ESPN ranks the 10 best WRs

[Couch-Potato]

1) Julio Jones
2) Michael Thomas
3) D Hopkins
4) OBJ

5) Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 26 | Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 11

Hill broke a close three-man race for the fifth spot because he wrecks a game plan like no one else. Since 2017, Hill has 21 receiving touchdowns reaching 20 mph, four more than any other player.

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The 4.2 40 speed helps, but that's not the only reason he breaks free.

"There are a lot of fast guys, but no one can take a shallow cross 80 yards like Tyreek," one NFL coordinator said. "He's got that football awareness to know where space is."

Many criticize Hill for choppy route running, pointing out that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid maximize his ability. But Hill does No. 1 receiver things each week. He caught 77% of his third-down targets last year (20-of-26), third best among receivers with at least 15 targets on that down. His 42 receptions of 20-plus air yards since 2017 is an NFL high.

"Vision is his No. 1 thing -- where to go, get there, angles, stop and go -- he just toys with guys," a different NFL coordinator said.

6) Mike Evans
7) Devante Adams
8) Keenan Allen
9) Chri Godwin
10) Amari Cooper

Honorable Mentions: Diggs, Thielen, Galladay, Green, Sutton

[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Julio Jones is so overrated.

Holy ****ing Stupid!! Dude is double teamed every play and is one of the top 2 in TDs and receiving yards each and every year. Dude is so freaking good

[Kiimo]

Most receiving yards on throws beyond 20+ yards downfield in a season since 2010:

◽ Tyreek Hill ('18) - 754
◽ Allen Robinson ('15) - 672
◽ Calvin Johnson ('12) - 652
◽ Jordy Nelson ('11) - 637
◽ Stefon Diggs ('19) - 635@Ihartitz: https://t.co/PQrOht2h1j

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) July 12, 2020

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

the reason Tyreek doesn't get many catches is because the catches he gets turn into touchdowns lol

He shortens drives. Herm Edwards would have hated that.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by DanT

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ame-just-speed

40.5 inch vertical in pads in a game situation? We need to put a cape on his uniform.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Do you realize that Hopkins would be open on every single play if he was in this offense

Do you realize Reek opens up the deep passing game better than any player in the league opening up every other receiver to feast underneath

[Kiimo]

Yes and Reek also has great ball tracking skills. Hopkins' skills in that area are superior though. Hopkins also catches everything.

I put Reek in the top 5 maybe top 3 I just think Hopkins is the best but they are very different receivers and they would compliment each other if they played together. It would be unfair.

[kccrow]

Some things to chew on...

I looked at all receivers that placed in the top 50 in either yards or receptions in the past 2 seasons. 27 make the cut. Taking 2 year averages for those players and re-ranking them by receptions, yards, and average of the two ranks gives you these lists.

Yards per season:

1 WR Michael Thomas
2 WR Julio Jones
3 WR DeAndre Hopkins
4 WR Mike Evans
5 WR Keenan Allen
6 WR Davante Adams
7 WR Robert Woods
8 WR Tyreek Hill
9 WR Kenny Golladay
10 WR Amari Cooper
11 WR Chris Godwin
12 WR Stefon Diggs
13 WR Jarvis Landry
14 WR Odell Beckham
15 WR Tyler Boyd
16 WR Tyler Lockett
17 WR Julian Edelman
18 WR D.J. Moore
19 WR Allen Robinson
20 WR John Brown
21 WR Emmanuel Sanders
22 WR Calvin Ridley
23 WR Larry Fitzgerald
24 WR Robby Anderson
25 WR Cole Beasley
26 WR Dede Westbrook
27 WR Mohamed Sanu

Receptions per season

1 WR Michael Thomas
2 WR DeAndre Hopkins
3 WR Julio Jones
4 WR Keenan Allen
5 WR Davante Adams
6 WR Robert Woods
7 WR Julian Edelman
8 WR Tyler Boyd
9 WR Stefon Diggs
10 WR Jarvis Landry
11 WR Amari Cooper
12 WR Mike Evans
13 WR Allen Robinson
14 WR Odell Beckham
15 WR Tyreek Hill
16 WR Chris Godwin
17 WR Larry Fitzgerald
18 WR D.J. Moore
19 WR Tyler Lockett
20 WR Emmanuel Sanders
21 WR Kenny Golladay
22 WR Cole Beasley
23 WR Dede Westbrook
24 WR Calvin Ridley
25 WR Mohamed Sanu
26 WR John Brown
27 WR Robby Anderson

Average of two ranks

1 WR Michael Thomas
2.5 WR DeAndre Hopkins
2.5 WR Julio Jones
4.5 WR Keenan Allen
5.5 WR Davante Adams
6.5 WR Robert Woods
8 WR Mike Evans
10.5 WR Stefon Diggs
10.5 WR Amari Cooper
11.5 WR Tyler Boyd
11.5 WR Jarvis Landry
11.5 WR Tyreek Hill
12 WR Julian Edelman
13.5 WR Chris Godwin
14 WR Odell Beckham
15 WR Kenny Golladay
16 WR Allen Robinson
17.5 WR Tyler Lockett
18 WR D.J. Moore
20 WR Larry Fitzgerald
20.5 WR Emmanuel Sanders
23 WR Calvin Ridley
23 WR John Brown
23.5 WR Cole Beasley
24.5 WR Dede Westbrook
25.5 WR Robby Anderson
26 WR Mohamed Sanu


As for reference of explosive plays, Hill ranks first in 40+ with an average of 7.0 (Mike Evans came in #2 at 6.5, while 3 players tied for #3 at 4.5 - Golladay, Cooper, and Lockett).

When it comes to 20+ yards, Julio Jones ranked #1 with 22.5, Mike Evans #2 at 21.5, Kenny Golladay #3 at 20.5, DeAndre Hopkins #4 at 19.5, and Tyreek Hill at #5 with 19.0.

With regard to TDs, Hill comes in #1 with 9.5 and then a 4-way tie for 2nd with 9.0 between Locket, DeVante Adams, Hopkins, and Thomas.

First down percentage puts Mike Evans #1, Golladay #2, Chris Godwin #3, Julio Jones #4, and John Brown #5.

If any receiver is criminally underrated, to me its Mike Evans.

Taking an average ranking of all the categories presented here (Rec, Yds, TD, 20+, 40+, 1st%) would result in the following average (Bolded top 10):

4.67 WR Mike Evans
5.67 WR Julio Jones
5.83 WR DeAndre Hopkins
6.33 WR Tyreek Hill
7.83 WR Michael Thomas
7.83 WR Kenny Golladay
8.83 WR Davante Adams
10.00 WR Chris Godwin
10.17 WR Amari Cooper
11.00 WR Stefon Diggs
11.33 WR Tyler Lockett
12.67 WR Keenan Allen
12.67 WR Robert Woods
12.67 WR Tyler Boyd
14.33 WR Odell Beckham
15.17 WR Jarvis Landry
15.17 WR John Brown
17.00 WR Allen Robinson
17.00 WR Calvin Ridley
17.83 WR D.J. Moore
18.17 WR Julian Edelman
19.17 WR Emmanuel Sanders
20.83 WR Robby Anderson
21.83 WR Larry Fitzgerald
24.00 WR Cole Beasley
24.50 WR Dede Westbrook
25.50 WR Mohamed Sanu

And that ranking really is about how I'd see the top 10.

Personally, I'd go

1. Julio Jones
2. DeAndre Hopkins
3. Tyreek Hill
4. Mike Evans
5. Michael Thomas
6. Kenny Golladay
7. Davante Adams
8. Chris Godwin
9. Stefon Diggs
10. Tyler Lockett

[dlphg9]

Julio has averaged 150 targets a season for his career if you take out the one season he played only 5 games. I couldn't imagine the numbers Hill would put up if he was targeted like Jones or Thomas.

In 2018 Tyreek had 137 targets, which is by far the most he's had. If you take his averages for catch percentage and yards per reception, and give him 200 targets like Jones has had his numbers would look like this

200 targets/127 rec/2159 yards/18 TDs

That would have been the record for most receiving yards in a season by almost 200 yards. He would have been tied for the 3rd most rec TD in a single season. If that happened we're not only talking about arguably the best season by a QB in history, but the greatest season by a WR in the history of the NFL.

Here are the avg amount of targets for the top 5 guys on the list (AVG include any season in which the player played over 50% of games)

1. Jones 150
2. Thomas 151
3. Hopkins 150
4. OBJ 143
5. Hill 104

Hill is a perennial 1st team all pro if hes targeted like those other guys. He got screwed in 2018 and should have been a 1st team AP WR, not flex. ****ing Keenan Allen got one of the spots ahead of him.

2018 1st Team WRs

Jones 113 rec/1677 yds/8 TDs
Hopkins 115 rec/1572 yds/11 TDs
Thomas 125 rec/1405 yds/9 TDs
Allen 97 rec/1196 yds/6 TDs

Tyreek Hill 87 rec/1479 yds/12 TDs

How in the **** did he not get on that list? Are receptions really that important to earn the honor from AP? Keenan Allen? Really? Hill had 10 less receptions, but almost 300 more yards and doubled his TDs.

Hill is criminally under rated, but Dez Bryant has our boys back. Says he's the 2nd best player in the NFL behind Mahomes. Dominique Foxworth thinks either Tyreek or Julio is the best WR in the league. Here watch this video.

[Rain Man]

Dez is correct. The thing about Tyreek is that game plans have to be built around him, possibly more so than any other WR in the league. He's unique, and one of the things that makes a player particularly dangerous is when he's unique. You can build a defense against those other receivers because they all match an archetype. There's no archetype for Tyreek Hill, so you can't pull anything out of your normal book against him.

I'm wondering why Ninkovich is being asked to speak on these things. He seems to have bad football takes. Foxworth may be a former bronco, but it seems that he has consistently good thinking and he's interesting to hear.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

Julio has averaged 150 targets a season for his career if you take out the one season he played only 5 games. I couldn't imagine the numbers Hill would put up if he was targeted like Jones or Thomas.

Now imagine the numbers Julio would put up with Mahomes throwing him the ball.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

Julio has averaged 150 targets a season for his career if you take out the one season he played only 5 games. I couldn't imagine the numbers Hill would put up if he was targeted like Jones or Thomas.

In 2018 Tyreek had 137 targets, which is by far the most he's had. If you take his averages for catch percentage and yards per reception, and give him 200 targets like Jones has had his numbers would look like this

200 targets/127 rec/2159 yards/18 TDs

That would have been the record for most receiving yards in a season by almost 200 yards. He would have been tied for the 3rd most rec TD in a single season. If that happened we're not only talking about arguably the best season by a QB in history, but the greatest season by a WR in the history of the NFL. >

Julio isn't the guy who gets fed because he needs to in order to be productive, like Michael Thomas and Deandre Hopkins. Jones averages 15 YPC over his career to Thomas' 11 and Hopkins' 13. Julio is the guy you feed because he's just so good it makes sense to feed him.

The only issues with Julio's game is that he's proven to be a bit injury prone and he doesn't score the TDs you'd expect from someone as incredible as he is. Oddly enough, Calvin Johnson had a similar issue.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

List is bullshit.

1. Hopkins
2. Tyreek Hill
3. Julio Jones
4. OBJ
5. Mike Evans
6. Michael Thomas

And i'm not sure that Amari Cooper and Devante Adams belong on that list over Diggs and Thielen.

And yes, i would still take Tyreek over Hopkins if i were building a team.

I've never really been impressed with Hopkins. He's one of those guys who just doesn't jump out at you. I'll watch him all season long and not think much of him only to realize he ended up with 1,500 yards from trash QBs lol He's really good at everything, but not the best at anything (I guess it's arguable that he's got the best hands), which is probably why I feel that way.

In any case, I'd probably say:

1. Julio Jones
2. Tyreek Hill
3. Mike Evans
4. Deandre Hopkins
5. Michael Thomas

But all of these are pretty close, IMO. I wouldn't get upset with any ranking as long as these dudes are in the top 5.