2017 Top 10 NFL Receivers

1. Julio Jones

Stats

Receptions: 83, Yards: 1409, TDs: 6, YPR: 17, Catch%: 64.3

This was a tough call but Julio Jones has ascended to the spot of number one receiver in the NFL. Honestly most of the NFL and myself are probably a year late on this as Julio had an even better year last year but Jones was phenomenal again despite missing a few games to injury and playing hurt through others. He is an absolute matchup nightmare and that is where ultimately he gets the edge over the more accomplished Antonio Brown of the Steelers. At 6’4 with 4.3 speed one cornerback alone on a island just has no chance. Like Brown Jones is a technically sound receiver who runs terrific routes, has great hands and ball skills. It honestly is not fair that a guy this tall runs routes this well. The only other 6’4 receiver that I have seen run routes as well as him is his draft classmate AJ Green. Typically the taller guys cannot get in and out breaks quickly on all of their routes the way the smaller guys can or simply lack the footwork. This is a non issue for Jones. He is a major big play threat which his 17 yards per catch average put on display. He ranked 4th in the NFL in that category and was first among receivers that caught over 60 balls. He is both an elite deep threat and a guy that can get it done short or at the intermediate level. A big part of Jones value is his ability to occupy so much of the defenses attention that it really opens up things for his teammates. Now a lot of number one receivers actually do this for their team but Jones seems to strike an extra level of fear in the hearts of opposing defenses.

2. Antonio Brown

Stats

Receptions: 106, Yards: 1,284, TDs: 6, YPR: 12.1, Catch%: 64.3

Antonio Brown had been regarded as the de facto number one receiver in the game for the past few season until 2016 but his fall to number two was more about Julio’s emergence more so than Brown declining in any way. Brown was his normal terrific self in 2016 and his only short comings against Julio are psychical as he is still the best technician at the receiver position in the NFL and if he was 6’4 with 4.3 speed, he would be the game’s best receiver. But even at 5’10, 180 he is still better than everyone not named Julio. Brown is not just the league’s best route runner he is in a legendary tier of route runners like Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.  If you just watch a Steelers game one consistent theme when the Steelers are on offense is that somehow the guy wearing 84 in the black and gold is open. How a guy his size that is without elite speed has been able to put together four straight seasons of 100 catches is honestly a remarkable feat. He has been one of the most productive receivers in NFL history since 2013 and is well on his way to Canton.

3. Odell Beckham Jr.

Stats

Receptions: 101, Yards: 1,367, TDs: 10, YPR: 13.5, Catch%: 59.8

There is definitely some things not to like about Odell from a personality and intangibles stand point but his on the field ability is as good as any receiver in the league. There are a lot of great receivers with great hands in the NFL but nobody has better hands than this guy when he is on his game. He is so good at making the spectacular catch that if he cannot make the catch then the catch most likely is impossible to make. Beckham is an elite athlete at his position with very good speed and elite quickness and acceleration which combined with his crisp route running ability allows him to easily separate and leave corners constantly in a trail position. He explodes in and out of his cuts and can work all three levels of the field at a high level. Tougher than he is given credit for he is more than capable of going across the middle and making tough catches in traffic. He has elite leaping ability and goes up and high points the ball with ease. At only 5’11 he is better at securing the 50/50 ball than most players bigger than him. As talented as he is he needs to improve his focus as a football player. He is too easily rattled by opposing players and decided that an impromptu trip to Miami days before his first career playoff game to hang on a yacht would somehow be beneficial. He simply must become more mature and then we could easily be talking about the best receiver in football because on talent alone he is the most talented player at his position in the NFL.

4. A.J. Green

Stats

Receptions: 66, Yards: 964, TDs: 4, YPR: 14.6, Catch%: 66.0

Green had a phenomenal season while it lasted in 2016. He was only able to play 10 games before being lost for the year with a hamstring tear. However he was on pace to have 106 catches, 1542 yards and 7 touchdowns. Like Julio, Green is another freakishly good tall route runner. He does not quite posses the same level of athleticism as Jones but he is very smooth in his game. On top of his ability to get open he is one of the best in the game at making difficult catches. Green has elite ball skills and is excellent at going up and making difficult grabs, tight roping the sideline and keeping two feet in bounds or coming down in bounds in the end zone.

5. Mike Evans

Stats

Receptions: 96, Yards: 1,321, TDs: 12, YPR: 13.8, Catch%: 55.5

Mike Evans is a huge receiving target at 6’5, 230 with phenomenal leaping ability. He is one of the best in the game at just going up and getting the ball and thrives making contested catches. He has a humongous catch radius and terrific ball skills. Coming out of college there were concerns that he would never be able to separate consistently and though he will never be confused with Antonio Brown in that regard I think he has disproved those theories. He has become a better route runner since entering the league and though he does have a lot of contested catches he gets open more than a lot of people thought he could coming out of college. He is a major redzone threat given his size and athleticism and at the end of the day there is tremendous value in having a receiver like this who when things break down the QB can just throw it up in his vicinity and he has a good chance to come down with it.

6. Jordy Nelson

Stats

Receptions: 97, Yards: 1,257, TDs: 14, YPR: 13.0, Catch%: 63.8

Jordy Nelson missed the entire 2015 season with an ACL injury and there were questions about how long it would take him to get back in rhythm in 2016. The Answer was not very long. He bounced back like he never left posting very similar numbers to his terrific 2014 season. Nelson lead the NFL in touchdowns with 14 and showed no signs of rust after missing an entire season. Nelson still showed a lot of the traits that established him as a great receiver pre-injury. He is a fantastic route runner with really good hands and can get behind the defense.

7.   T.Y. Hilton

These days most receivers with Hilton’s physical profile see the majority of their snaps in the slot. However, being 5’10, 180 pounds has not stopped Hilton from being one of the best receivers in the NFL and one that can do it outside the numbers. Hilton is one of the best deep threats in the game. He is an absolute burner that eats up opposing corners cushions in a hurry and can not only get behind the defense but work all three levels of the field. He has had some good seasons in the past but 2016 was his best year yet.

Stats

Receptions: 91, Yards: 1448, TDs: 6, YPR: 15.9, Catch%: 58.7

8. Amari Cooper

Stats

Receptions: 83, Yards: 1,153, TDs: 5, YPR: 13.9, Catch%: 62.9

Cooper has his flaws but his raw talent is undeniable and it is clear that he is starting to harness all that talent and develop into an elite receiver. He is an elite athlete at the receiver position with 4.4 speed to stretch the defense and he has ridiculous explosiveness and quickness to go along with it. A big contributor to Carr’s breakout season in 2016 was the growth of this guy as a receiver. Cooper biggest improvement area had to be his hands and concentration. After finishing second in the NFL with 10 drops in his rookie year Cooper cut his drops down to 3 in his sophomore campaign. He also improved as a route runner. Given his impressive burst he is going to be even more dangerous as he continues to refine his route running ability.

9.  Doug Baldwin

Stats

Receptions: 94, Yards: 1,128, TDs: 7, YPR: 12.0-, Catch%: 75.2%

Baldwin is not a sexy name at the receiver position. Guys like Dez Bryant, Amari Cooper, and a host of others who did not make this list get more attention but Baldwin delivers more results. It may be because of his high usage in the slot over the years but in 2016 Baldwin was utilized more in an all-around fashion both in the slot and on the edge. He can truly play anywhere and can run routes well from multiple spots on the field which only increases his value. He is a very smart receiver that is especially effective at finding the holes in zone coverage and knowing how to sit in the holes of the zone defense. He is only 5’10, 190 but he plays bigger. He is not elite at it but he has the ability to go up and get 50/50 balls and make contested catches in the redzone. He catches well in traffic in general and has the ability to get behind defenses.

10. Michael Thomas

Stats

Receptions: 92, Yards: 1,137, TDs: 9, YPR: 12.4, Catch%: 76.0

2016 was the year of breakout rookies and Michael Thomas was yet another one from an amazing class. He was the most productive receiver on one of the best offenses in the NFL who already had one of the better receivers in the game on the team in Brandin Cooks. He is a big receiver at 6’3, 212 with huge hands and a nice catch radius and showed a knack for bringing in nearly everything thrown his way with a highly impressive 76 catch percentage. Thomas is not the fastest guy in terms of straight line speed but he has great acceleration and quickness for a guy his size. He had a better 3 cone and 20 yard shuttle time at the combine than smaller guys who outran him in the 40 like Will Fuller and Sterling Shepard. This was on display often as Thomas was often open because of his ability to create separation. By rookie standards his route running was highly advanced and he is way ahead of schedule on that front. If he can continue to build on his rookie year and get better he has the potential to be at the top of this list one day.