Top Five Wide Receivers: Comparative

For some reason, recent filler discussions across the NFL media dome have been focusing on who the best players at any given position are. While this is fun for generating discussion, they are completely pointless. Yet, they still got me thinking about something that is a bit more unique. That bred this list. Not only do I name the receiver I believe to be the best in the league today, but I also compare them to all-time greats at the position. It brings a bit more history to a somewhat band concept. So without further padding:



Honorable Mention: Randy Moss = Don Hutson


Randy Moss is no longer a top 5 receiver in the NFL, but regardless of his off-the-field antics and occasion to not give full effort, he is still one of the top 3 receivers to ever play the game of football and the most talented wide receiver to ever play the game. Never has one player brought the type of size, speed and, by all accounts, intelligence to the position that Randy Moss does. That kind of combination made comparing him to any other player really difficult. However there was always one image that came into my mind when I thought about it, and that was the image of Don Hutson catching deep passes from Arnie Herber. If you don’t know a lot about Don Hutson, watch one or more these clips.


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8074cbf8/Top-Ten-Records-Never-Be-Broken-Don-Hutson-TD-leading-seasons


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8074355e/Top-Ten-Single-Season-Performance-Don-Hutson


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d8012b87a/NFL-All-Time-Team-Don-Hutson


They should make the point.


While Moss hasn’t and probably could never be as dominant as Hutson was, he has been a very similar player. Like Hutson, he simply could out-run any and every player he played against and made defenses plan solely around him. In the worst case scenario, the quarterback could just throw it deep and Moss would always be able to get to the ball. Randy Moss and Don Hutson were both game changers. Only Jerry Rice can say that he was better than these two.


5. Greg Jennings = Charley Taylor


Before I get to the actual comparison, yes Greg Jennings is a better receiver than Randy Moss at this point in time. He has great hands, excellent route running and the speed to be a scoring threat from anywhere on the field. It’s that last quality that reminds me so much of the former Redskins receiver, Charley Taylor. Much like the former halfback turned wide receiver; Jennings has the ability to catch the ball anywhere on the field and score. However, unlike Bobby Mitchell and Bob Hayes who had a similar talent, Jennings has the ability to break tackles and is not quite as “sudden” as Mitchell and Hayes. In simpler terms, Jennings is less likely to wiggle through small opening to break big plays, but is more likely to run through tackles and fight for jump balls. His speed, refined route running and deceptive strength is all top notch.


4. Brandon Marshall = Cris Carter


Much like the former Vikings receiver, Brandon Marshall has just enough speed to be dangerous, but not enough to really be known as a blazer. What makes Marshall such a great receiver is the same thing that made Carter so dominant, his ability to catch a ton of passes. There are some stat heads who will say that he only caught so many balls because he was forced the ball. While it is true that he is one of the most targeted receivers in the league, he still produces better than most others who are similarly targeted, plus you don’t get that kind of attention without being extremely talented. While Marshall has yet to accumulate the kind of touchdown numbers that Carter became known for, he is actually producing far better than Carter did at the same point in his career. Marshall has had three 100 catch seasons, three 1,000+ receiving yards seasons and a single 10+ touchdown season. Carter had only one of these accomplishments during that same time period. He caught eleven touchdowns in 1989, his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Carter didn’t reach the 1,000 receiving yard mark until his seventh year in the NFL and he only caught more than 100 passes in two seasons for his whole career. If he keeps producing at his current rate, he’ll beat Carter to another prestige mark; induction into the Hall of Fame.


3. Larry Fitzgerald = Paul Warfield


This one was kind of tricky. Larry Fitzgerald has such a unique skill set that it is hard to think of player who is similar. Paul Warfield is definitely the closest I could come to Fitzgerald’s playing style. Both are receivers who have great speed and are able to outleap defenders for the ball. They both have solid hands that rarely allowed balls to touch thee ground. They both have used their size and leaping ability to make big plays as opposed to their excellent speed. Fitzgerald is probably the better leaper, but Warfield made bigger plays. Warfield’s career yards per reception were 20.1 while Fitzgerald’s is currently a paltry 11.3. While Fitzgerald’s numbers look a lot better at this point in his career than Warfield, but Warfield played on run dominant teams and was playing during a less pass intensive era of the NFL. Some may disagree with Fitzgerald being this low, but the next two receivers are just more balanced in terms of skill set.


2. Reggie Wayne = Steve Largent


This one was really difficult to do. Reggie Wayne has such a balanced skill set, that it makes it difficult to find an all-time great receiver who is similar. Most all-time greats have a defining characteristic, like Jerry Rice’s great hands or James Lofton’s blazing straight line speed. The only great I could think off that comes close to Wayne’s all-around skill set is former Seahawks great Steve Largent. Both Wayne and Largent have great hands and good speed, body control and toughness. Both have the ability to become unstoppable in spite of the best efforts of the corners he plays against. They both did this by simply outworking their opponents and having great chemistry with their quarterbacks. Ultimately, Wayne is much more talented than Largent was, but Largent overcame a bunch of obstacles to become the Hall of Famer he is. While Wayne’s numbers could be considered inflated because of how the league is nowadays and the quality of his quarterback, he still has to execute at a high level to be as a good as he is.


1. Andre Johnson = Terrell Owens


This was perhaps the easiest comparison that has appeared on this list. It’s pretty obvious why too, these two have very similar body frames, solid-to-great hands, depending on the season, and have been elite players at one point or another during their careers. Personality-wise, they seemingly couldn’t be more different. Owens has spent the majority of his career being a very me first person with a big mouth while Johnson seems to have taken a vow of silence. It is exceedingly rare to hear anything of note from him. However on the fields, whether it be a practice field or on game-day, these two consistently out-talent and out-work most of their compatriots. The thing that makes these receivers so special and so unique in the game their large frames; I can never remember receivers with such big, muscular frames being able to maintain the kind of speed that these two have had, for as long as they have been playing. It’s really this defining characteristic that makes them such a perfect match.



Author’s Note: Due to issues in the realm of life, the season reviews are indefinitely delayed. Honestly you’ll probably never see them on the blog, but they were a good learning experience. Thanks for the support.