The 100 Greatest Wide Receivers in NFL History (Nos. 50-26)

I made this list after extensive research of over 200 NFL wide receivers. I took into account many variables, such as stats, Super Bowls, when the player played, who they played for, and my own opinion.

The stats I focused on were receptions, yards, touchdowns, receptions per game, yards per game, and yards per catch. I ranked all candidates in these categories and then averaged their rankings out.

After that I made sure to weigh certain stats heavier than others. For example, receptions seem to be more important than yards per catch, so that category weighed heavier.

Comparing the newer generation to the older generation was difficult since the new generation has a much better opportunity to have better stats. I took this into account as well.

I started writing this before and even published the first part, but the list just seemed wrong to me, so I did more research, and this is how it ended.

Even though I took many facts into account when making this list, I also injected my own opinion, so it is a list that not everyone will agree with.

Hope you enjoy.

50. Terry Glenn

New England Patriots: 1996-2001
Green Bay Packers: 2002
Dallas Cowboys: 2003-2007

Receptions: 593
Yards: 8,823
Touchdowns: 44

1x Super Bowl Champion
1x Pro Bowler

Glenn set the single-season record for receptions by a rookie with 90. In 2005 he led the league in yards per catch with a 18.3-yard average. He went over 1,000 yards four times in his career and was a dangerous receiver for both Dallas and New England.

49. Joe Horn

Kansas City Chiefs: 1996-1999
New Orleans Saints: 2000-2006
Atlanta Falcons: 2007

Receptions: 603
Yards: 8,744
Touchdowns: 58

4x Pro Bowler

Horn didn't really get a chance at wide receiver until he went to the Saints. During his time with New Orleans he was one of the most talented receivers in the game.

Horn is the Saints' single-season record holder for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He also has more 100-yard receiving games for the Saints than anyone else. He is the Saints' all-time leader in receiving touchdowns as well.

48. Rob Moore

New York Jets: 1990-1994
Arizona Cardinals: 1995-1999

Receptions: 628
Yards: 9,368
Touchdowns: 49

2x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Moore had one of the finest seasons a receiver has had in 1997, when he went for 1,584 receiving yards. That total is good for 15th all-time.

Between 1991-1998 he had at least 50 receptions and at least 725 yards in each season.

47. Muhsin Muhammad

Carolina Panthers: 1996-2004, 2008-present
Chicago Bears: 2003-2007

Receptions: 860
Yards: 11,438
Touchdowns: 62

2x Pro Bowler
2x First Team All-Pro

Muhammad is one of the most underrated receivers of this generation. He isn't flashy and doesn't have the diva attitude, but he goes out every year and produces. He has the longest reception in Super Bowl history with an 85-yard catch.

During his career he had led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns at one time or another. He is currently 16th all-time in reception and 20th all-time in receiving yards.

He is the Panthers' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns (tied with Steve Smith).

46. Mark Duper

Miami Dolphins: 1982-1992

Receptions: 511
Yards: 8,869
Touchdowns: 59

3x Pro Bowler

"Super" Duper scored bunches of touchdowns and during his career was one of the most productive receivers around. Five different times in his career he was in the top 10 in touchdown receptions. He also went over the 1,000-yard mark four different times.

In 1986 he had the longest reception of the season with an 85-yard catch.

45. Anthony Miller

San Diego Chargers: 1988-1993
Denver Broncos: 1994-1996
Dallas Cowboys: 1997

Receptions: 595
Yards: 9,148
Touchdowns: 63

5x Pro Bowler

Miller was excellent for both the Chargers and the Broncos. Five times during his career he went over the 1,000-yard mark.

It didn't matter if Miller was playing with a Hall of Famer like John Elway or an average starter like Billy Joe Tolliver—he made it work. His skills always shined through, no matter the situation.

44. Wes Chandler

New Orleans Saints: 1978-1981
San Diego Chargers: 1981-1987
San Francisco 49ers: 1988

Receptions: 559
Yards: 8,966
Touchdowns: 56

1x Super Bowl Champion
4x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Chandler holds the record for yards per game in a season with 129 yards in 1982. He also led the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns that year.

Chandler went over 1,000 yards four times in his career and was on pace for 2,000 yards in the strike-shortened season of 1982.

43. Steve Smith

Carolina Panthers: 2001-present

Receptions: 574
Yards: 8,330
Touchdowns: 50

2005 Comeback Player of the Year
4x Pro Bowler
2x First Team All-Pro

Smith is one of the most dynamic players to play the game. He had one of the finest seasons ever by a receiver in 2005, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. This has only been done two other times.

Smith was just 18 yards short of going over 1,000 yards for the fifth straight time this season but was unable to finish the final game due to a broken arm.

In 2008 Smith led the league in yards per game with 101.5.

42. Eric Moulds

Buffalo Bills: 1996-2005
Houston Texans: 2006
Tennessee Titans: 2007

Receptions: 764
Yards: 9,995
Touchdowns: 49

3x Pro Bowler

Moulds did what receivers do best: He caught the ball, and he caught it a lot. He never led the league in receptions but was in the top 10 three different times and had 100 catches in 2002. He is currently 25th all-time in career receptions.

Moulds had some nice yardage stats as well and in 1998 led the AFC in yards with 1,368.

41. Donald Driver

Green Bay Packers: 1999-present

Receptions: 647
Yards: 9,050
Touchdowns: 49

3x Pro Bowler

Driver has become one of the most consistent receivers in the league and has now gone over 1,000 yards six straight seasons and seven of the last eight. He is the Packers' all-time leader in receptions.

Driver also has the longest play in Packers playoff history with a 90-yard catch.

40. Joey Galloway

Seattle Seahawks: 1995-1999
Dallas Cowboys: 2000-2003
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2004-2008
New England Patriots: 2009
Pittsburgh Steelers: 2009

Receptions: 689
Yards: 10,777
Touchdowns: 77

Galloway is one of the fastest players to ever play the game. His game-breaking speed allowed him great success with three different teams. In 2003 he led the league in yards per catch with 19.8.

He is currently 26th all-time in receiving yards and 23rd in touchdown receptions.

39. Derrick Mason

Tennessee Oilers/Titans: 1997-2004
Baltimore Ravens: 2005-present

Receptions: 863
Yards: 11,089
Touchdowns: 59

2x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Mason started his career as a return man. It's pretty amazing to think of where his stats would be if he played receiver his first three years in the league.

Mason has had an outstanding career. He is currently 14th all-time in receptions and 23rd in receiving yards. In 2000 he set the NFL record for all-purpose yards with 2,690.

38. Mark Clayton

Miami Dolphins: 1983-1992
Green Bay Packers: 1993

Receptions: 582
Yards: 8,974
Touchdowns: 84

5x Pro Bowler

Clayton was one of the most prolific receivers of the 1980s. He is the Dolphins' all-time leader in receptions and touchdown receptions.

He led the league in touchdown receptions twice, including 18 in 1984, which was a record then and is good for third all-time now. He is currently 14th all-time in touchdown receptions.

37. Art Powell

Philadelphia Eagles: 1959
New York Titans: 1960-1962
Oakland Raiders: 1963-1966
Buffalo Bills: 1967
Minnesota Vikings: 1968

Receptions: 479
Yards: 8,046
Touchdowns: 81

4x Pro Bowler
2x First-Team All-Pro

Powell was a scoring machine, especially for the time he played. He lead the league in receiving touchdowns twice and is 18th all-time. He also led the league in receiving yards twice in his career as well.

Powell was one of the first star receivers and was a force in both the AFL and NFL.

36. Billy Howton

Green Bay Packers: 1952-1958
Cleveland Browns: 1959
Dallas Cowboys: 1960-1963

Receptions: 503
Yards: 8,459
Touchdowns: 61

4x Pro Bowler
2x First Team All-Pro

Howton is often forgotten about when people talk of the great Packers, but he was definitely a star. He led the league in receiving yards twice and receiving touchdowns once. He was in the top 10 in receptions eight different times.

His 102.6 yards per game average in 1952 is still good for 20th all-time.

35. Keenan McCardell

Cleveland Browns: 1992-1995
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1996-2001
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2002-2003
San Diego Chargers: 2004-2006
Washington Redskins: 2007

Receptions: 883
Yards: 11,373
Touchdowns: 63

1x Super Bowl Champion
2x Pro Bowler

McCardell was a guy that sort of came out of nowhere but became a reliable target for whomever his quarterback was. He was in the top 10 in receptions five different times throughout his career. He is 12th all-time in receptions and 21st in receiving yards.

34. Keyshawn Johnson

New York Jets: 1996-1999
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2000-2003
Dallas Cowboys: 2004-2005
Carolina Panthers: 2006

Receptions: 814
Yards: 10,571
Touchdowns: 64

1x Super Bowl Champion
3x Pro Bowler

Johnson is definitely one of the most outspoken receivers to ever play the game, but he was also one of the most talented. He reached 600 receptions the second fastest of anyone. He is the only Buccaneer to ever have two 1,000-yard seasons in a row. He is 22nd all-time in career receptions.

33. Charlie Joiner

Houston Oilers: 1969-1972
Cincinnati Bengals: 1972-1975
San Diego Chargers: 1976-1986

Receptions: 750
Yards: 12,146
Touchdowns: 65

3x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Joiner was part of San Diego's high-flying offense, and his stats show it. He is currently 12th all-time in receiving yards. He is also the Chargers' all-time leader in receptions.

Three times he was in the top 10 in receiving yards, receptions, and receiving touchdowns.

32. Charley Taylor

Washington Redskins: 1964-1977

Receptions: 649
Yards: 9,110
Touchdowns: 79

8x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Taylor started his career as a running back but turned into one of the greatest receivers in the game. When Taylor retired, he was the league's all-time leading receiver. He led the league in receptions twice and was in the top 10 seven other times.

His 79 receiving touchdowns put him 20th all-time.

31. Irving Fryar

New England Patriots: 1984-1992
Miami Dolphins: 1993-1995
Philadelphia Eagles: 1996-1998
Washington Redskins: 1999-2000

Receptions: 851
Yards: 12,785
Touchdowns: 84

5x Pro Bowler

Fryar was the first wide receiver to ever be selected first overall in the NFL Draft. He scored the Patriots' only touchdown in Super Bowl XX.

He holds the NFL record for having the most touchdown receptions from different quarterbacks with 19. He is also the only player to catch two touchdown passes in 16 straight games.

He is 13th all-time in receiving yards, 14th in touchdown receptions, and 15th in receptions.

30. Anquan Boldin

Arizona Cardinals: 2003-present

Receptions: 586
Yards: 7,520
Touchdowns: 44

2003 Rookie of the Year
3x Pro Bowler

Boldin has been a force since coming into the league. He is currently the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards a game with 79.6 He reached 300 and 400 career receptions faster than any player in NFL history.

29. Larry Fitzgerald

Arizona Cardinals: 2004-present

Receptions: 523
Yards: 7,067
Touchdowns: 59

4x Pro Bowler
First-Team All-Pro

When Fitzgerald's career is done, he may very well be a top-five receiver of all time.

He led the league in receptions in just his second year and has been in the top 10 on four different occasions. He has also led the league in touchdowns and is already 69th all-time in that department.

In 2008 he had what could have been the best postseason ever by a wideout. He totaled 30 receptions, 546 yards, and seven touchdowns. He also tied a playoff record with three receiving touchdowns in one game.

28. Andre Johnson

Houston Texans: 2003-present

Receptions: 587
Yards: 7,948
Touchdowns: 42

4x Pro Bowler
2x First Team All-Pro

What can you say about Johnson? The guy seems unreal. He was the first player to ever have 10 receptions in seven games.

He is only the second player to lead the league in receiving yards in consecutive seasons. He has also led the league in receptions twice and yards per game twice.

His 115 catches in 2008 are good for 10th all-time.

27. Andre Rison

Indianapolis Colts: 1989
Atlanta Falcons: 1990-1994
Cleveland Browns: 1995
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1996
Green Bay Packers: 1996
Kansas City Chiefs: 1997-1999
Oakland Raiders: 2000

Receptions: 743
Yards: 10,205
Touchdowns: 84

1x Super Bowl Champion
5x Pro Bowler
1x First Team All-Pro

Rison played for a lot of teams, but don't let that fool you—he was a gifted receiver.

In 1993 he led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 15, which is good for 17th all-time. He was in the top 10 in touchdowns on four other occasions. He is 14th all-time in career touchdown receptions.

26. Henry Ellard

Los Angeles Rams: 1983-1993
Washington Redskins: 1994-1998
New England Patriots: 1998

Receptions: 814
Yards: 13,777
Touchdowns: 65

3x Pro Bowler
2x First Team All-Pro

Ellard had a long productive career and for a while was the Rams' all-time leader in just about every receiving stat. In 1988 he led the league in receiving yards and topped 1,000 yards seven times in a nine-year span.

Twice he led the league in receiving yards per game, and once he led the league in yards per catch. He is currently ninth all-time in receiving yards and 22nd all-time in receptions.