 2 spot, but the fact is that Moss is still averaging more yards per catch and scoring more TDs than Andre Johnson is. Combine that with his history and I have to put Moss at # 2, at least for now. In a year or two, it might be a different story.


1. Larry Fitzgerald: Like you didn't know Larry was gonna be #1 on the list after this and that was before his performance against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game and his almost legendary performance in the Super Bowl. Larry is going to have some big expectations to fulfill next season, but seeing that he is part Jerry Rice and part Randy Moss, I think he'll have no problem seeing through on those expectations.

Here's the breakout by contributor...



Here's the points breakout...(#1 rank = 10 points, #2 rank = 9 points, etc.)



Who's your Top 10? Did we get it right? Probably not...chime in with your thoughts and enjoy the Pro Bowl this Sunday. Who's down for going to Miami next year for the Pro Bowl?

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com