NFL Power Rankings: The Best Wide Receivers Heading into Week 4

There are a lot of great receivers in the NFL. This slideshow will tell you which are the best and why.

The NFL season is finally in the swing of things. Teams are becoming what they will be, as are the players. The wide receiver position is particularly interesting this season, as many talented wide receivers have separated themselves from the pack.

These first three weeks have been the exciting product that fans have come to expect from the NFL. The wide receivers have been a big part of that. Here are nine guys who have been the biggest part of it.

Wes Welker

Wes Welker isn’t much to look at, considering he’s just 5’9” and weighs under 190 pounds. But what he lacks in size he makes up for in his play on the field.

Welker leads the NFL in receiving yards with 458 and already has four touchdown catches. He also leads the league in receptions (31) and is averaging 14.8 yards per catch and 152.7 yards per game.

Welker is the best possession receiver in the game today and one of the best in the history of the NFL. That’s more than enough to be on this list.

Mike Wallace

In the past few years, Mike Wallace has risen through the NFL ranks and become one of the top receivers in the league, not to mention that No. 1 wideout for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He has two touchdowns so far this season and is averaging 18 yards per reception. He also has a very good habit of showing up big when his team needs him. In last night’s slugfest against the Indianapolis Colts, Wallace caught five balls for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Being the best wide receiver for a franchise as storied as the Pittsburgh Steelers puts Wallace on this list; his stats are just window dressing.

Andre Johnson

This former Miami Hurricane has been considered one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for quite a while now. He still is.

Andre Johnson has started this season out on a great foot, catching 21 balls for 316 yards and two touchdowns in three games.  He’s also on pace to break the 10,000-yard receiving mark for his career this season and already has 52 career touchdown catches.

He's one of the most consistent players in the league and a big reason the Texans are on the verge of greatness this season.

Kenny Britt

Kenny Britt’s status as a top-tier wide receiver is evidenced by the reaction to the news of his season-ending ACL tear. Many have given up hope on the Tennessee Titans all because they lost this one guy.

Britt has 289 receiving yards through a little less than three games and has been a big reason why the Titans have looked promising thus far this season.

He ‘s averaged 17 yards per catch and has scored three times. Just because an injury has taken away his ability to improve on those numbers doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the best.

Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson might just be the prototypical NFL wide receiver. He’s big and powerful at  6’5” and 230 pounds, can catch anything that comes his way and is fast enough to run into the end zone.

He’s caught just 17 passes so far this season, but he’s averaged 15 yards per catch and has accounted for a first down every time he’s caught the ball.

Maybe you should go back and read that again. He’s caught 17 passes and made 17 first downs. He’s money.

Greg Jennings

If the University of Western Michigan ever wants to declare their biggest contribution to the world, it might just be Greg Jennings.

The receiver has caught 18 balls for 263 yards so far this season. He’s on pace to more than match his 1,265-yard performance of last season.

Jennings is just 5’11”, but you’d swear he was bigger when you watch him. He flies all around the field, using his speed to find open spaces. He’s one of the best receivers in the league.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall’s reputation as a top-notch receiver has taken a hit since his move from Denver to Miami. It probably has something to do with his production falling so much.

Marshall’s touchdown catches went down from 10 to three after he joined the Miami Dolphins, a team that was, at the time, predicated on the running game.

He’s started off this season well, catching 17 balls for 261 yards. He’s also a big-time talent.

Marshall will have a big season this year, despite being on one of the worse teams in the NFL. He’ll shine, catching a lot of balls while no one else around him is doing anything else. Sometimes stars have to do it that way.

Larry Fitzgerald

Of all the guys on this list, this is the one that is the best off the field.

Fitzgerald is a good guy, a smart guy and an extremely talented athlete. His stats are very good so far (15 receptions for 259 yards and two touchdowns), but those don’t really tell the whole story.

Fitz’s biggest upside is his ability to catch anything and everything. He makes some of the most acrobatic catches in the NFL and does so effortlessly.

Is Kevin Kolb any good without Larry Fitzgerald? I have no idea, Kolb has no idea and neither of us wants to find out.

Calvin Johnson

I am adding this slide. Thanks for the ribbing, I deserved it. I cannot believe I forgot the best receiver in the league.

That's what he is. He leads the league with six touchdown catches already in just three games and already has 225 yards receiving. He's got it all: the size (6'5"), the hands, the speed, and a guy to throw the ball to him in Matthew Stafford.

If Stafford can stay healthy this season, Johnson will have a potentially record-breaking year.

Once again, thank you to all my readers who pointed out my being an idiot for forgetting this guy.