Cris Carter's top 10 NFL receivers (BSPN)

rmoreno · Jul 31, 2013

The first thing I noticed when putting together my list of the league's 10 best wide receivers is that size really does matter. I was a big receiver when I played in the NFL. My head coach in Minnesota, Dennis Green, loved wideouts with plenty of size. So as I began compiling this list, my bias for the position became pretty apparent. It was going to be hard for the little guys to stand a chance when it came to deciding on my favorites.

That doesn't mean I completely ignored the smaller players. I'm only saying I had a hard time getting past all the physical freaks who now dominate the position. They are all over the league and they're doing things that only two or three players could do back in my day. These players also deserve credit for being more than exceptional athletes who happen to make a living in the NFL. They're all pretty skilled at their craft and they're going to be doing plenty of damage in the league for years to come.

That's why it was so difficult to determine the final group. I wanted to include Houston's Andre Johnson, but I can't say he's on the same level as these other guys anymore. The same is true for Reggie Wayne in Indianapolis. Even though they both had more than 100 receptions in 2012 -- and have enjoyed spectacular careers -- I had to leave them off my list because the competition was so tight.

Maybe I'd think differently about that once the season begins. For now, here's my list of the NFL's 10 best receivers heading into this year:

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit: This is the easiest pick on this list. Calvin Johnson isn't just the best wide receiver in the NFL. He's one of the best players, period. There are only a few teams where you'll find the head coach, general manager and strength coach all agreeing on who the hardest worker in their locker room is. Detroit is one of those teams. Johnson has the size (6-foot-5, 236 pounds) and speed (4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash) to dominate defensive backs on ability alone, but you can see the effort he puts into his game. He's gotten better at releasing off the line and beating double coverage, and his toughness is unquestioned. In short -- it will be a long time before his name ever leaves the top of this list.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona: I've known Larry since he was a ball boy with the Minnesota Vikings in the 1990s, so I will always have a hard time downgrading him. Even though he says he had his worst season this past year -- when he had 71 receptions and finished with only 798 receiving yards -- I didn't see a player who was struggling to do his job. Larry was open plenty during the 2012 season. He just ran into one of those situations where he didn't have a quarterback who could get him the ball consistently. In a typical season, he would've had his customary 1,200 to 1,300 yards easily. With Carson Palmer now under center in Arizona, Larry will get back to looking more like his old self.

3. A.J. Green, Cincinnati: There's no player who I enjoy watching more on film than Green. He's smooth in his routes, possesses fluid hips and his ball skills are tremendous. He can adjust to the ball no matter where it's thrown, and his feel for the game is sick. He also already knows plenty of veteran moves to create separation and get open. There's a reason why he's been to two Pro Bowls in his first two seasons. If Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton continues to grow, Green should be producing 100-catch, 1,400-yard seasons for a long time.

4. Julio Jones, Atlanta: It's not often that a player is as good as advertised, but Jones has been exactly that for the Falcons. A lot of people were stunned when Atlanta moved up to select him with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft (the Falcons traded five picks to Cleveland for that opportunity), but nobody is complaining now. Jones came into the league with a professional attitude, and he's also benefited from being coached by Atlanta receivers coach Terry Robiskie, who's one of the best in the business. From everything I've heard, Jones comes ready to work every day and has a grind-it-out attitude. There's no diva in this guy, even though he made the Pro Bowl in his second season. He's all about being as good as he possibly can be.

5. Brandon Marshall, Chicago: Marshall has turned the corner emotionally, and his maturity is apparent in Chicago. He's become a mentor to second-year receiver Alshon Jeffrey and has made a lot of tough catches for that offense. He's always been a good route-runner but now he does the little things, too: playing hurt, competing relentlessly, producing consistently. I honestly don't know if he's been 100 percent healthy over the past couple of years, but that's also another reason why he's earned his spot in this list.

6. Dez Bryant, Dallas: You're always going to have a Dez Bryant somewhere in the league, somebody who has to go through some off-the-field problems in order to reach his potential. I know exactly what that feels like. What I love about Dez is that everything you're starting to hear about him is encouraging. He's making good decisions. It's clear that football is important to him. He's getting into better shape. He played at a Pro Bowl level last season (92 receptions, 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns) and he should be even better this season. Of all the players on this list, he may have the highest ceiling of anybody.

7. Demaryius Thomas, Denver: If you like big receivers, then you have to love the 6-foot-3, 229-pound Thomas. He's the perfect example of a great athlete who blossomed into a complete wide receiver. You can see the improvement in his route-running over the past two years, the way he makes clutch plays and his consistency in catching the ball in traffic. Playing with Peyton Manning at this point in his career makes a huge difference, but his potential is through the roof. He's the prototypical big receiver.

8. Steve Smith, Carolina: At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Smith is the smallest receiver on this list. At 34 years old, he's also the oldest. But that's how much respect I have for his game. He's still difficult to single cover, and if you look at it from a pound-for-pound perspective, he's probably the strongest player in the league. No receiver on this list competes harder than Smith. The only real problem he's had is exposure. He's played on so many bad teams in Carolina lately that people sometimes forget how good he still is.

9. Roddy White, Atlanta: White is the consummate professional and a player who has really developed since coming into the league. He has great hands. He is a very good route-runner. And he's become a receiver who understands football at a higher level, especially when you see his feel for when to sit down in zone coverage and how to set up defenders. The more I think about it, White actually would be higher on this list if he wasn't playing with Julio Jones.

10. Percy Harvin, Seattle: Like Smith, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Harvin is another small receiver to make this list. He's also the most versatile player in this group. Some people may be surprised that I'm taking a guy who mainly plays in the slot and giving him this much love, but that's how special Harvin is. He's not in the slot because he's small. He's there because it gives his team the best opportunity to exploit his quickness and explosiveness. The issue with Harvin is health, as he's about to undergo hip surgery that will sideline him for three to four months. If he makes a full recovery, Harvin could be as dangerous as he was at the start of the 2012 season, when he was a legitimate MVP candidate in Minnesota.
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http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp...ining-camps-cris-carter-top-10-wide-receivers

Andre didn't make the top 10, . If this has already been posted lock it up....

HeyBudLetsParty · Jul 31, 2013

Wow just lost all respect for Cris Carter. Andre should defenitly be 2, Larry Fitzgerald didn't have half the year he did and he rates him 2. What a joke.

Houst0ne · Jul 31, 2013

This is why hes not in the hall of fame lol

REEKO_HTOWN · Jul 31, 2013

I like how he mentions Andre Mot being the same and puts Harvin who hasn't played a full season in his top 10. Lol

ItsMyFault · Jul 31, 2013

HeyBudLetsParty said: ↑

Wow just lost all respect for Cris Carter. Andre should defenitly be 2, Larry Fitzgerald didn't have half the year he did and he rates him 2. What a joke.
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Fitz and Andre are about even. The only difference is that Fitz hasn't had a reliable QB for the past 3 years.

RunninRaven · Jul 31, 2013

When I saw the list I did a double take and assumed this was put together two seasons when Andre was coming off some injury concerns...NOPE. Cris Carter is a moron. He downplays Andre on vagueries like "not being on these guy's levels anymore" which sort of sounds like he is getting penalized for being older...and then he rates Steve Smith ahead of him.

It would be one thing if he put Andre like 5th on the list and made good arguments for some of the young receivers having more potential (like Julio Jones and AJ Green) but to not even have him in the top TEN is ridiculous.

Hey Now! · Jul 31, 2013

rmoreno said: ↑

Cris Carter spewing garbage
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Player evaluation is, and always will be subjective. But Andre Johnson is absolutely, positively a top 10 WR in football and that is a fact. Steve Smith? Percy Harvin? Is there a general manager alive who wouldn't trade either guy for Andre Johnson? They would have to invent a new method for measuring time because the Carolina or Seattle GM would say "yes" faster than the speed of anything ever recorded. Smith had lesser numbers *and he's two years older*. (And you could make the same claim for Reggie Wayne, btw, who is still a terrific WR.)

To not rank Andre Johnson among the 10 best WRs in football should be a fireable offense; it's proof Cris Carter is a terrible analyst/expert. (Again, compounded by the slight of Wayne.) Instead, ESPN will sit back and count the # of angry flames and consider it a success, indifferent to the fact they've lowered the bar for discourse by lending credibility to a guy who has no idea what he's talking about.

HeyBudLetsParty · Jul 31, 2013

ItsMyFault said: ↑

Fitz and Andre are about even. The only difference is that Fitz hasn't had a reliable QB for the past 3 years.
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I didn't mean to say Fitz is a bad receiver, I was just trying to say how could you rate a dude who had less than 800 yards higher than the dude had just under 1,600.

DonkeyMagic · Jul 31, 2013

looks like he's back on the cocaine

Raven · Jul 31, 2013

Does the S in ESPN stand for Stupid?

conundrum · Jul 31, 2013

What a jackass! The talking heads want to bash Matty for all the Texans issues, while quietly Andre had one of the top 3 seasons of his career last season. So either Matt is a great QB who put the ball exactly where Andre needs it and Andre can thank him for his stellar season last year or Cris Carter is a jackass. Second most receiving yards in the league last season, with one fewer TD than Megatron.

juicystream · Jul 31, 2013

I'd say he belongs around #5.

Fantasma Negro · Jul 31, 2013

Precy Harvin and Steve Smith are better than Andre?

Cocaine is a hell of a drug LoL

edwardc · Jul 31, 2013

It's a espn report come on guys cris carter had a couple of good years he doesn't know anything.

conquistador#11 · Jul 31, 2013

WHAT is this mofo on? someone needs to post this on dre's locker. we need another 1,500 + yard season.

UTAllTheWay · Jul 31, 2013

As a Cowboys fan that hates the Texans... this is the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

Andre is without a doubt a top 5 WR.

Precision340 · Jul 31, 2013

dude lost all credibility.. that's a lol list!! :grin:

jbasket · Jul 31, 2013

What truly matters is that PFF ranked Andre #1 last year of ALL WR's. In addition, the #1 of the past five years? Andre. The only time he wasn't number one was when he hurt his hamstring. But of course everybody just looks at raw receiving stats.

Joshfast · Jul 31, 2013

Why do ya'll care about Chris Carter? Idiot will idiot.

Fantasma Negro · Jul 31, 2013

I wanted to include Houston's Andre Johnson, but I can't say he's on the same level as these other guys anymore.
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Total Receiving Yards

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions - 1,964
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans - 1,598
Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears - 1,508
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos - 1,434
Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1,384

Total Receptions

Calvin Johnson - 122
Brandon Marshall - 118
Andre Johnson - 112
Demaryius Thomas - 94
Vincent Jackson - 72

Average Yards per Catch

Vincent Jackson - 19.2
Calvin Johnson - 16.1
Demaryius Thomas - 15.3
Andre Johnson - 14.3
Brandon Marshall - 12.8

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Cris Carter's top 10 NFL receivers (BSPN)

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