The 10 Most Physical Wide Receivers in the NFL

Now that we’re a little more than a quarter of the way through the NFL season, we have witnessed the emergence of the NFL aerial attack.

In today's NFL the wide receiver position has become increasingly important.

With that, I’m going to dive in and break down the most physical receivers at this all-important position.

Vincent Jackson (6’5” 230 lbs)

V-Jax is an underrated receiver physically, but that’s because he gets talked about more for his down-field speed than his physicality.

The reason we don’t notice his physicality is because DBs are constantly playing off of him in order to guard against the deep ball. This allows him to run more freely than most receivers of his stature.

Hakeem Nicks (6’1” 208 lbs)

While Hakeem Nicks does not possess great speed, he does possess the necessary strength to break tackles and has great run-after-catch ability.

His strength and athleticism also make for one of the best end zone threats in the league—as was evident earlier this year against the St. Louis Rams, when he muscled himself free from a defensive back to catch a three-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

Donald Driver (6’0” 194 lbs)

Donald Driver may be getting slower (he's 36 years old), but he’s still regarded as one of the toughest and most physical receivers there is in the league.

He is for the Green Bay Packers what Hines Ward is for the Pittsburgh Steelers—a tough, gritty receiver that does it all.

He’s not afraid to go across the middle and take a big hit. Driver has also been one of the best run-blockers at the wide receiver position over his career.

Dwayne Bowe (6’2” 221 lbs)

It took some time, but Dwayne Bowe has fully arrived. People were wondering if last season was just a blip on an otherwise unimpressive career, but this year he’s proving that last year was no fluke.

Bowe is very explosive out of his breaks for a 221-pound receiver. He also displays great strength when catching the ball in traffic. Additionally, he has an impressive stiff arm that allows him to make big runs after the catch.

Brandon Marshall (6’4” 230 lbs)

Marshall may be the most physically imposing receiver next to Calvin Johnson. At 6’4”, he’s bigger than anyone he goes up against, and his 37” vertical allows him to take the ball away at its highest point.

He is one of the best run-after-catch guys in the league and also has arguably the best stiff-arm of any receiver as well.

He doesn’t get talked about too much, which is a direct result of being on one of the worst teams in the league, but he’s widely considered the best overall athlete in the NFL.

His problem, however, lies in his head. He has dropped 37 passes over the last three seasons—more than any other receiver over that span.

Andre Johnson (6’3” 226 lbs)

Andre Johnson is one of the very best at beating bump-and-run coverage in the NFL. Once he beats the bump-and-run, he becomes one of the best all-around route runners in the league.

Johnson is a load to bring down too, almost always shaking off the first tackler.

If you don’t think Johnson is a physical beast, just ask Cortland Finnegan.

Larry Fitzgerald (6’3” 218 lbs)

The scouting report on Fitz is that he has a rare combination of size and athleticism that allows him to simply out-jump you. Next to Calvin Johnson, there isn’t anybody else in the NFL that can out-jump the defense and bring down the ball.

When Anquan Boldin was playing across from Fitz in Arizona, they were the most physical receiving duo in the league. Going up against both of them meant the opposing secondary was in for a long day.

Hines Ward (6’0” 205 lbs)

What can you say about Hines Ward that has not been said already? In the past, he has been called the most complete receiver in the league, because of his ability to run-block.

He has been called dirty and a cheap-shot by some.

The fact is, Ward just plays the game the way it’s meant to be played—physical from start to finish. He never lets up on any play, even if it's a run play to the other side of the field, he’s going to make sure he hits someone.

Ward is a product of the city of Pittsburgh and the team in which he plays for—a rough and tough blue-collar mentality with a straight-forward approach.  He’s a guy that any team would be lucky to have on their side.

Anquan Boldin (6’1” 223 lbs)

Boldin is one of the strongest receivers in the NFL—and also viewed as one of the toughest overall players in the league.

There’s nothing this guy can’t do. He’s excellent at going across the middle and being able to take a big hit. He’s also strong enough to use his body to get separation in the bump-and-run.

This guy embodies physicality and toughness. After having his face caved in on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Jets' safety Eric Smith in 2008, he had surgery that placed seven plates and 40 screws in his face. He was back after missing only two games.

Calvin Johnson (6’5” 236 lbs)

The man people call Megatron is the most physical receiver in the NFL—dare I say the most physically dominant receiver the NFL has ever seen.

The combination of size and strength that he possesses allow him to literally shield any defensive back from making a play on the ball.

That size, along with a legitimate 43-inch vertical, allow him to go up and take the ball away from anyone—as was evident when he snatched the ball away from three Dallas Cowboys' DBs for a touchdown.

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