He's 5th all-time in receptions and 6th in receiving TDs. Sterling Sharpe: Hall of Fame Candidate During the 1970s, Jackson led all players in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He probably shouldn't be in. Swann: 336 rec, 5,462 yds, 51 TD. All Rights Reserved. Top 25 Best NFL Wide Receivers of All Time - bolavip.com In 1977, he led the NFL in receiving yardage and was a consensus All-Pro. Can a guy be a Hall of Famer even if he was never the best at his own position? Drew Pearson He has several advantages over Johnson, however. Top 20 Receivers | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site So now that I have my benchmark down, here are the wide receivers that I think only need a couple more seasons to potentially be considered for the HOF. Sports Central is the longest-running independent sports fan publication online, established in 1998 and featured by the BBC, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. He was a showboat in Atlanta, but you can get away with that when you're performing at a high level. The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters are the same people who select All-Decade Teams. There's a comparison to be drawn between Smith from '95-'04 and Big Game Torry Holt in the 2000s, when BGTH led the league in receptions and yards, with about half as many touchdowns as Moss and Owens. Smith was only the third player with multiple seasons catching 110 or more passes, the first two being Jerry Rice and Cris Carter from 1994-95. The expanded 16-game season and increased offensive levels also made Branchs 46-to-60 catch stat lines look like something any receiver could accomplish. Tyreek's 2K Target; He's Not Playing Around Or Is He? When football fans cry "snub," there's a good chance they're talking about a wide receiver. Fryar eventually recorded five 1,000-yard seasons, and his accomplishments as a returner are significant, something that should factor into any consideration of his Hall of Fame case. I got struggles. Smith was inducted into the Jaguars ring of honor known as the Pride of the Jaguars in 2016, and he has appeared at various team events in the years since. Stallworth: 537 rec, 8,723 yds, 63 TD Here's my list of 25, ranked by the number of times they were among the top 10 in their league in receiving yards: Seven: Powell Sharpe, unfortunately, suffered a neck injury at the end of the 1994 season, and that was that. Branch and Sharpe belong in the Hall of Fame by any standard. Andre Rison's average 5th, 9th, and 3rd. But I think the voters have been reluctant to enshrine him partly for the same reason Art Monk had to wait so long. That averages out to about 14th. He's ahead in every major category, way ahead in touchdowns. Everyone else on this list has a strong case, though some are stronger than others. When Philadelphia traded Jackson to Los Angeles in 1973, the 6-7-1 Rams improved to 12-2. Carter, in his third-best season, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns. Same era and they too only had three seasons over 1000 yds receiving and Swann never did! Rice, for instance, was the premier receiver of the 1990s, and could easily fit into that block instead. Essentially, Carter is battling the notion that he usually wasn't even the best receiver on his own team, that he was a system player who seldom had to deal with double-teams and caught a bunch of short passes. His detractors would point out that while Smith did have exceptional years, and did play well in several others, he had so few seasons on the field that his overall statistics don't measure up to the best players of his generation. But playing on so many bad Eagles teams delayed his entry into the Hall of Fame. So this is really a list of 15. You can probably win a bar bet with that, by the way. HOF Qualifications: POOR. In 1990 and 1991, Rison would have led or tied for the league lead in receiving TDs. Tittle and Roger Staubach never dreamed of. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice, and in receiving yards in 1974. That debate quickly ended when everyone who doesnt own a closet full of old Mike Vrabel and Danny Amendola jerseys scoffed, No way, Get real, and LOLZ.. But Branch was only an exceptional player for those three seasons. You remember the old highlight show line, "Cris Carter, all he does is catch touchdowns." NFL Rumors: DeAndre Hopkins To Remain With the Arizona Cardinals? But few are outright forgotten in the way that former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith has been since his retirement in 2006. That's an average of 9th or 10th. His achievement is still an unbroken record, thanks to his productivity and longevity during 20 NFL seasons. Rice had a three-time Super Bowl Champion. Grays not in the same statistical neighborhood as anyone except Swann, who was perhaps the most graceful and visually stunning receiver in history, a clutch legend and playoff hero, and who is widely regarded as a poor choice for Canton (see Tims comment above). According to the True Receiving Yards metric I created with Chase Stuart of FootballPerspective.com which adjusts a receivers stats for era, schedule length and team passing volume only Harrison (8,311 TRY) was more productive over that span than Smith (8,271). To me, those are the Hall of Famers, and Smith is just barely that next group down. We continue this week with WRs of the 1970s. Newest Colts WR Josh Downs is excited to work with WRs coach Reggie Andre Rison Players at the other stat positions quarterbacks and running backs are elected to the PFHOF with much higher frequency than wideouts. 1,101 receptions, 13,899 yards, 130 TD. A score of 100 is around the average modern-era inductee. Based in Charlotte, NC, we specialize in intelligent sports fan commentary and colorful interpretation. 30, 2023, 5:11 p.m. Kansas State wide receiver Kade Warner (85) carries the ball as Alabama . In fact, McCardell could make his own HoPDGP case. Jackson led the league in receiving touchdowns and was a consensus All-Pro. Below is a positional ranking of the best remaining undrafted prospects . Defenses fear the deep threat, the guy who can burn you on any given play. NFL's top 20 players not in the Hall of Fame: Torry Holt, Zach Thomas, Ken Anderson headline all-time list These greats are still waiting for their call to Canton By Bryan DeArdo Aug 18,. In 1968, the Eagles finished 14th in the 16-team NFL in passing yardage, and 15th in scoring, with just 14.4 points per game. Im human. *JAWS is an average of a players career and seven-year peak Approximate Value. There will be about half a dozen who have great seasons like Smith in '99, and about half of those will excel even further, push the records set by superstars like Moss and Owens and Harrison. HOF Qualifications: FAIR. Duper was the 52nd pick in the second round of the 1982 Draft. When they needed the key first down, who did they go to? 600-700 receptions At least 5 Pro Bowls At least 2 all pros Or 1 all pro and a Superbowl MVP All this just to be considered. Larry Fitzgerald: Also a lock when he retires in the year 2269. He was a team leader on a three-time Super Bowl champion. Branch actually led the Raiders in receiving only three times in his final nine seasons. Hill is an instant-impact player, and voters typically prefer that sort of player to someone who just accumulates lots of stats by being a cog in a machine. Looking at each player's best seasons, though, it's not apparent to me that Moore stands out from the best of his contemporaries. In the '90s, who besides Jerry Rice did what Brown and Carter did? Thereafter, he was out-gained every year by either Jake Reed or Moss. Morgans career was in decline by the time the Patriots got hammered by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Julio Jones: Hes a Hall of Fame lock. To keep the statistics from skewing, I used top-five rankings (instead of top-10) for seasons before 1970, when the leagues were 8-16 teams rather than 26-32. Moore's problem is two-fold. Several years ago, Chase Stuart introduced a stat-based system that ranked Moore as the 23rd-most valuable wide receiver in history, ahead of players like Ellard (26), Reed (35), Art Monk (36), Gary Clark (46), Sterling Sharpe (48), Rison (72), and Fryar (unrated). Hall of Fame QB's son will get NFL chance after signing rookie free agent deal. 29, 2020, Super Bowl rings well sure the does matter. Today's wide receivers play 16-game schedules. Please help keep me accountable. If that whole period had fallen into a single decade, how differently might he be viewed? In most eras, there are 2-4 wide receivers honored with Hall of Fame recognition. I have a strange theory: the 1982 strike kept Carmichael out of Canton. From recent years, when the passing game has reached levels of unprecedented importance, so far there's just Rice and Irvin. 1990-99: Michael Irvin. Smiths post-NFL life has been peppered with issues, but that has little to do with his Hall of Fame candidacy. Jimmy Smith Made five Pro Bowls, gained 1,000 yards in every full season as a starter, caught 110 passes twice. Most Approximate Value (AV) in a receivers best sets of five and seven consecutive seasons, 1960-2019, McCardell and Smith dubbed Thunder and Lightning were a historically potent duo at receiver. Dante Hall to Be Inducted Into Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame To me, they're both great players, but probably not Hall of Famers. Thats what makes healthy Hall of Fame debates fun. He lacks Johnsons best seasons and Smiths image. Smith, like Andre Johnson, becomes Hall of Fame eligible next season. Harold Jackson They were drafted just one year apart, both were great punt returners early in their careers, both had most of their best seasons in the '90s, both had career numbers that looked exceptional before the explosion of receiving stats in the last decade or so. But that was the widespread impression at the time; Rison's success with Green Bay was a real surprise coming from someone most fans thought was finished as an impact player. Worthy Hall of Fame (HOF) NFL Wide Receivers: The shoo-ins Let's start by running through five obvious cases of overly-qualified receivers who have not yet been enshrined. 5. 10 Hall of Fame-Worthy NFL Wide Receivers (not named Julian Edelman) A wide receiver who was the 5th- or 6th-best of his generation is a player I'm okay leaving out of Canton. Moore: 670 rec, 9,174 yds, 62 TD. The off-field stuff isn't supposed to factor into HOF voting, but Rison's uneven career and locker room impact are fair game. Ron Wolf, the GM for the Packers in the '90s, told Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman, "When [the Vikings] got in close, it was Carter you had to worry about. Ellard had four seasons among the top four in receiving yards, Fryar none. It was institutes in 1974 and allowed dbs only one chuck of a receiver after 3 yards and was instigated by the mauling of Curtis by the Pittsburgh secondary in their 1973 playoff matchup with Cincy. But hes no Hall of Famer. He should be in. The Best Wide Receivers in Los Angeles Rams Franchise History 670 receptions, 9,174 yards, 62 TD. Art Monk. Looking just at the 70s, Gray ranks 17th in receptions, 9th in yardage, and 11th in TDs. Im scared as hell. For years, it was Lynn Swann or Art Monk. Wide Receivers (14) Gray: 351 rec, 6,644 yds, 45 TD Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s Smith retired when he was still a good player; his final season yielded 70 catches, 1023 yards, and 6 TDs. 1984-2000, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins The same thing happened to Brown with receiving yardage. In his 11-year career, Pearson led the Cowboys in receiving TDs only twice (1975-76). The Hall of Fame argument in Rison's favor is that he has good career stats for his era, and he was a remarkable player in his prime, with five 1,000-yard seasons and four years of double-digit TDs. Stroud Could Slide, Bijan Robinson, and More, Ranking the Best NFL Draft Steals of All Time From Tom Brady to Tony Romo. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay in the loop on all things around the NFL. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls and was twice named first-team All-Pro. Opening up to Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com in 2016, Smith admitted that his fight against drug addiction is a constant obstacle. They all had about three really good years, plus some others when they were above average. Pearson: 489 rec, 7,822 yds, 48 TD Reggie Wayne is still years away, and it's too early to even make predictions about guys like Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Those teams were consistently good, but they played in two Super Bowls. In that seasons signature win a playoff upset at the heavily favored Denver Broncos Smith had 71 yards and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown. Hall spent seven seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs (2000-06), appearing in 97 games (10 starts) which is tied for the seventh most by a wide receiver in franchise history. And yet, half his production came after '95: five of his eight 1,000-yard seasons, four of his six double-digit TD years, overall about 47% of his statistical value. Swann, for instance, is generally thought of as a '70s guy. Fourth all-time in both receptions and receiving TDs, Carter joined Jerry Rice as the starting wide receivers on the 1990s NFL All-Decade team. But when you're talking about the Hall of Fame, does it distinguish him from guys like Cris Carter and Henry Ellard and Tim Brown? Receiving statistics are exploding, and their numbers don't look as glorious now that guys like Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens have played full careers. Jun. Shortly before Jackson retired, the NFL moved to a 16-game schedule and made several rules changes to substantially open up the passing game. Chiefs announce Dante Hall to be 2023 inductee into team Hall of Fame Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith. This affected Hennigan, Howton, Speedie, Hugh Taylor, and Wilson, once each. Some of those assignments are close calls. 1955-64: Raymond Berry, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell Top 25 Best NFL Wide Receivers of All Time It's difficult to compare players across eras at any position, and this is particularly true in the passing game, because the rules and statistics have changed so much. Ten Worthy Hall of Fame Receivers (Not Named Julian Edelman) Anything that causes a player's career to be broken up usually dampens the perception of his greatness. During that period, he ranked second (behind Marvin Harrison) in total catches, first in receiving yards and seventh in touchdown receptions. How does Moore get that high in a statistical analysis? That hurts Brown, who was a dazzling punt returner (3,320 yds, 10.2 avg, 3 TDs). From 1974-76, he was the dominant force at his position. But thats a topic for another column. If you're here for another era, check out our previous articles in this series: Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1990s (Brown, Carter, Fryar, Moore, Rison, Smith) Ranking Tom Brady's 41 best receivers during his 18-year, 9-Super Bowl Hopkins, like Edelman, made a little news on Monday when the folks at the MIT Sloan Analytics Conference named Hopkins acquisition by the Arizona Cardinals as the Best Sports Transaction of the Year. Smith was occasionally dogged by drug issues, and his four-game suspension in 2003 probably kept him from becoming the only person besides Rice with 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons. Branch: 501 rec, 8,685 yds, 67 TD Chronologically, there's really no one to compare him to. For Washington in the '80s and early '90s, that was Gary Clark, not Monk. New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, sparking an Internet debate about whether Edelman is a worthy future Pro Football Hall of Famer. zack howard on Twitter: "Imagine growing up with a hall of fame qb as Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s Now that we shooed in the shoo-ins, lets sink our teeth into some of the tougher cases. The positions importance and its statistical benchmarks have evolved significantly over time, particularly as the passing game grew to take over the modern sport since the 1990s, but the Halls selection committee has struggled to apply an evolving standard to candidates resumes. This affected Hennigan, Howton, Speedie, Hugh Taylor, and Wilson, once each. In 1979, Carmichael broke the NFL record for consecutive games with a reception, eventually stretching the mark to 127 before it was broken by Steve Largent in 1986. He probably shouldn't be in. They play in high-efficiency pass-oriented offenses, as opposed to the exciting but reckless bomb-it-down-the-field passing games of the past, when running was a way of life and throwing a sneaky change of pace or a mark of desperation. What about the Cardinals Mel Gray? Carmichael was one of the best wide receivers of his era. But those guys had a lot of other really good seasons, too. Tony Boselli, one of the best left tackles of a generation full of great ones, has been a finalist for five years. 3. Is it popularity and how much they were in the spot light. Instead of ripping Edelman, however, lets celebrate ten NFL wide receivers of the last 50 years or so who really do deserve Hall of Fame consideration. More, Subscribe to the Sports Central Feed Follow Sports Central on Twitter, "There is a reason he is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, because he pushes us over the top in moments like this. Moore's relatively short prime overlaps precisely with an unprecedented statistical boom for receivers, further exaggerating his already impressive accomplishments. Smith was a star from 1996-2005. We'll expand on this next week, but how would Rison's career look different without Rice in the landscape? 1988-2004, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1971-84, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys 1955-64: Raymond Berry, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell Theres another name that should be on here for serious consideration - Isaac Curtis, Bengals 1973-84. Not counting people like Calvin Johnson because they're not retired.All of the videos belong to another YouTube video/ None of the footage is mineNot Mention. Jackson's record wasn't tied until Tim Brown in 2003, and finally broken by Terrell Owens and Tony Gonzalez almost 30 years later. The Hall of Fame wideout finished his career as the NFL's all-time leading receiver and was a staple of the Redskins offense for 14 years. 25 Best Undrafted NFL Players of All Time - AthlonSports.com NFL Trade Rumors: Could Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler, or DeAndre Hopkins Get Moved This Week? That player would be michael irving popular has rings and of course on the cowboys. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1950s (Hill, Howton, Speedie, Hugh Taylor, Wilson), Cliff Branch 5 NFL Wide Receivers that WILL BE in the Hall of Fame and 5 That WON'T Thats also a big reason why Smith finished fourth among players who started their careers in 1950 or later behind only Rice, Harrison and Owens based on their head-to-head TRY against teammates over their careers (after adjusting for aging effects). It's natural, I think, to compare him to Ellard. In the '70s, Jackson gained 7,724 receiving yards, far ahead of 2nd-place Ken Burrough (6,343), and even farther ahead of celebrated players like Harold Carmichael (6,080), Drew Pearson (5,713), Cliff Branch (5,520), and Lynn Swann (3,982). Holt still has better numbers, but he played on a wild offense. Think again. Players at the other stat positions quarterbacks and running backs are elected to the PFHOF with much higher frequency than wideouts. The first overall pick in the 1984 draft, Fryar quickly made his mark on special teams he was a Pro Bowl returner, with 3 punt return TDs in his first three seasons but didn't emerge as a major receiving threat until he left New England to play for the Dolphins and Eagles. Despite his qualifications, hes probably not getting in on the first ballot. @Neil_Paine, NFL (976 posts) For years, it was Lynn Swann or Art Monk. Hall Of Good (13). 1960-69: Lance Alworth, Don Maynard It was a pleasure to watch and cover you for many years! Branch made four Pro Bowls, was four times first-team All-Pro, and played on three Super Bowl winners. But you can't really compare Jimmy Smith to Rison, because Rison was basically finished by the time Smith became a starter. And you can't compare Smith to Isaac Bruce, because Bruce played until 2009. Most importantly, he has accumulated a sizzle reel full of memorable moments, and signature plays can be as important to a Hall of Fame case as stats or rings. Jones is also one of just 20 wide receivers with seven Pro Bowl selections and 11 wideouts with two First-Team All-Pro selections. Boldin is yet another receiver who becomes a Hall of Fame nominee this year. According to computer vision, Addison has the third-fastest burst (speed achieved in the first 3 yards traveled) of any receiver in this draft class when . He had three tremendous seasons, yes, but so did all the others, and they were effective players for much longer. Branch played very well in Super Bowls XV and XVIII and won three rings. Charley Taylor. But the expansion Jaguars offered Smiths career a path forward. In his final season, Rison became just the seventh player in history with 700 receptions, 10,000 yards, and 80 touchdowns. Drew Pearson (part of the 2021 class) was a great player, and I grew up worshipping Harold Carmichael (2020 Centennial class), but Branch is more qualified than either of them. He has also been shunted behind Holt and Wayne in the wide receiver queue and Alan Faneca in the ex-Steelers queue. Morgan was one of the greatest deep threats in NFL history. New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement from the, Lets start by running through five obvious cases of overly-qualified receivers who have not yet been enshrined. When you see wide receivers motion into the slot, hide in the backfield, or haul in a tunnel screen, you are seeing some of the things Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren and his staff made popular in the NFL in an effort to funnel the ball into Sharpes hands. Dante Hall chosen for induction into Chiefs Hall of Fame Four: Branch, Ellard, Fryar, Hennigan, Howton, Moore, Sharpe, Otis Taylor The wide receiver won three Super Bowls and was selected to five Pro Bowls. Some of those assignments are close calls. Holt and Wayne are still log-jammed ahead of him, and Steve Smith has a slightly better overall portfolio. Eagles great Harold Carmichael finally gets his Hall of Fame enshrinement In this article, I count down the Rams' top five wide receivers of all time. Best Wide Receivers Not in the HOF: 1990s - Sports Central Andre Rison Touchdown machine in the early '90s who revived his career with a 54-yard TD in the Super Bowl and a Pro Bowl with the Chiefs. Pro Football Hall of Fame Top 20 - Leading Lifetime Receivers. But in looking at the early '90s, I don't think Fryar and Rison are as strong as some of the candidates I'll write about next week: Gary Clark, Henry Ellard, Andre Reed, and Sterling Sharpe. Irving Fryar and Rison did a lot of the same things as Andre Reed, but the constant team-switching makes it hard, psychologically, to view them that way. 2. The Hall of Fame voters, in recent years, have almost entirely ignored special teams contributions. Lets start by running through five obvious cases of overly-qualified receivers who have not yet been enshrined. He also had several very good seasons in the '80s, making the Pro Bowl in 1980 and going over 1,000 yards in '81. Harold Jackson Five-time Pro Bowler, first player to amass 10,000 receiving yards in the NFL. He literally changed the game as the first of the series of liberalized passing rules which the 1970s would see was called the Isaac Curtis rule. Frankly, Smith has one of the weakest cases on this list. And Smiths best set of seven straight seasons (1996 through 2002) earns him sole possession of seventh place since 1960, trailing only Rice, Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Michael Irvin, Alworth and Moss. 1980-89: James Lofton, Art Monk Is it stats some times wonder maybe but not really. A guy's career looks fragmented when he moves around so often, hard to view as a whole. He has a well-deserved tough-guy personality, a high television profile (all voters try to tune that sort of thing out, and a few succeed), and several signature plays, including the broken-arm catch and some unforgettable playoff performances.

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