NFL Power Rankings: Top 10 Wide Receivers in the NFL Today

The wide receiver position is easily the most exciting and electrifying position in the game. It's no wonder that most receivers are also kickoff-return specialists that perform unbelievable moves and use their extraordinary speed to help their team win games. 

Here are the Top 10 wide receivers in the game. Rankings are based on recent statistical performances in the last two or three seasons, the quarterback and team they had and overall value they bring for the team they play for.

Let's go!

10. Miles Austin

Miles Austin's stats last season may have been lower than in his breakout year in 2009, but they actually said a lot about him. 

In 2009, Tony Romo was the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys for a full season. They were a playoff team and advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Romo is probably a Top 10 quarterback in the league so Austin gets a huge advantage by having a good quarterback throwing him the ball.

Last year though, Romo was hurt early in the year. Despite that, Austin was still able to perform well with Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee as his quarterbacks. Austin caught seven touchdowns and 69 catches for 1,041 yards.

Despite being a Top 10 receiver, some announcers will still botch his name and call him Austin Miles. 

9. Brandon Lloyd

Brandon Lloyd really burst onto the scene last season after he lead the league with 1,448 yards. He also had 11 touchdowns after injury-plagued seasons from 2007 through 2009.

This was a career year for Lloyd. He was finally able to play a full 16-game schedule and he absolutely dominated. 

Let's not forget who his quarterback was last season, too. It's not like he had a sudden upgrade to Tom Brady. He had Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow throwing him balls on an absolutely atrocious Denver team. Despite this, Lloyd was able to be one of the few highlights in a dismal Broncos season. 

It'll be interesting to see if Lloyd can maintain this momentum into the 2010 season. He's had a solid preseason with six catches and 87 yards in limited action. Because of the fact that Lloyd has only had one solid season, it'll be extremely easy for him to fall out of this Top 10 list with a mediocre or injury-plagued season.

8. DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson may be the most explosive receiver in the game, but this does not make him the best or anything close to the best.

He only had 47 receptions and six touchdowns last season. In fact, Jackson has never had a 10-touchdown season in his career.

Jackson's unbelievable kick-returning abilities overhype him as a wide receiver. This doesn't mean he's not a great receiver. He's the only person on this list that is capable of making an 89-yard touchdown possible at any moment. 

Jackson can be best compared to a power hitter in baseball who only hits for home runs. He'll get his 40 home runs but he'll strike out often and have a low batting average.

This is DeSean Jackson. He'll get the explosive touchdowns and the yardage, but his reception totals will be low compared to the Roddy Whites and Reggie Waynes of the league. 

7. Reggie Wayne

Reggie Wayne has been a model of consistency throughout his career. He'll be turning 33 this season but that isn't stopping him. Last year he caught 111 balls for 1,355 yards along with six touchdowns. 

Wayne hasn't missed a game since his rookie season. He stays healthy and performs well on the field, all the time.

He's had 1,000 or more receiving yards for seven consecutive seasons and despite playing second fiddle to Marvin Harrison for most of his career, Wayne has had 80 or more receptions for six consecutive seasons. 

It's true that having Peyton Manning as his quarterback has benefited Wayne throughout his career. This is why he's not in the Top 5. However, the fact that he's been able to dominate so consistently and stay healthy for all these years is what puts Wayne in the Top 10.

6. Greg Jennings

Greg Jennings is another wide receiver that benefits from having a great quarterback. However, it's important to note that Aaron Rodgers got great in the last couple of seasons. Jennings has been playing great football long before Rodgers burst onto the scene.

Now with Aaron Rodgers only getting better, it's going to make Jennings an even bigger threat.

Jennings, last year, caught 76 balls for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jennings also had a 12-touchdown season with Brett Favre back in 2007. This was in limited action, too. 

Perhaps Jennings' greatest accomplishment came in last year's Super Bowl against Pittsburgh when he scored two touchdowns helping the Packers bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. 

5. Dwayne Bowe

Dwayne Bowe is an example of a receiver who is highly underrated because of the team he plays for and the quarterbacks he's had. 

Before Matt Cassel took over as quarterback, the Chiefs were very weak under center. That being said, Bowe still had a great season in 2008, scoring seven touchdowns and catching 86 balls for 1,022 yards.

Bowe has improved tremendously now that the Chiefs are a legitimate team in the AFC West. Last season he scored 15 touchdowns and had a career high of 1,162 receiving yards.

The scary aspect about Bowe is that he is just entering his prime and he's only going to get better.

4. Roddy White

Some say that Matt Ryan is the reason why Roddy White is so great. 

This may be true to some extent. However, it's important to note that before Ryan's arrival, White was still logging huge numbers. In 2007, White caught 83 balls for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns.

Ryan may have elevated his game because now White is putting up even bigger numbers. Last season, he led the league in receptions with 115 and he also scored 11 touchdowns with 1,389 yards. 

The truth is that it doesn't matter who White's quarterback is, he's going to perform and dominate anywhere. 

3. Andre Johnson

Despite playing for a team that has never made the playoffs in franchise history, Andre Johnson has put up stellar numbers. The fact that the Texans have never made the postseason is definitely not his fault.

Johnson has spent his whole career in Houston and has played with a plethora of mediocre quarterbacks. This may be the reason why he's never had a season where he's scored 10 or more touchdowns. 

That being said, Johnson has really elevated his game now that he's working with Matt Schaub. He had two consecutive seasons with 1,500 or more receiving yards. He was on pace to have another season like that last season but injuries slowed him down to only 1,216 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The most amazing stat about Andre Johnson is that he's averaged over 90 receiving yards per game in the last four years. He's absolutely a gem and it's a shame that he's never played in a postseason game. 

2. Calvin Johnson

Imagine Calvin Johnson had a Top 10 quarterback throwing him balls. The thought of that is absolutely scary. 

Even though Andre Johnson has put up far better numbers over a longer period of time than Calvin, the Lions receiver takes the second spot in this list. 

Firstly, Calvin is just entering his prime. He's entering his fifth season and he's already had two 12-touchdown seasons. 

Secondly, he's done all of this with guys like Shaun Hill as his quarterback. Matt Stafford has barely been able to stay healthy so Johnson has had to play with marginal passers who really can't get the job done. 

Finally, Calvin Johnson's greatness can't really be measured by his stats for the aforementioned reasons. One must really watch his game to admire him. The way he works against corners and makes unbelievable athletic catches are aspects that aren't recorded on the stat sheet. 

1. Larry Fitzgerald

How can a guy who only had 1,137 receiving yards and six touchdowns be the best receiver in the game?

Max Hall and Derek Anderson were his quarterbacks last season and he was able to have numbers like that. 

The year after Kurt Warner's retirement and Arizona's Super Bowl appearance, Larry Fitzgerald was still able to have a 13-touchdown season. The man is a physical specimen. He makes Pro Bowl corners look like college corners. His combination of strength, speed and agility make him one of the most feared receivers in the game. 

When he actually had a solid quarterback in Kurt Warner, Fitzgerald would put 1,400-yard seasons. He did this with another elite receiver on his opposite side in Anquan Boldon. 

The former Pitt Panther is currently in his prime and finally has a solid quarterback again in Kevin Kolb. It'll be very interesting to see Fitzgerald's numbers rise again to what we were used to during the Cardinals' heyday.