Who is the Best NFL Wide Receiver Since 1990?

With the increased popularity of receivers in fantasy football and the advancement of data and film study (colossal shout-out to Reception Perception), the average football fan or fantasy football manager has more data and information at their fingertips than ever.

That increased knowledge leads to more intense debates. Who is the best receiver? We could go back to 1965, but the game has rapidly changed in the past 30 years. If we’re looking at the data, it’s unfair to hold James Lofton’s receiving yards against him in an era that didn’t pass the ball nearly as much.

So, for this debate, we’ll start at 1990. Who are the best receivers since 1990? This debate won’t be about who the best fantasy football receiver is. We can quickly look that up by points per game, but who was the most talented? Let’s get started.

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The Parameters

Oftentimes, with these kinds of debates, we’re not debating a player but rather the criteria we use to come to our conclusions. Is Mike Evans a Hall of Famer? This debate isn’t as much centered on Evans as it is on the different opinions of what makes a Hall of Famer in the first place.

If you think having good stats for a long time makes one a Hall of Famer, then Evans is one. If you think it requires being one of the best players at your positions during your career, then maybe he isn’t. For the record, I believe both criteria can qualify a player, so he’s a Hall of Famer in my book.

But, do you see? That debate isn’t about Evans but what makes a Hall of Famer. That brings us to the most crucial part: How are we defining the most talented? Is this purely a statistical question? How are we to come to this conclusion? If we rely solely on stats, Hines Ward would be better than Calvin Johnson, but that’s absurd.

No, this question needs to go deeper than counting stats. We must combine talent, production, and context to determine the most talented. However, production doesn’t count stats; instead, it counts elitism. What kind of production did they put up at their best?

To conclude today, we’ll examine several parameters. First, how many first-team All-Pro seasons did they have? Pro Bowls can be a bit of a popularity contest, but first-team All-Pro seasons are held in much higher regard. Again, is counting stats enough? I would argue it is not, so we’ll look at the percentage of years in their career they finished as a first-team All-Pro.

Remember, if we were to use counting stats strictly, we'd be left believing Hines Ward was a better, more talented receiver than Calvin Johnson. This debate is not strictly based on who had the most catches, yards, and touchdowns. We need to dig deeper. We will focus on elite seasons when discussing who the best is. How good and dominant was each player in their prime?

We’ll identify how many seasons they had with 100+ catches, 1,300+ yards, and 10+ touchdowns. These are elite marks. One-off seasons exist, however, so we’ll also be calculating their best three-, five-, and seven-year stretches. This metric will take their per-game stats over three-, five-, and seven-year stretches multiplied by 17.

Some players missed time, and some didn’t play in an era when 17 games were the norm. This will help even out our sample.

The last metric will combine the best two years of their career. It can be any two years. It doesn’t need to be back-to-back, but what was the best they’ve ever done? Once the dust settles, we should have a clearer picture of the best receivers since 1990.

The Contestants

We all know who No. 1 is -- the undisputed and unquestioned best receiver of all time, Jerry Rice. We've already talked about the parameters we'll be using, but let's talk about Rice's so we know why he's not included in this debate.

Rice was a first-team All-Pro receiver 13 times. Of our 11 contestants, the next closest is Terrell Owens with five. That should end the discussion right there. We're also focusing on how many elite seasons they had. One criterion of this is seasons with 1,300 or more yards and 10 or more touchdowns.

Rice has seven seasons with 1,300 or more yards. He also has nine seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. Both of those would rank first among our contestants. Rice also finished as the runner-up in the MVP voting not once, but twice. His best three-year stretch resulted in a 17-game average of 118 catches, 1,718 yards, and 15 touchdowns.

He had another three-year stretch where his 17-game pace was 83 catches, 1,528 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Rice deserves the No. 1 spot. His numbers speak for themselves, but spots two through 12 are up for grabs, so let's talk about the players we'll be debating.

Our 11 receivers we'll be discussing here will be Davante Adams, Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Julio Jones, Marvin Harrison Sr., Antonio Brown, Terrell Owens, Tyreek Hill, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and DeAndre Hopkins. Let's jump in.

Elite Seasons

The table above is sorted by the number of first-team All-Pro seasons each receiver had. It should be noted that Hill technically has been a first-team All-Pro five times, but only four are being counted here since one of his All-Pro seasons was as a kick returner and not a receiver.

Readers may be surprised that Fitzgerald was a first-team All-Pro just once in 17 years. His career is relatively comparable to that of Mike Evans. Evans, like Fitzgerald, has always been good, even great. However, he's rarely been the best at his position.

Fitzgerald played for 17 seasons and was mostly injury-free, which allowed him to rack up some impressive counting stats. From the table above, Hill has been nominated as a first-team All-Pro at the highest rate. However, he is still active, and that number will likely decrease as he continues playing. That is also true for Adams and Hopkins.

Of the players listed here, Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins easily dealt with the worst quarterback situations throughout their careers. That's something to keep in mind throughout. Ironically, both spent most or at least the best years of their career in Houston.

In the table above, you can see where each receiver ranks in each subsequent category. Moss stands out as one of the strongest candidates for the second spot in this ranking system. He ranks tied for second in first-team All-Pro nominations and first in both seasons with 1,300 or more yards and seasons with 10 or more touchdowns.

Owens is another receiver who stands out here with the most first-team All-Pro selections, the fourth-most seasons with 1,300 or more yards, and the second-most seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. Looking at their careers through this lens, these two receivers are the clear winners.

When the topic of the best receiver is discussed, Rice is often the first name mentioned, followed by Moss, Owens, and potentially Calvin Johnson. When considering his ranking in some of these categories, it's important to remember that he only played nine seasons.

The fact that he is tied for the fifth-most first-team All-Pro Selections, fourth-most seasons with 1,300 or more yards, and the sixth-most seasons with 10 or more touchdowns speaks to his brilliance whenever he played.

After these four players, the conversation often moves to Marvin Harrison Sr., who is tied for the fifth-most first-team All-Pro Selections, the fifth-most seasons with 100 or more catches, the third-most seasons with 1,300 or more yards, and second for most seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. As impressive as Harrison was -- and he was most undoubtedly excellent -- Davante Adams and Antonio Brown are comparable.

Adams has the same number of first-team All-Pro Selections as Harrison. He has the second-most seasons with 100 or more catches (more than Harrison). He's tied for fourth in seasons with 1,300 or more yards and fourth in seasons with 10 or more touchdowns.

Brown is tied with Moss for the second-most first-team All-Pro Selections. He has the most seasons with 100 or more catches, fourth-most seasons with 1,300 or more yards, and sixth-most seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. Adams and Brown deserve to be mentioned in the second tier of the best receivers since 1990.

Best Three-Year Stretch

The chart above looks at each player's best three-year consecutive stretch. It uses their per-game average during their best three-year stretch multiplied by 17. Some players missed a few games here or there, and most didn't play in an era where 17 games equal one season. It is sorted by the best yardage marks.

Johnson's best three-year stretch rivals Jerry Rice's. When he was in his prime, no one was better than him. Julio Jones is the only other player whose per-game average is over three years, which resulted in over 1,800 yards over an entire season.

This chart also exemplifies just how dominant Antonio Brown was during his prime. Some of you might be surprised to see Andre Johnson with the fifth-highest yardage mark. That's incredibly impressive, considering he caught passes from Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels during that time. You might also be surprised to see Fitzgerald rank last in this ranking.

One interesting thing to note: Owens and Adams' best three-year stretch is identical.

The chart above uses the number from each player's best three-year stretch and ranks them in each category. Only one player finished in the top five of all four categories, Marvin Harrison Sr. Several players were top five in three: Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, and Antonio Brown. Jones and Brown did not finish in the top five in touchdowns, while Johnson failed in the top five in receptions.

However, it's important to note that was never Johnson's game. When he played, receptions were much lower. Defenses had not yet incorporated the shell defense, so the long ball was alive and well.

Adams and Randy Moss are the only two receivers to finish in the top five in two categories. Adams did so in receptions and touchdowns, and Moss in targets and touchdowns. Adams, Hill, and Hopkins might be slightly disadvantaged here because we, as fans, remember what happened most recently. Adams, Hopkins, and Hill are no longer at the height of their powers.

That's especially true for Hopkins. While every receiver got worse as they aged, we remember the greats who no longer play in their prime. When we think about Hill, we'll likely think of his disappointing 2024 season.

However, when Adams was in his prime, he was as dominant as some of the most excellent receivers since 1990. Andre Johnson is another receiver who likely doesn't get the credit he deserves. He finished sixth in targets, seventh in receptions, and fifth in yards. We've already touched on his quarterback situation, but in another universe where he's catching passes from a quarterback better than Matt Schaub, he might be much higher on this list.

The biggest winners here are Johnson, Jones, Brown, and Harrison. The receiver who takes the biggest hit here is Fitzgerald. He finished 10th in targets, 10th in receptions, and 11th in yards. Let's see what happens when we focus on each player's best five-year stretch.

Best Five-Year Stretch

This chart takes the per-game average of each receiver's best five-year stretch and multiplies it by 17. This eliminates the possibility of a player being negatively harmed by a few missed games or the lack of a 17-game season.

Once again, the clear winners are Jones, Brown, Calvin Johnson, and Harrison. These were the only four receivers averaging 1,600 yards over a 17-game season. Once again, Fitzgerald finished last in yardage.

Harrison is again the only player to rank in the top five in all four categories, showing his brilliance. Several players just narrowly missed accomplishing that same feat. Brown was top two in targets, receptions, and yards but was sixth in touchdowns. Adams was third in targets and second in receptions and touchdowns but finished sixth in yards.

Jones was top five in all the categories but touchdowns, which nagged him throughout his career. Calvin Johnson failed to finish in the top five in only receptions. These players were our biggest winners.

Fitzgerald was one of the receivers who struggled mightily. He finished ninth in targets, eighth in receptions, 11th in yards, and sixth in touchdowns. Surprisingly, Moss struggled when looking at his best three- and five-year stretch compared to these other receivers. That shouldn't take away from his fantastic career.

Best Seven-Year Stretch

As we've done with their best three- and five-year stretch, we'll do the same for their best seven-year stretch. This debate isn't meant to be a "who had the best career" debate. That encompasses counting stats and longevity. No, this is focused on who was the best.

With that kind of question, longevity doesn't come into play. Not really. Michael Jordan may have only played 10 years in the NBA, but one could still argue he was the most talented and, therefore, the greatest player of all time. See, it all comes down to how you define "greatest."

As we've been looking at each receiver's best three-, five-, and now seven-year stretch, a few players continue to stand out. Here, Julio Jones is the only player who averaged over 1,600 yards over 17 games over seven years.

Only four receivers averaged over 1,500 yards: Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Antonio Brown, and Marvin Harrison Sr. Moss was the only receiver not to average 90 catches or 1,400 yards. Moss's career and some of his best years were spread out.

Arguably, his most remarkable season of all time, when he had 23 touchdowns with the Patriots, was not included in his best seven-year stretch, so looking at his career through this lens is a disservice. Once again, it's incredible how similar the best three-, five-, and seven-year stretches for Owens and Adams have been.

If you believe Owens is in the top five, having Adams too much lower becomes a tough sell. Fitzgerald, again, comes in at the bottom of this tier.

Harrison, once again, is the only receiver who ranks in the top five in all four categories. Several players finished in the top five in three out of four categories. Those receivers include Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson, Antonio Brown, Andre Johnson, and Davante Adams.

Johnson failed to finish in the top five in receptions, while Brown and Andre Johnson fell short in touchdowns. Adams narrowly missed out on being in the top five in yards.

Due to his struggles the past few years at the tail end of his career, it's easy to forget just how dominant Hopkins was in his prime. Regarding yards, Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones were in a league of their own. Terrell Owens and Davante Adams were likewise in a league of their own regarding touchdowns.

Best Two Years Ever

We've already examined each receiver's best three-, five-, and seven-year stretch, but this will take their top two seasons. They do not need to be consecutive. As we've done throughout, we'll use their per-game averages from their best two seasons and multiply that by 17 to make it as even as possible.

Owens' best two-year stretch included 30 games played. Hill had 33 games played. Everyone else had 31 or 32.

This exemplifies how ridiculous Calvin Johnson was. He's the only player whose best two seasons resulted in an average of over 1,900 yards. Three other receivers had 1,800-1,899 yards, which included Julio, Brown, and Hill. Harrison just narrowly missed this, coming in at 1,798 yards.

Only two players failed to reach a 1,600-yard average. Those two receivers were Adams and Fitzgerald.

Moss led the group, averaging just over 21 touchdowns over a 17-game span. Adams came in second at 17.5, and Owens was at 16.4. These were the only three receivers with a 17-game average of over 12.5 touchdowns. Andre Johnson and Julio Jones were the only two who failed to average 10 touchdowns over 17 games.

Hopkins, Harrison, Hill, Brown, and Jones were the five receivers who averaged 120 receptions over 17 games. Adams narrowly missed this mark, averaging 118. Brown averaged 141 receptions over 17 games during his best two seasons, which is absurd.

Only Brown and Harrison finished in the top five in all four categories. Julio was in the top three in every category except touchdowns. He was the only receiver to finish in the top three in three categories. Calvin Johnson, Tyreek Hill, and DeAndre Hopkins were the only three to finish in the top five in two of the four categories.

Fitzgerald finished 10th in targets, 11th in receptions, and 11th in yards. Looking at his career through this lens and his best three-, five-, and seven-year stretch, Fitzgerald has not had the same number of elite seasons as other receivers.

Like Mike Evans, he's had many great seasons but was rarely a top-3 receiver statistically. That likely explains why he has just one first-team All-Pro selection. This may sound like we're knocking on Fitzgerald, but remember, we're comparing him against the very best of the best.

He's undoubtedly in the top 12 of best receivers since 1990, and you can make the argument that he should be in the top 10, so it's important not to get too upset.

Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson

It wouldn't be fair to include these guys, but they'll undoubtedly be part of the question. There's an argument that Chase and Jefferson should already be included when discussing "the best" or "most talented." Since Chase has only been in the league for four years and Jefferson just five, it didn't make sense to include them yet. It's just a matter of time before these two guys are at the heart of this debate. Let's take a look at their careers so far.

Elite Seasons

Best Three-Year Stretch

Best Five-Year Stretch

Best Tw0-Years Ever

Conclusion

Moss and Owens have not stacked up as nicely as other players when looking at their best three-, five-, and seven-year stretches. However, they did stack up very well in first-team All-Pro selections, seasons with 1,300 or more yards, and seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones were just the opposite. Guys like Harrison and Adams did well in both optics, especially Harrison.

Owens had quarterbacks Steve Young, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, and Tony Romo. Calvin Johnson primarily had Matthew Stafford. Moss had many quarterbacks, but Daunte Culpepper and Tom Brady were the best. Andre Johnson's best quarterback was Matt Schaub. Julio Jones had Matt Ryan.

Antonio Brown had Ben Roethlisberger. Adams had Aaron Rodgers for the majority of his career. Hill has had Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa. Hopkins' best quarterbacks were Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray, but he dealt with some terrible quarterback play in some seasons. Fitzgerald primarily had Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner.

Calvin Johnson, Jones, Moss, and Owens were arguably the most physically imposing and gifted receivers. Their combination of size, strength, and speed made them almost impossible to cover. Brown, Adams, and Harrison were the some of the best route runners ever.

Andre Johnson, Fitzgerald, and Hopkins were some of the best catchers ever. Johnson has a career drop rate of 0.1 percent. Fitzgerald is at 0.6 percent. Hopkins is at 1.9 percent. They're the only three receivers with a drop rate of under 2.0 percent.

Final Rankings

1. Jerry Rice (duh…)
2. Calvin Johnson
3. Randy Moss
4. Marvin Harrison Sr.
5. Terrell Owens
6. Julio Jones
7. Antonio Brown
8. Davante Adams
9. Andre Johnson
10. Tyreek Hill
11. Larry Fitzgerald
12. DeAndre Hopkins

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