View From America on the top 10 NFL wide receivers
Wednesday 3 August 2016 15:12, UK
Odell Beckham Jr is not No 1, so who is? View From America has rated the best wide receivers that the NFL has to offer...
10. Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders)
Jordy Nelson's injury history is keeping him out of the top 10, but Cooper's blinding speed and sure hands gave him the first 1,000 yard season in Oakland Raiders' franchise history. The relationship with quarterback Derek Carr already has people talking about the 'AC/DC' connection, which is cool. Unless you're a receiver, and then it's a highway to hell.
9. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
When Evans first came into the league, I thought: "What a great pick by the Bucs!" Although the Bucs have disappointed, the 6-5 receiver certainly hasn't. He and Jameis Winston will prove to be quite the partnership for years to come, if Year No 1 is anything to go by.
8. DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans)
Hopkins is on our list because he's on a basic salary of $1 million per year. If you think about the numbers he produced - 1,521 and 11 TDs - that's a joke.
7. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals)
Talk about his age all you want, but there's no surer pair of hands or a better role model in the NFL. The future Hall of Famer had a 1,200 yard, 11 TD season last year - even when some said that he was 'done'. No, he's still in his prime, folks.
6. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys)
The most dangerous weapon Tony Romo has, Bryant was hurt after three straight years of 1,000 yard-plus seasons. And with his injuries, you could see how much Dallas - for whom Romo was also hurt - fell to pieces, despite one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
5. Allen Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Had a break-out year with Jacksonville last year. Robinson simply couldn't be stopped - as he couldn't when he played in college at Penn State - averaging 17.5 yards per catch and grabbing 14 TDs. His 6-3 frame makes him a great target, but the fact that he's incredibly agile makes him one of the WRs to watch next year.
4. AJ Green (Cincinnati Bengals)
Andy Dalton's No 1 receiver, Green has been almost unstoppable since his arrival in the league. His excellent season (1,297 yards and 10 TDs) capped a fifth straight year of 1,000 yard-plus seasons. That's pretty impressive.
3. Odell Beckham Jr (New York Giants)
I've given you the lecture about how special I knew Odell Beckham Jr was when he played at college (I witnessed him catching a kick-off one-handed with my eyes when LSU played at Georgia), and last year he cemented himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Sure, his spat with Josh Norman didn't win him any love, but I love the passion. And he has a knack of catching just about anything - with one or two hands!
2. Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons)
Quite simply, Julio Jones can come up and get anything. He's a terrible target for safeties and cornerbacks because, regardless of the attention, he still seems to get the ball. He makes Matt Ryan look a lot better, too.
1. Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers)
The fact that Brown seems to catch up with the bullets that Ben Roethlisberger throws makes him the best target in the league. He may well have a down year thanks to Martavis Bryant and Le'Veon Bell's suspensions unless Darrius Heyward-Bey, Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton prove to be threats in Mike Tomlin's offence.
