With the upcoming season quickly approaching, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up next, we have the wide receivers!
The Top 10 NFL Wide Receivers for 2018
10. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders – I’m sure I’ll catch some heat for this one, but I like Cooper as a big time bounce-back candidate in 2018. He’s had such an impressive start to his career, topping 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, that I’m counting 2017 as an anomaly.
9. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers – 12 touchdowns in 2016, 10 in 2017 – need I say more? How about the fact that Adams has one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history chuckin’ the ball to him? How about the fact that Jordy Nelson is now in Oakland? Folks, it’s about to be the Davante Adams show in Green Bay this year.
8. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Ten years ago, if you would’ve told me that Fitzgerald would be playing his most productive football with Drew Stanton as his quarterback, primarily playing the slot in 2015-17, I would’ve called you crazy. But, this dude is the ageless wonder, and has proven himself to still be one of the most reliable and productive receivers in the NFL.
7. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints – I’m not as high on Thomas as others are. Sure, he’s consistent. Sure, he has Drew Brees as his quarterback. He’s topped 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons so far. But, there’s just something about him that isn’t exactly eye-popping. Still, he’s comfortably inside the top 10.
6. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Statistically speaking, 2017 was Evans’ worst year as a pro. He barely cracked 1,000 receiving yards (1,001), and caught just five touchdowns. The guy is quite simply too gifted and too talented to be among the mediocre. Evans is a prime ‘buy low’ candidate for 2018.
5. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers – He’s the reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year after posting 1,393 yards (3rd in the NFL), and six touchdowns a season ago. But, he caught 102 passes on a whopping 159 targets. So, he’s certainly going to get the workload to put up elite stats. I think this is the year he officially joins the ranks of the top five.
4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons – Jones’ three touchdowns on a Falcons offense that struggled overall last season has me a bit concerned about his future. But all in all, we’re still talking about an elite receiver who tallied 1,444 yards in 2017.
3. Odell Beckham, Jr., New York Giants – He’s a freakish athlete who caught a lot of touchdowns and ate up a ton of yardage in his first three seasons. An ankle injury sidelined him in 2017, but he should bounce back in 2018. Plus, it’s a contract year for the guy, so you know he’s going to go out there and try to show out.
2. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers – It’s hard to argue with the uber productive Brown’s success in the NFL, but what pulls him out of the top spot this season is the offense he plays in. Not to take away from Brown, but I’m splitting hairs here. It’s hard for defenses to cover all of the weapons on that Steelers offense, which definitely makes Brown’s job easier. He’s been widely considered the best receiver in the NFL for a while now, but I think that changes in 2018.
1. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans – Perhaps no receiver has done as much with less as Hopkins has. The dude has dealt with a rotating circus of veritable crash test dummies at quarterback, and yet he’s still been one of the most productive receivers year over year. He’s one of the most feared one-on-one matchups in the league. Hopkins was 4th in receiving yards last season with 1,378 yards, but his 13 touchdowns led the league. With a healthy Deshaun Watson, this is the year that Hopkins steps up and claims the NFL’s receiving crown.
Other 2018 NFL Top 10s
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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