10 Best Wide Receivers of All Time

Who are the 10 best wide receivers of all time? These players were often the difference between winning and losing games. Wide receivers are relied on to make big plays for their teams and to score touchdowns by using speed, strength, agility and good hands. Let's take a look at the 10 best wide receivers of all time.

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10. Michael Irvin

Michael Irvin was a crucial part of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s. Over his 12-year career, he recorded 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns.

What makes Irving one of the best wide receivers of all time was his ability to make big plays thanks to his exceptional route-running, hands, intelligence, leadership, work ethic and passion.

In one-on-one situations he was unstoppable, and he also had a significant impact on the game as the league brought in new rules on taunting and offensive pass interference as a result of Irvin's style of play.

Michael Irvin is the best 🤣pic.twitter.com/V8GHJhmvB7
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 27, 2022

9. Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson enjoyed a nine-year career with the Detroit Lions before retiring early in 2015 as a 30-year old. Despite a relatively short career he registered 11,619 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns, including setting the single-season record for receiving yards (excluding playoffs) in 2012 with an incredible 1,964 yards.

Johnson had amazing catching ability, speed, strength and unreal leaping ability. He was a nightmare to defend in the red zone with his 6-foot-5, 239-pound frame. Despite his size he had remarkable body control.

Catching and running routes were made to look easy, but setting Johnson apart from the rest of the league was his ability to make the most difficult of catches in traffic and his run-after-catch plays.

8. Cris Carter

Cris Carter was drafted in 1987 by the Eagles but would be cut for disciplinary reasons after three seasons. Minnesota took a shot on him and he earned eight Pro Bowl appearances in 12 seasons with the Vikings.

Carter was an excellent target to throw at whether it was short or long range. Across a 16-year career he recorded 1,101 receptions for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns.

An excellent presence across the field, Carter seemingly caught anything thrown his way, and he was particularly good at making difficult receptions in traffic and ridiculous one-handed catches.

7. Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald had an impressive 17-year career entirely with the Arizona Cardinals and is one of the best wide receivers of all time. He was the complete package.

With his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame, Fitzgerald had a freakish ability adjusting to passes. His mobility for somebody with his power and size was a rarity. He used his strengths to exploit man-to-man coverage and he was also strong at finding space in zones.

Despite his raw strength and size he was a nimble route-runner with incredibly soft hands. He finished his career with 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. He never won a championship, but he did score two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLIII in 2008.

Hail Larry!
Larry Fitzgerald’s catch in overtime against Green Bay is unforgettable. pic.twitter.com/8rTBBmBNE1 — Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 13, 2022

6. Don Hutson

Don Hutson dominated the NFL in the 1930s and 1940s. Not only is he one of the best wide receivers of all time because of the 488 receptions, 7,991 yards and 99 touchdowns he scored during his 11-year career at Green Bay; he helped to revolutionize the game as we know it today.

Hutson was such a force, he owned 18 NFL records at the time of his retirement. In an era that prioritized moving the chains by running the ball, Hutson created and executed many of the modern passing routes that are seen in the NFL today.

One of, if not, the greatest Green Bay Packers player of all time, Hutson also played as a defensive back and recorded 30 career interceptions.

5. Steve Largent

When Steve Largent retired in 1989 he held all major NFL receiving records. Drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1976, he was due to be cut but was traded to the Seattle Seahawks who had just joined the league as an expansion team.

Largent wasn't big, fast or strong. He became one of the best wide receivers of all time because of his ability to get wide open with his precise route-running ability. He'd back it up by catching anything thrown at him.

In a 14-season career with the Seahawks, Largent earned seven Pro Bowl selections and he became the first receiver in NFL history to reach 100 touchdown receptions, Jerry Rice passing his receptions record in 1992.

4. Marvin Harrison

Marvin Harrison spent his entire 13-year career with the Indianapolis Colts and is one of the best wide receivers of all time. The Super Bowl XLI champion played most of his career alongside Peyton Manning and he earned 8 Pro Bowl appearances.

Harrison was an exceptionally consistent and reliable receiver. He had a streak of eight seasons in a row with at least 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. At the end of his career he registered a total of 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns.

An elusive route runner with a safe set of hands, Harrison always showed great composure and body control. One of his best traits was his brilliant attitude and demeanor, serving as an excellent role model for fans.

3. Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens is one of the best wide receivers of all time. On the field he was one of the league's most dominant forces. He was big, fast and strong, and his physicality allowed him to make tough catches in traffic.

In 15 seasons, Owens recorded 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns. He often exploited his speed and quickness to fake defenders out, and he made a habit of making big plays at big moments.

Owens is the only player in history to score a touchdown against all 32 NFL teams. He was a very hard worker with an incredible work ethic but has been criticized for being a bad teammate and causing problems with his quarterbacks.

2 decades ago Terrell Owens became the owner of the Dallas Cowboys star pic.twitter.com/riAzo0zO4u
— Barstool Sports (Hive account@barstoolsports) September 24, 2020

2. Randy Moss

Randy Moss is the best wide receiver in NFL history if you ask him, but he’s the second best on our list. Naturally athletic, Moss was a weapon and he finished his career with 982 receptions, 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns across 14 seasons.

Moss was able to run routes that defied what a 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver should be capable of and he made it look easy too. His combination of blazing speed, length and his catching ability made him a nightmare for defenses, and allowed him to be one of the greatest deep threats ever.

Despite his exceptionally high football IQ, he’s been criticized for his character issues in the past including an admission that he smoked weed during his playing career. He also made things look incredibly easy, with some fans seeing it as an attribute of laziness by Moss.

1. Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice is undoubtedly the best wide receiver of all time. Drafted by the 49ers in 1985, he went on to win three Super Bowls in a 20-year career in which he recorded 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns - all NFL records to this day.

Rice was renowned for his explosive acceleration and his ability to change direction so suddenly. He also possessed remarkable hands, ran precise routes, and had an exceptional work ethic.

His ability to perform at his best on the biggest stage was astounding. In Rice’s three Super Bowl wins he recorded 28 receptions, 512 yards and 7 touchdowns combined.

Almost every time he touched the ball it seemed Rice would come up with a big play. The best wide receiver of all time, many consider Jerry Rice to also be the best player of all time, and many of his records seem unlikely to ever be broken.

On this day in 1994, #49ers WR Jerry Rice breaks Jim Brown's #NFL record for most career touchdowns scored.
Rice scored three touchdowns on #MNF against #Raiders in the season opener. #Random49ers #FTTB @JerryRice pic.twitter.com/pZ6zrQMunc — #Random49ers (@Random49ers) September 5, 2022

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