A good quarterback can make or break an NFL team, but in many instances, a good wide receiver can make or break a quarterback.

The prototypical wide receiver is tall enough that a 5’10” or 5’11” cornerback can’t cover him, he’s fast enough to get open, even in double coverage, and he needs sure hands to be able to secure a catch in traffic. The ability to block isn’t always a requirement, but it’s a bonus that can prolong the career of an otherwise mediocre talent.

What I Looked At to Compile My Rankings:

Wide receivers are primarily judged by the main receiving statistics – catches, yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns. What a wide receiver can do when he’s not paired up with an elite quarterback is sometimes the ultimate test; nearly any wide receiver can look good with Peyton Manning throwing to him, but what if his quarterback is an average talent? Can that receiver still get open and still make plays?

Individual accolades like Pro Bowl selections and AP First-Team All-Pro honors go a long way, as do AP Offensive Player of the Year awards (no wide receiver in the modern era has won league MVP). I also focused on what a receiver did in the postseason, when up against the stiffest competition. Did he disappear or did he make the best catches when the stage was the biggest?

Statistics don’t tell the whole story; I want to know what receivers would help a new team – with a completely random quarterback, in a new offense, and in a new system. Is the receiver physically powerful enough to make plays, or did he succeed largely because of his quarterback/head coach?

I ranked 100 receivers on this list, so I broke the article into three parts for easier reading. This part will focus on the receivers ranked 100 through 51; Part II will include wide receivers 50 through 21; and Part III will be for the game’s 20 greatest wide receivers of all-time.

The Rankings:

Otis Taylor (ranked #100) was an underrated member of the Hank Stram/Len Dawson Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and one of the better AFL receivers in history… Tony Hill (#99) wasn’t as good as his receiving mate, Drew Pearson, but he, Pearson, and Tony Dorsett helped the Dallas Cowboys become the first team in history with two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard running back in one season (1977)… Bill Groman (#98) essentially had two seasons, but they were historically great. He set a rookie record with 1,473 receiving yards, a still-standing mark that Groman managed to achieve in just 14 games. Groman’s 29 touchdowns in his first two campaigns are a record as well, even more than Randy Moss had (in four more games). It’s unfortunate Groman had a serious knee injury, for which he never really recovered from… Anthony Carter (#97) and Eric Martin (#96) had similar career numbers and played about the same time, but they were vastly different players – Carter was one of the smallest receivers in the league (listed at 168 pounds), while Martin was a big man at 6’1”, 207 pounds… Al Toon (#95) was a three-time Pro Bowler and 1986 AFC Offensive Player of the Year for the New York Jets before concussions forced him into early retirement at age 29.

Carroll Dale (#94) played 189 games over 14 NFL seasons and never had 1,000 receiving yards in a year (he topped out at 879), but he did make three straight Pro Bowls for the Green Bay Packers in the late ‘60s. He was remarkably durable and contributed as both a wide receiver and tight end… America’s favorite broadcaster to hate, Cris Collinsworth (#93), was a pretty good wide receiver back in the ‘80s for the Cincinnati Bengals. Collinsworth is the only WR in history to be at least 6’5, under 200 pounds (listed at 192), and actually start more than eight games. Collinsworth was probably headed to the Hall of Fame after six seasons, but he was out of the league at just 29 years old… Santana Moss (#92) is the lowest-ranked wide receiver on this list with at least 10,000 career receiving yards… Vincent Jackson (#91) has had an underrated career – he’s a six-time 1,000-yard receiver, four-time Pro Bowler, and (interesting fact) he’s the heaviest wide receiver (241 pounds) on this list… Joey Galloway (#90) managed to play 16 seasons and accumulate almost 11,000 receiving yards without making a Pro Bowl.

Mark Duper (#89) was half of Dan Marino’s star receiving tandem in Miami, and the college track star parlayed his speed into 8,869 yards, three Pro Bowls, and 59 touchdowns, as well as a pretty cool nickname (Super Duper)…  Warren Wells (#88) helped give Daryle Lamonica the nickname ‘The Mad Bomber’, and Wells totaled 3,332 yards and 36 receiving touchdowns over a three-year span from 1968-1970 before legal troubles ended his career prematurely… John Gilliam (#87) was arguably the fastest man in the NFL for the 1970s, making four Pro Bowls and finishing with five career touchdowns in just seven postseason games… Former AFL star Gary Garrison (#86) teamed with Lance Alworth to give the San Diego Chargers a top-notch receiving duo in the late 1960s and early 1970s… Harlon Hill (#85) is one of just four wide receivers in league history to make two First-Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons, earning NFL Rookie of the Year (1954) and then NFL Player of the Year (1955).

Only Tim Brown, Cris Carter, and Isaac Bruce had more receiving yards and touchdowns than Tony Martin (#84) from 1995-1999… The 5’9”, 185-pound Wes Welker (#83) is arguably Bill Belichick’s greatest invention; it could be argued that no player has ever been more effective from the slot position. Welker averaged 112 receptions over a six-year span in New England, leading the league three times. He has five seasons of 110 catches; no one else has ever had more than three. It’s tough to know what Welker would have been without Tom Brady/Belichick, but you can’t dispute his on-field results too much… John Jefferson (#82) is one of just five players in history to post 3,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons, although his career trailed off after he left the Dan Fouts & Don Coryell offense… Lynn Swann (#81) is a vastly underwhelming Hall of Famer who never had 1,000 yards in a season, but he performed exceptionally well in the postseason; his 907 career playoff receiving yards in 16 games would be his single-season high, and his 1975 Super Bowl MVP performance is one of the best ever. Keenan McCardell (#80) compiled over 11,000 receiving yards over 16 seasons with five teams; he was at his best with Mark Brunell and the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1996-2001.

Drew Hill (#79) was a key component of the Houston run and shoot offense, amassing 7,477 receiving yards over a seven-year span from 1985-1991… Green Bay Packers great Billy Howton (#78) wasn’t Don Hutson, but he actually broke Hutson’s career NFL records in both receptions and receiving yards. Howton was the first player ever with multiple seasons of 1,100 receiving yards… Gene Washington (#77) earned three AP First-Team All-Pro selections in his first four years; the only wide receiver to do it since is fellow San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice. That’s pretty good company… Wes Chandler (#76) once caught 1,032 yards in eight games in a strike-shortened 1982 campaign; that 129 yards-per-game average is still a single-season record. Chandler was a four-time Pro Bowler and made his mark with 106 receiving yards and a 56-yard punt return in the 1981 playoff game known as The Epic in Miami… Muhsin Muhammad (#75) isn’t a guy you remember as one of the best ever, but he’s one of just 14 receivers in history to lead the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns at any point; notables such as Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Cris Carter never did that. Muhammad is a member of the 10,000 receiving yards club, and his 85-yard touchdown in the 2003 Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots is the longest fourth-quarter score in the game’s history.

It’s a surprise that longtime Green Bay Packers end/wide receiver Boyd Dowler (#74) isn’t in the Hall of Fame; he made two Pro Bowls, was voted to the NFL’s 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team, and led the Packers to five NFL championships, including two Super Bowls. At 6’5”, 224 pounds, Dowler’s size was almost unheard-of in those days – I see him listed as both a wide receiver and tight end, but considering his absence in Super Bowl I allowed wide receiver Max McGee to thrive, I think it’s safe to say Dowler was a wide receiver. He finished his playing days sixth on the league’s all-time receptions list (474)… Anthony Miller (#73) could have a handful of Super Bowl rings if his career had gone differently; he played for the Denver Broncos (1995-1996) immediately before their back-to-back world titles and the Dallas Cowboys (1997) right after they won three championships in four years. Miller was a five-time Pro Bowler who once finished second to Darrell Green in an NFL’s fastest man competition… Carl Pickens (#72) is tied for fifth on the NFL’s all-time single-season receiving touchdowns list (17), and he’s one of just 10 receivers in history to average a 80/1,000/10 statline over a five-year span… Roy Green (#71) was certainly an interesting player. As a receiver, he totaled almost 9,000 yards over 14 seasons, leading the NFL in yards and touchdowns once each, and making two straight All-Pro teams with the St. Louis Cardinals. He took a kick 106 yards for a touchdown, intercepted three passes as a defensive back, and at one point was called by John Madden the NFL’s best overall player… Rob Moore (#70) started more games in the 1990s than any other wide receiver (146). He totaled over 9,300 yards, topping out with a league-high 1,584-yard campaign in 1997, which earned him a First-Team All-Pro selection.

The other half of Dan Marino’s receiving duo in Miami, Mark Clayton (#69) was just 5’9”, 177 pounds but parlayed his status as an eighth-round pick into a highly productive career that included five Pro Bowls and four double-digit touchdown campaigns, including a then-record 18 in 1984… Eric Moulds (#68) was at his best in even years, topping 1,000 yards four times – 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004, finishing one short catch shy of the 10,000-yard club (9,995)… Derrick Mason (#67) topped 1,000 yards eight separate times, and he’s the only NFL player with 10,000 receiving yards and 5,000 return yards. What keeps him from ranking higher is his lack of touchdowns; he averaged just 0.29 receiving touchdowns per game, the second-lowest rate of any receiver with 10,000 yards… Demaryius Thomas (#66) has played just six seasons. In the first two, he looked to be on his way to being a first-round bust. Then he caught an 80-yard pass from Tim Tebow in the playoffs and he’s put up 402 catches for 5,787 yards and 41 touchdowns in the four seasons since. Playing with Peyton Manning did wonders, but Thomas still put up a 105/1,304/6 statline with the ’15 version of Manning and Brock Osweiler. Thomas has an elite size/speed combination and a devastating stiff arm (just ask Ike Taylor)… Mac Speedie (#65) did his best work in the AAFC, but he still played at a high level in the NFL, leading the league in receptions in his final season. Both leagues combined, Speedie is one of three players to top his respective league in catches at least four times. He also has perhaps the greatest last name of any receiver ever, tied with Mike Quick.

Donald Driver (#64) had the good fortune of playing with both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, but he still finished as a three-time Pro Bowler with just over 10,000 yards… If Julio Jones (#63) can stay healthy, he could go down as a top-five wide receiver in league history. He’s fresh off a year in which he caught 136 passes for 1,871 yards, each of which is the second-best single-season mark in league history. Jones has averaged 112 yards per game since 2013, and his lifetime mark of 95.4 per game (albeit in just a five-year NFL career) is the highest ever… Joe Horn (#62) is often overlooked among the game’s top receivers of the early 2000s, but from ’00-’04, the only players with more receptions, yards, and touchdowns than Horn were Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens… In the regular season, John Stallworth (#61) was good, but in the postseason, he was simply exceptional. Stallworth caught a 75-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XIII, then a 73-yard game-winner in the following year’s Super Bowl. Stallworth’s 12 career playoff scores are more than any wide receiver ever except for Jerry Rice… Dante Lavelli (#60) was a key member of the Otto Graham/Marion Motley/Paul Brown Cleveland Browns. Lavelli’s nickname was Gluefingers because he was so sure-handed; he was a three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, three-time NFL champion, four-time AAFC champion, and 1975 Hall of Fame inductee.

I have A.J. Green (#59) ranked higher than both Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones – while Green’s peak hasn’t reached the level of DT or especially Jones – Green has been unbelievably consistent. He’s made five Pro Bowls in five seasons. He’s caught at least 1,000 yards every year of his career, averaging a 83/1,234/9 statline since entering the NFL… Harold Carmichael (#58) is not only the tallest wide receiver on this list; he’s the tallest in league history. Carmichael set an NFL record by catching a pass in 127 consecutive games… Dez Bryant (#57) has fewer receiving yards than Green, Jones, and Bryant, but he has significantly more touchdown catches, and that’s what puts Bryant higher. Dez already has three seasons with 12-plus TD receptions, and his lifetime rate of 0.70 TD/game is higher than every WR in history (min. 50 games) except Don Hutson and Randy Moss. He’s coming off a season plagued by injuries, but if Dez can stay healthy, he’s going to one day be enshrined in Canton… Tom Fears (#56) didn’t waste any time upon joining the NFL; despite being drafted as a defensive back, he led the league in receptions each of his first three seasons. It helped that he had Norm Van Brocklin/Bob Waterfield throwing to him, but still, Fears retired fourth on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list.

Rod Smith (#55) was the best receiver John Elway ever had, and he’s first all-time among undrafted players in career receiving yards (11,389). Smith had eight seasons with 1,000 yards and helped the Denver Broncos win two Super Bowls, putting up a 5/152/1 statline in the second one… Gary Clark (#54) isn’t in the Hall of Fame, but he had close to a Hall of Fame career. Clark was the 11^th player to surpass 10,000 receiving yards and the first ever with at least 50 catches in each of his first 10 seasons. That’s remarkable consistency… Billy Wilson (#53) was one of the better receivers of the 1950s, making six Pro Bowls and leading the NFL in receptions three times. The complete list of receivers to have done that? Lance Alworth, Pete Pihos, and Wilson… Like Demaryius Thomas, Roddy White (#52) was a first-round bust early on who turned into one of the great wide receivers of his era. White’s career is nearly finished, but he averaged a 94/1,286/8 line from 2007-2012 and didn’t miss a single game due to injury… Drew Pearson (#51) was extremely durable, missing just one game in his first 10 seasons. He was Roger Staubach’s top target, earning a trio of All-Pro selections. Pearson played in more postseason contests (22) than any other WR except Jerry Rice, and Pearson’s biggest moment was the 50-yard Hail Mary he caught from Staubach in the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Stay tuned for Part II, which will count down the wide receivers ranked #50-21.

Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5).

Posted by Cody Swartz

The oldest and wisest twin. Decade-plus Eagles writer. 2/4/18 Super Bowl champs. Sabermetrics lover. Always ranking QBs. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5).