I understand that most of you are going to see the headline and slam this take, but that’s okay. There’s a common misconception that has to be dispelled: Julio Jones is not a top 5 Wide Receiver in the NFL.
That being said, Julio Jones used to be a top 5 WR in the NFL but he isn’t anymore. He has lost his ability to convert red zone targets. In 2017, he had 19 red zone targets and just 1 TD. He only had 3 touchdowns last year in 16 games. Odell Beckham Jr. had 3 touchdowns last season in 4 games.
His reception totals have also been lower than usual for him over the past two seasons. That shows me that he’s not doing a good enough job of getting open which is obviously the number 1 job of a wide receiver.
Now that we’ve gone over the reasons why Julio Jones doesn’t deserve to be on this list, let’s get into who the top 5 wide receivers in the league are.
1. Antonio Brown
AB has been the best wide receiver in the league for quite some time now. He’s had 5 straight 1,000 yard seasons and he’s had 52 touchdowns to go along with that. He is also one of the best route runners in the league and can take almost any catch to the end zone.
2. Odell Beckham Jr.
In terms of pure talent, Odell Beckham Jr. has the ability to be one of the best receivers of all time. He is the best route runner in the NFL and his hands are second to none. In an offense that was led by village idiot Ben McAdoo, Odell Beckham was still able to put up outstanding numbers and he averages .8 touchdowns per game over his career which is absolutely insane.
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3. Deandre Hopkins
A consensus top 5 WR pick, Hopkins had one of the best years of his career last season. He had nearly 1,400 yards and 13 (13!!) touchdowns. He also had 5 of his 13 touchdowns last season after Deshaun Watson tore his ACL which is impressive since he was catching balls from the likes of Tom Savage and TJ Yates.
4. Keenan Allen
This is where my list is going to start catching some flack. I truly do believe that in terms of talent, Keenan Allen is the 4th best wide receiver in the league when he’s healthy. Last season was easily the best of his career as he had 102 receptions for nearly 1,400 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He also got progressively better as last season went on. He went over 100 yards 5 of his final 7 games to go along with 5 touchdowns. One could argue that his knee injury healed up better as the year went on and he is back to his old self.
5. Michael Thomas
Last and most certainly not least, Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints comes in at #5. Thomas followed up an impressive rookie season by having a stellar sophomore campaign. With 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and 5 touchdowns, he was one of the key factors in the success of the Saints last year.
Thomas should be poised to keep improving this season as the third season for wide receivers is when they typically know how to play the position at this level.
BONUS RANKING!
39172319. John Ross
Possibly the biggest bust of all time and he had more fumbles than catches last season. He’s an absolute garbage receiver.
Do you love these takes? Hate these takes? Feel free to agree with me or curse me out on twitter @Dancouver95.