Here's a Flea Flicker look at the ten best receivers in the history of the NFL. A couple might surprise.
1. Jerry Rice
There's little to discuss here. He's in the discussion for the best football player in the history of the game.
2. Don Hutson
What he did and when he did it is simply ridiculous. NFL defenses had never seen anything like him before. His best season of 74 catches for 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns are nice numbers for a receiver today. He did it over 70 years ago.
3. Cris Carter
No receiver ever caught the ball better and that's the first thing that any receiver has to do.
4. Randy Moss
He might have been the most physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. There were moments when defenses didn't have a chance of stopping him.
5. Raymond Berry
He might have been the least physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. Few receivers ever worked harder to make himself better. The connection between Johnny Unitas and Berry should have been illegal.
6. Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald turns every game into a pass-catching clinic. His performance in the 2008 postseason was one of the best I've ever seen.
7. Calvin Johnson
Like Moss, Johnson is just too physically gifted for most defensive backs to handle. When he's on no defense has an answer for him.
8. Marvin Harrison
The relationship between Harrison and Peyton Manning was similar to that between Unitas and Berry.
9. Sterling Sharpe
Sharpe's career came to an end just when it was about to truly take off. His back took him out of the game way too soon. His best three years were his last three years and his only three years with a young Brett Favre. Favre-Sharpe probably would have been talked about like Montana/Young-Rice, Unitas-Berry, Manning-Harrison if given more time together. As a Vikings fan, Sharpe probably worried me more than Calvin Johnson ever has.
10. Harlon Hill
Another receiver that had his career short by injuries. The books may say that Hill's career lasted for nine seasons but he was himself for just over three. This Bears receiver took the league by storm from 1954-56. He was a shell of himself for the next six years. Still, he averaged over 20 yards per catch for his career.
So, there it is. One look at the top receivers to ever play the game. It might be a stretch to include Harlon Hill but his first three years can stand up with anyone. He hit the league like Odell Beckham Jr. did last year and some are already prepping his bust for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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