Not too long ago, ESPN began a new feature on their website, wherein eight writers associated with ESPN rank the top 10 players at a given position. They started this past Tuesday with the wide receivers. Here’s the link to the original article: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/33997/power-rankings-top-10-nfl-receivers
Whatever you may think of ESPN and their coverage, it’s inarguable that they can at least think up some good talking points. While I was probably going to do a similar set of lists closer to the season, it makes more sense for me to critique these lists and provide my own take, rather than coming up with them again in a few months.
ESPN’s list consists of:
1. Andre Johnson
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Roddy White
4. Calvin Johnson
5. Reggie Wayne
6. Greg Jennings
7. Dwayne Bowe
8. DeSean Jackson
9. Brandon Lloyd
10. Brandon Marshall
Others mentioned in the article as receiving votes or being snubs includes Hakeem Nicks, Vincent Jackson, Wes Welker, Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes, Miles Austin and Marques Colston.
Ok, at least they got the first six relatively right. While my opinion differs slightly in terms of where guys like Calvin Johnson and Reggie Wayne are ranked, I agree that those are the top six receivers in the NFL right now. However, they start to veer into the questionable once we arrive at seven. I like Dwayne Bowe, I do think he’s a top 20 receiver, maybe even top 15, however certainly not top 10. His down year in 2009 and overall lack of explosive plays before this season leads makes me hesitant to put him this high. He just needs more time to prove that he is what we saw this season. Brandon Lloyd never topped 1,000 yards receiving before this season and couldn’t find a home in San Francisco, Washington or Chicago. That alone should explain why he shouldn’t be here.
DeSean Jackson is the one I’m going catch some heat for. Jackson is definitely one of the top playmakers in the NFL right now and is unquestionably the most explosive player at his position. However, that is all he really has going for him. Think about it, when the Eagles make into the red-zone, how often is Jackson really a factor? The only times I see him score once the Eagles are inside the 20, is when they run a play designed to get him in space, like a bubble screen. Otherwise he just isn’t dangerous in that area. That’s where fellow receiver Jason Avant and tight end Brent Celek make their impact. That limitation is the only thing really keeping me form elevating him into the top 10.
Brandon Marshall should’ve jumped all of those previously mentioned players. While he didn’t have his greatest season this past year, he remains one of the best pass catchers in the NFL. He has the size and athleticism to dominate the field and has perhaps the best hands in the game right now. The only thing is really lacks is blazing speed, but even that is off-set by his ability to create separation with size and quickness.
Now that I have covered that, here’s my top 10.
1. Andre Johnson – Simply dominant. Excels at every aspect of being a receiver.
2. Larry Fitzgerald – Almost as dominant as Johnson. He doesn’t show the long speed or quickness enough to surpass Johnson right now. He has them, but they appear in spurts while Johnson’s speed is a constant factor.
3. Roddy White – He doesn’t have the same kind of reach or size that Fitz or Johnson has (White is 6 foot even while Fitz and Andre are 6-3), but he has emerged as one of the more dominant receivers in the NFL the past few years. He is as balanced as the previous two, but his smaller stature forces him to rely more on his quickness and speed to succeed.
4. Reggie Wayne – While he may have lost a step in terms of pure speed, however that doesn’t change his standing as one of the best. What he may be losing in terms of athleticism, he has made up for with his superior knowledge and still strong quickness. He just does everything well.
5. Greg Jennings – A true blazer, Jennings is also surprisingly tough enough to fight through some tackles. He is a threat to score from everywhere on the field and is a well-defined route runner. He could be stronger, but for his size he is still pretty strong.
6. Calvin Johnson – Ultra-talented, with size, speed and soft hands. However, he hasn’t produced as consistently as the previously named receivers. While part of that has to do with an ever changing quarterback situation, a greater portion of that has to be attributed to him. His route-running his not always precise.
7. Brandon Marshall – Vacuum-like pass catcher with great size with the ability to run away from most corners. He doesn’t really have game-breaking speed, but he has more than enough speed to get away from most corners. His less-than-stellar first season with the Dolphins shouldn’t knock him too far down the rankings.
8. Marques Colston – A touch faster than Marshall, Colston has been the very model of consistency since joining the NFL in 2006. He does is sort of a combination of Wayne and Marshall. Like Wayne he does all the little things right and like Marshall he catches everything thrown his way. He gets underrated because he isn’t particularly explosive and because Drew Brees does such a good job of distributing the ball around. That shouldn’t take away from the fact that Colston would excel with almost any quarterback.
9. Hakeem Nicks – There may not be a more natural pass catcher in the whole NFL right now than Hakeem Nicks. If he had only played another season or two at the level he played last season (when he was healthy) he’d probably be right at the top of this list with Fitzgerald and Johnson. He has great size and surprising speed which makes him a dangerous receiver to try and match up against. His lack of experience and inability to stay healthy keep him down on the list, but he catches the ball like most people breath, just naturally.
10. Santana Moss – Most of you are looking at this and questioning my sanity, or at least my credentials. Here’s the thing, Moss had a great year and has been very consistent over the course of his career. Moss was so explosive in the early portions of his career, but as his speed has faded, he has become savvier as a route runner and coverage reader. He had solid hands and knows how to find holes in coverage. He plays a lot like Donald Driver, using less than elite skills to produce like an elite player. However he is like DeSean Jackson five or six years in the future. He had the same kind of blazing speed, but he was able to turn himself into a complete receiver through years of practice and experience. That’s why he is able to be productive and, in-spite of losing his speed the reason I put him ahead of Jackson.
So that’s my top ten. Most are probably not going to agree with my choices, but if that’s the case, at least provide some rationale as to why you disagree with me. Next time will the runningbacks. Until then, I leave you with the receivers 11 through 30.
11. DeSean Jackson – While a great playmaker, he is incomplete as a receiver and needs to become more of a threat in the red-zone.
12. Mike Wallace – Wallace is really a burner who has settled into his role as a primary receiver. He refined his route running between his rookie and sophomore seasons, but further refinement is needed.
13. Miles Austin – Has shown the ability to be an explosive receiving threat, however his impact was reduced this past season.
14. Santonio Holmes – In spite of missing the first four games of the season due to a league imposed suspension, Holmes quickly took over the role of the lead receiver with the Jets once he was back on the field. Great balance of hands, quickness and long speed.
15. Dwayne Bowe – Soft hands, good size and speed, Bowe has all the tools to be an elite type receiver. However he needs to produce the way he did this year more consistently.
16. Wes Welker – Great hands and quickness, however he is hurt by the lack of burner pulling coverage away.
17. Hines Ward – Most complete receiver to ever play the game. If he was a few years younger he’d be in the top ten.
18. Sidney Rice – Another receiver who could’ve been top 10, if only he hadn’t missed the majority of the season because of a hip injury. When healthy, Rice is like a younger version of Randy Moss, using his great size and long speed to make big plays. If he recovers from his hip injury well, he’ll return to the elite at the position.
19. Vincent Jackson – He might work his way back up if he actually plays the whole season. He can be a burner, but he needs to be more consistent.
20. Kenny Britt – If Britt could have a more stable quarterback situation, he would be an All-Pro. He is very good at using his size and speed to make plays.
21. Jeremy Maclin – Is young and needs to make more big plays, but has all the tools. Maclin is definitely more complete than teammates Jackson and thrives in the area where Jackson fades, the red-zone.
22. Anquan Boldin – Boldin is perhaps the toughest receiver in the league and still knows how to produce, in spite of the loss of Larry Fitzgerald.
23. Braylon Edwards – Just look at the Monday night game against Miami, where Edwards missed the first quarter and still almost singled-handily won the game for the Jets. That’s the kind of impact he can have when he is on. But he needs to be more consistent.
24. Johnny Knox – Knox can blow the top off any defense and forces the defensive backs to play further back. He needs to work on refining his routes and getting better at playing the middle of the field.
25. Derrick Mason – Mason is a lot like Ward, only without the tremendous blocking ability. He has been amazingly consistent over the course of his career, and makes plays in spite of less than stellar speed.
26. Michael Crabtree – Crabtree is very young, but he has a good amount of talent. As he gets more experience, he’ll become greater.
27. Steve Smith (Car.) – While Smith still has the ability to be explosive, that ability is beginning to fade and he needs a regular quarterback to bring him back to the elite.
28. Percy Harvin – The migraine issues have kept him down, but he has game-changing speed and good hands. He’s also a good returner.
29. Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) – In spite of having a down year, Chad still has the ability to be great. He still has good speed and quickness and is developing that same kind of coverage awareness that other veteran receivers on this list have.
30. Brandon Lloyd – He’s only here because he led the league in most receiving statistics this year. If he does it again, then we’ll talk about him being great, not just having a great season.
No comments:
Post a Comment