Best Wide Receivers In The NFL 2011

Sports talk is always fun, you would have to agree that much of the discussion on where to rank the NFL's wide receivers which happen to be the loudest position on the football field pretty much goes on what you define as a great receiver. Is it the wide receiver who makes the most yards? Is a great receiver defined by how many touchdowns he takes it into the house?

Some may not agree but I think that being a great wide receiver is not about making highlights and running your mouth. It's not about your profile, your talk show or your Twitter feed. Being a great wide receiver is about turning targets into receptions and receptions into value. Few do it better than Greg Jennings.

The Fastest Wide Receivers in the NFL

Sports Talk

Choosing the fastest wide receivers in the NFL, not an easy task as there are so many variables that can make a player reach the top of his position, but anyway you cut it, these wide receivers are tops in my book.

The aerial game has never been more in vogue for it entertains and wins games at the same time. Yes in the NFL the passing game is a phenomenon. in 2009 ,an NFL record 10 quarterbacks threw for 4,000 or more yards, three more than the previous high mark in 2007. At least 500 passes were attempted by these quarterbacks marking another new standard.

NFL today

As NFL offenses move more and more towards a pass-first mentality, the wide receiver position has never been more important. The rules changes that have been implemented in recent years make it easier than ever for receivers to have success out there on the football field. There are plenty of guys who put up numbers, but who are the very best?

Here is my list of the top  Wide Receivers in the NFL today. This group is in no particular order but I have broken this list down to who I think are the best high-flying show-stoppers and lethal deep threats in 2011.

Its that time of the year that I need to update this top 10 list of the best wide receivers in the game of football. Playoff time in the NFL means that it's a one game season and if there is any wide receiver I would want in my arsenal it has to be none other than the salsa dancing Victor Cruz. Not only is this young football player making a name for himself in the gridiron but this past week (January 11th, 2012), Cruz became a dad to a baby girl they named Kennedy.

Thanks to my friend zatchj62 for making me pay attention to Greg Jennings. All season he taunted me to add Jennings to this list and I promised him if I saw good cause to do so I would add him. Being a great wide receiver is about turning targets into receptions and receptions into value. Few do it better than Greg Jennings. He has the stat line of a superstar, yet few talk about, so thank you Zatch for talking him up until I finally have him here on the list of the Best Wide Receivers in the NFL.

September 6, 2011 Update

With the NFL season opener right around the corner I needed to take a second look and see where everyone is. There are not many that doubt the career that Randy has had the Randy Moss is on this list and his career in 2011 now where to be seen this year. No one doubts the amazing career he had since the NFL Draft: in 1998 when he was drafted in Round: 1 / Pick: 21. The season is about to begin and I feel as if his spot on this list needs to be updated. Keep reading to see who is taking Moss's spot on this Best Wide Reviver list .

No. 80 New York Giants

I have often heard it said this season that Cruz has the talent to make Giants fans forget Steve Smith. Victor Cruz went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft but at a bang for every buck he was signed by the New York Giants. Some people (especially Giants fans) felt that this Giants wide was snubbed when he was named a second alternate to the Pro Bowl. Feeling he was wronged, there is no doubt he exceeded any and all expectations this season. He ranks third in the N.F.L. in receiving yards (1,358), and he set the Giants’ franchise record in that category on Saturday.

Receptions - 364
Receiving yards - 5,889
Receiving TD's - 45
Stats at NFL.com

Greg Jennings

#85 Wide Receiver

Green Bay Packers

Nicknamed ‘Superman’ in high school because of his personality on the field. Yet he is the personification of the unheralded star as he really does not produce a wealth of highlights. He doesn't whine and complain when he isn't targeted. Jennings is targeted, because he runs the proper route, gets separation and catches everything. This wide receiver isn't sensationally fast, yet consistently one of the fastest players on the field. He isn't impressively tall, but though only 5'11", Jennings has the frame and muscle mass to dominate smaller corners. But his supreme agility and body control make Jennings one of the consistently best run after catch receivers in the NFL.

Jennings was among the league leaders in receiving touchdowns this season and so the NFL teams have been paying a lot of attention to him in the red zone. As a result, he has failed to score a touchdown on the last five games before Super Bowl XLV. At one point in the 2010 season, he caught five or more balls in seven straight contests. Neither the Falcons nor the Bears could keep Jennings from catching the football. In the Super Bowl, the Steelers couldn't either. Jennings finished with four receptions for 64 yards and two scores. But more importantly, he became Rodgers' go-to receiver after Donald Driver had to leave the game with an injury. And his experience proved valuable, especially on his first TD, which put the Packers up 21-3 in the second quarter.

Greg Jennings Football Career Highlights

• Jennings is one of just five receivers in team history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
• Has caught a pass in 58 of 59 games played for the Packers (61 of 62 including playoffs).
• He caught Brett Favre’s 400th, 420th, and 421st TD passes in 2006-07.
• Led the nation in receptions per game (8.91) in his 2005 senior season at Western Michigan.
• Became the first Mid-American Conference player to earn league MVP and offensive player of the year recognition in the same season since Randy Moss of Marshall did so in 1997.
• Attended the same high school (Kalamazoo Central) as N.Y. Yankees superstar Derek Jeter; joins Jeter and RB T.J. Duckett as three of the top athletes ever to come out of Kalamazoo, Mich.

Date of birth: September 21, 1983
Place of birth: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight: 198 lb (90 kg)

College: Western Michigan
NFL Draft: 2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52
Debuted in 2006 for the Green Bay Packers

Career highlights and awards

• 2006 NFL All Rookie team
• Led Packers in receiving touchdowns in 2007
• Pro Bowl selection (2010)
• Super Bowl Champion (XLV)

Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald has been, for some time now, a very, very good player. After scoring the most touchdowns in his career last season (13), Fitzgerald mounted 97 receptions for 1,092 yards. But it was his dominant performance in the playoffs two years ago, combined with his remarkable consistency since entering the league has allowed him to steadily ascended to his throne as the king of receivers in the NFL. The top wide receiver is, for all intents and purposes, unstoppable. He can leap and has excellent body control and with his reliable hands it is no wonder that win most of his battles when the ball is in the air.

Date of birth: August 31, 1983
Place of birth: Minneapolis, Mn
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 217 lb (98 kg
College: Pittsburgh
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Debuted in 2004 for the Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals (2004–present)

• First-team All-America (2003)
• Fred Biletnikoff Award (2003)
• Paul Warfield Trophy (2003)
• Walter Camp Award (2003)
• 4× Pro Bowl selection (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
• 2× First-team All-Pro selection (2008, 2009)
• Pro Bowl MVP (2009)
• Ranked 14 on NFL Network's on NFL Top 100 Players of 2011

Larry Fitzgerald

As of Week 6, 2011

Receptions 647
Receiving Yards 8807
Receiving TDs 67
Stats at NFL.com

Indianapolis Colts

Hard to imagine that the Indianapolis Colts could have win so many games over that last decade without having a wider receiver like Reggie Wayne on their roster. Not the biggest football player nor is Wayne the fastest, but he is remarkably consistent. This wide receiver has tremendous hands, and excels at route running. Reggie Wayne has all the abilities you look for in a top flight receiver. Pretty impressive that Wayne has 16 starts for seven consecutive years, a wide receiver that week in and week out during the NFL season this guy performs with machine-like efficiency. He displays tremendous football intelligence and shares an uncanny on-field connection with QB Peyton Manning. In many ways, Reggie Wayne is the catalysis for what the Colts do offensively, and his presence on the field always opens things up for his teammates.

As of Week 6, 2011

Receptions 822
Receiving yards 11,235
Receiving average 13.7
Receiving TDs 70

Stats at NFL.com

Date of birth: November 17, 1978 (1978-11-17) (age 31)
Place of birth: New Orleans, Louisiana
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight: 198 lb (90 kg)
College: University of Miami
NFL Draft: 2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30
Debuted in 2001 for the Indianapolis Colts

Career Highlights and Awards

• 4× Pro Bowl selection (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
• 2× All-Pro selection (2007, 2009)
• Super Bowl champion (XLI)

• 3× Pro Bowl selection (2008, 2009, 2010)
• 1× All-Pro selection (2010)
• NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year (2010)^[1]
• Ranked 24 on NFL Network's NFL Top 100 players of 2011
• NFC Offensive Player of the Month (October 2010)^[2]
• Falcons' Single Season Record - Receiving yards (1,389 in 2010)
• Falcons' Post Season

Led the NFL in catches (115 in 2011)

Roddy White Stats

As of Week 6, 2011

Receptions 469
Receiving yards 6503
Receiving TDs 40

Stats at NFL.com

Atlanta Falcons

Roddy White became the first Atlanta Falcon Wide Receiver since 1999 to reach 1,000 single season receiving yards on December 23, 2007. Also in 2007 White finished tied for 8th among all NFL wide receivers in receiving yards in 2007 with 1,202 yards. He had 6 receiving touchdowns.

He finished the 2009 season with 85 receptions 1,153 yards and a career high 11 touchdowns. He became only the second Falcon player to record three straight 1,000 yard seasons. On January 26, 2010, Roddy White was selected to his 2nd Consecutive Pro Bowl.

Roddy White led the 2010 Pro Bowl in catches with 8 for 84 yards.

White gets off jams, he catches balls in the middle of the field and absorbs a pounding from safeties and linebackers. In 2010 he has become Matt Ryan's most reliable option (tight end Tony Gonzalez was second on the team with 70 catches; the next wideout after White was Michael Jenkins with 41 catches). White caught 115 balls in the regular season, most in the NFL and 27 more than he had caught in any of his previous five years in the league.

Birth Date November 2,1981
Birth Place James Island, SC
Height 6-0
Weight 212 lbs.
Age 28
Position WR
Experience 6 years
College UAB Alabama-Birmingham
NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27
Debuted in 2005 for the Atlanta Falcons

Date of birth: October 3, 1980 (1980-10-03)
Place of birth: Pahokee, Florida
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
College: Florida State
NFL Draft: 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 54
NFL Debut in 2003 for the Arizona Cardinals

Career history

Arizona Cardinals (2003–2009)
Baltimore Ravens (2010–present)

Boldin Career NFL statistics

As Of Week 6, 2011
Receptions: 650
Receiving Yards: 8357
Receiving TDs 51
Stats at NFL.com

Baltimore Ravens

When the Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsom acquired wide receiver Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals for the 2010 NFL season he was finally smiling about a mistake he made. Back in 2003 Newsom was scared off from drafting this top 5 wide receiver and as he said after the Boldin aquistion
"There is not too many times you get a chanveto recover from a mistake. I got blinded a little bit and didn't approeciate the football player as much as I should have. It took me seven years, but I finally got it right.

For in Anquan Boldin the Ravens have rejuvenated a very dormant passing game with toughness, imposing size and a top wide receiver to run after the catch. Joe Flacco the QB for the Ravens can should open up the passing game for this AFC North contender for the Super Bowl ring.

Boldin broke out of a recent slump to catch five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the Baltimore Ravens' 30-7 wild card win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday January 9 2011. Boldin, in his first season with Baltimore after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, provided an additional target for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. His four-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter helped seal the victory for the Ravens. Next up in the Ravens run for the Lombardy trophy is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Anquan Boldin caught just one pass for -2 yards in the Baltimore Ravens' Divisional Round playoff loss to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not use top CB Ike Taylor to shadow Boldin, instead leaving him at right corner and allowing Boldin to operate against William Gay, among others, over the middle of the field. Boldin did not take advantage, failing to create separation and dropping a would-be touchdown that could've given the Ravens a fourth-quarter lead. Boldin wraps up his first season in Baltimore averaging 33.7 yards per game in the final nine weeks. He's clearly no more than a possession receiver at this point in his career.

• Receptions 307
• Receiving Yards 4,868
• Receiving Touchdowns 29

Stats as of Week 6, 2011
NFL.com

New York Jets #10

As we say here in New York- Its Ton Time. Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is the Jets go to wide receiver for the New York Jets. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State. In 2009, Holmes was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIII. And in 2012 he along with Mark Sanchez, Plaxico Buress and Rex Ryan he will be one of the top performers bringing Lombardy home.

Height: 5-11 Weight: 192 Age: 27

Born: 3/3/1984 Belle Glade , FL

College: Ohio State

Experience: 6th season

• Pittsburgh Steelers (2006–2009)
• New York Jets (2010–present)

High School: Glades Central HS

• Super Bowl Champion (XLIII)
• Super Bowl XLIII MVP
• Led NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2007
• Ranked 76th in NFL Network's The NFL Top 100 Players of 2011

Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2011

• Receptions 698
• Receiving Yards 9516
• Receiving TDs 52

Stats at NFL.com

Andre Johnson
Houston Texans

is a wide receiver for the Houston Texans, who made the University of Miami product the third overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. Johnson has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and also led the league twice in receiving yards in 2008 and 2009. Johnson led the league again in 2009 with 1,569 yards receiving, becoming just the second receiver -- along with Jerry Rice -- to lead the league in that category in back-to-back seasons. He also recorded nine touchdowns, a new career high.

• Andre Johnson
• # 80 WR - Wide Receiver
• • College: Miami (FL)
  • Age: 29
• • Height: 6' 3"
  • Weight: 223 lbs

• Receptions- 441
• Receiving Yards - 5,455
• Receiving TDs - 29

No. 19 Miami Dolphins
Wide receiver

Marshall at 26 years old carries the nickname "The Beast,"

A top wide receiver, #19 in 2010 is suiting up for the Miami Dolphins. He was picked up by the Denver Broncos out of the University of Central Florida, with the 119th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft and on April 14, 2010 Denver traded him to the Dolphins.

Brandon Marshall has many milestones and records and one of them is that he is the only player in NFL history to have at least 10 receptions in four out of five games. Add to that he has had the most catches in an NFL game (21).

• College football - Central Florida
• NFL Draft 2006 / Round: 4 / Pick: 119
• Debuted in 2006 for the Denver Broncos

Career History

• Denver Broncos (2006–2009)
• Miami Dolphins (2010–present)

"Why am i training to slow music? Could this be the reason im so smooth while playing any sport? Unbelievably coordinated in all i do hmmmm"

quoted from OGOchoCinco

• Legally changed his name from C. Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco to match his nickname and the numbers on his jersey.
• While appearing on Pardon the Interruption proclaimed that he could beat Michael Phelps (the 8 time gold medal, record setting Olympic champion) in swim race.
• Known for his crazy celebrations, ex- holding up the Hall of Fame jacket reading, “class 20??”
• Compiled “The List” of all the Defensive backs who covered him in the ’05 season – ranking them from best to worst.

Moss played 13 seasons total with Minnesota, Oakland, New England, and Tennessee. He finishes his career with what are surely future Hall of Fame numbers:

• 202 games played
• 954 receptions
• 14,858 yards receiving
• 153 touchdown receptions

Tennessee Titans

Randy Moss is getting older and after 13 seasons this wide receiver to retire has come. Moss always had the ability to break away from young corners always making him a target for his quarterback.

Randy Moss played in Minnesota for his first seven years before being traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2005. For a fourth round draft pick the Raiders On April 29, 2007 traded Moss to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick.

As player:

• Minnesota Vikings (1998–2004)
• Oakland Raiders (2005–2006)
• New England Patriots (2007–2010)
• Minnesota Vikings (2010)
• Tennessee Titans (2010–present)

Moss holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007), and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17, in 1998)

Moss finished the 2010 season setting career lows in receptions (28) and receiving yards (393).

Randy Moss Wide receiver

Date of birth: February 13, 1977
Place of birth: Rand, West Virginia
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Career information College: Marshall
NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Debuted in 1998 for the Minnesota Vikings