FanPost

Best Wide Receivers Drafted (2000-Present)

There have been many good wide receivers in the NFL. Some were drafted and excelled. Others were drafted and were not so fortunate. Some went undrafted and ended up doing great things in the National Football League. Here is a list of the 10 best wide receivers drafted since 2000.

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10. Odell Beckham Jr

He is entering his fourth season in the NFL with the New York Giants, already racking up 288 catches, 4122 yards, and 35 touchdowns. He has already been selected to three pro bowls and is continuing to grow as a player. He does not go higher on his list because he is the least experienced receiver compared to those above him. This past season there were some games where he was held to less than 50 yards receiving and these inconsistencies also prevents him from going higher. He was the NFC Offensive Rookie of the year in 2014. The miracle one handed catch was a highlight of his career but it does not define him yet. If he can continue his high performance, he will move up this list over time.

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9. Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall was the 119th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Since then he has been a six time Pro Bowl selection, one time first team (2012) and second team (2015) All-Pro, had eight seasons with over 1000 yards receiving and had six seasons with at least 100 catches. His 12,061 receiving yards is ranked 24th all-time. He holds the NFL record for the most catches in a single game with 21. He is also tied for the third most catches in a single game with 18. His stats alone makes him one of the better receivers in NFL history but helping his team reach the playoffs is another story. He has caught passes from the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Chad Henne, Bryce Petty and others. None of them have had much success in the NFL. He ranks above Odell Beckham Jr because of his 11 seasons of experience and his equal if not better production. He ranks below Reggie Wayne and Steve Smith because he has never been to the playoffs.

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8. Steve Smith

Steve Smith was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the 74th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He retired from the NFL this past season with the Baltimore Ravens, still playing at a very high level. He has been a five time Pro Bowl selection, two time First-team All Pro, and a one time Second-team All Pro. He had a breakout season in 2005. He was named the Comeback Player of the Year by leading the NFL in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns receptions. He finished his career with 1031 catches, 14,731 yards, and 81 touchdowns. His catches and receiving yards are ranked 12th and 7th all-time respectively. He played some good quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, and Jake Delhomme but also played with guys like Jimmy Clausen, Ryan Mallett, and Matt Schaub. He was not a high draft pick but sure played like one. He defied the odds by being a mid-round pick, small receiver and became a dominant player in the NFL.

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7. Reggie Wayne

He was the 30th overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2001 NFL Draft and a one-time Super Bowl Champion. He was a six-time pro bowl selection and also a two-time AFC Champion. He played in the NFL for 15 seasons with 1070 catches, 14,345 yards, and 82 touchdowns. His catches and receiving yards both are ranked 10th all time. He had the privilege of catching passes thrown by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. The quarterbacks he caught passes with ultimately prevents him from going any higher. After long time Colt Marvin Harrison retired, Wayne took the helm and made a name for himself. He ranks above Smith because he has won a Super Bowl.

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6. Anquan Boldin

Anquan Boldin is currently ranked 9th all-time in catches, 1076, and is ranked 14th all-time in receiving yards, 13,779. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003 and is a three-time pro bowler. He was not known for his speed, 4.71 40 yard dash, but for his physicality, passion, and football intelligence. He ranks above Smith and Wayne because it took less time for him to reach 1000 catches and over 80 touchdowns. Although he has never truly been a number one target, he has been productive nonetheless. He has helped receivers like Larry Fitzgerald, Torrey Smith, and Michael Crabtree rise to prominence. He ranks above Smith because he is a one-time Super Bowl Champion. He also helped the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens reach the Super Bowl.

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5. Andre Johnson

Before his decline after the 2013 NFL Season, he was known as one of the best wide receivers in football. He had 1062 catches, 14,185 yards, and 70 touchdowns in his career. He currently ranks 11th all-time in both catches and receiving yards. He has been a seven time Pro Bowl selection and has been a two time First-team and Second-team All Pro. His stats may be similar to Wayne and Smith but from 2004 to 2013 he was one of the most feared wide receivers in football, along with Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Just as Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and AJ Green are one of the best receivers in football since 2011, Andre Johnson was one of the best wide receivers since 2004.

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4. Julio Jones

Julio Jones ranks above Boldin because he always makes big plays on the field and he the number one wide receiver on the team. His combination of size and speed has proven to be too much for many NFL teams to handle. Since entering the NFL, he has beaten All-Pro cornerbacks such as Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman. He has already been selected to four Pro Bowls and is a two time First-team All Pro. He currently holds the second most receiving yards in a single season set in 2015 with 1,871 yards. He does not rank higher on this list because of his constant injuries. This past season he was held to less than 40 yards in four games. When healthy he can be trouble for any team. If he can remain healthy for the rest of his career, he will make a serious run at being the best receiver of all time.He led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl this past season.

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3. Calvin Johnson

Calvin "Megatron" Johnson was the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lion. He has been a six time Pro Bowl selection and a three time First-team All Pro. He made all of the impossible catches that ultimately led to his fame. One of the reasons why he was one of the best wide receivers in the game is because he could catch any ball in single, double, triple, and quadruple coverage. He was a 6’5’’ wide receiver who ran a 4.35 40 yard dash in the NFL combine. Basically his combination of speed and size was rare in the NFL. In 2012 he broke Jerry Rice’s record for the most receiving yards in a single season with 1964 yards and he has led the NFL in receiving yards twice. He broke Pat Studstil’s record for the most consecutive games with 125 receiving yards or more in 2012. He ranks below Brown because of his early retirement. Johnson was like Barry Sanders, a player who retired because he lost his passion for the game. He finished his career with 731 catches, 11,619 yards, and 83 touchdowns. Had he continued playing, he would have shattered many more records. Not many players were able to contain him

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2. Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown was a sixth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then he has been a five time Pro Bowl selection and has been a three time First-team All Pro. He is tied with Julio Jones for the second most catches all-time in a single season with 136. He is currently on a four season streak with at least 100 catches and over 1000 yards receiving. Every wide receiver on this list except Brown were drafted in the fourth round or higher. There are not many sixth round picks in NFL history who have played as well as Brown. He has a total of 632 catches, 8,377 yards, and 50 touchdowns. He is not as big as Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson but he is one of the best active wide receivers right now. This past post season, he accumulated 309 yards. He is explosive in the regular season and plays just the same in the postseason. He has been healthy for most of his NFL career and there is no drop off in his performance at all. He recently signed a contract that made him the high paid wide receiver of all time. He helped the Steelers get to the Super Bowl in 2010.

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1. Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald was the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Since then he has been a ten time Pro Bowl selection. He was a one-time First-team All Pro and a two-time Second-team All Pro. His 2008 post season alone already makes him the best receiver on his list. He had 30 catches, 546 yards, and 7 touchdowns in four postseason games which is the best of any wide receiver in a single postseason. In 2015, he helped the Cardinals defeat the Green Bay Packers in overtime in one of the most exciting games in NFL history with his 8 catches and 176 yards. From 2004 to 2015, he only had 24 drops which was the best among wide receivers in that span of time. He holds almost all of the wide receiver records of the Arizona Cardinals. He's known for his catching skills but he is also the best blocking wide receivers in the league. He currently has 1125 catches, 14,389 yards, and 104 touchdowns. He is ranked 3rd all-time in catches, 9th all-time in receiving yards, and 20th all-time in touchdowns. He helped the Cardinals reach the Super Bowl in 2008.

Notable Names: AJ Green, TY Hilton, Jordy Nelson, Chad Johnson, Roddy White, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Santana Moss, DeSean Jackson

Photo Credit: OBJ (Getty Images), Brandon Marshall (Getty Images), Steve Smith (Getty Images), Reggie Wayne (Getty Images), Anquan Boldin (Getty Images), Andre Johnson (UPI-Art Foxall), Julio Jones (Ronald Martinez-Getty Images), Calvin Johnson (Scott Boehm-Associated Press), Antonio Brown (Getty Images), Larry Fitzgerald (SI)

<em>This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.</em>