I stole this topic but thought it was fun for an offseason question. I would say you could include the NFC Central in the equation, but I don’t think anyone would put an old Bucs receiver in their Top 3.
- Calvin Johnson
- Randy Moss
- Cris Carter
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Calvin
Randy
Chris Carter lasted longer than Anthony Carter, but I thought Anthony was better, while in his prime. I definitely saw the world htoruhg a different lens, back then. I’d have to revisit stats.
My inner Homer wants to go with
Johnson
Golliday
Moore
Tate
Morton
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James Lofton
Antonio Freeman or is thst nfc central ?
Fansided had an article about this already, 6 years ago though but they went top 10.
- Randy Moss
- Don Hutson
- Calvin Johnson
- Chris Carter
- Sterling Sharpe
- James Lofton
- Herman Moore
- Donald Driver
- Harlon Hill
- Anthony Carter
3 Vikings
2 Lions
4 Packers
1 Bear
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- Moss
- Calvin
- Chris Carter
In that order for me.
I’ll go a step further and give 2 of my favorites from each team:
Vikes - Moss and Carter (obviously)
Lions - Moore and Calvin
Packers - Driver and Freeman
Bears - Conway and Jeffrey (haven’t had a whole lot of top level guys at the position in my lifetime)
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I think you pretty much nailed it. Cris Carter was a total beast and I hated him for how good he was.
Calvin and Randy also. Hard to argue anyone should be on that list past that.
Honorable mentions:
Herman Moore
Sterling Sharpe…not the longest career but he was incredible. 65 TDs in seven seasons? Wow.
Antonio Freeman was really good.
Donald Driver is better than Antonio Freeman.
James Lofton was incredible for the 1980s too.
Anthony Carter was great before Cris Carter came along for the Vikes.
Damn the Packers have had some amazing wide receivers.
Funny but the Bears have never really had great WRs. I would not put one on an honorable mention list. The Lions are light.
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The Bears WR’s are hard to pick. You got a lot of really good ones but none that were truly great.
Willie Gault, Conway, Alshon Jeffrey, Brandon Marshall, Earl Bennett, etc.
Sorry, I just checked Earl Bennett’s stats, I guess I remember him better than he was.
Easy
Amon Ra St. Brown
Quintez Cephus
Victor Bolden
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Technically, the NFC North did not start until the 2002 season.
Before that, it was the NFC Central from 1970 to 2001.
So, if you’re talking pure NFC North, that would, for example, exclude Cris Carter who played for the Dolphins in 2002, and Herman Moore who played for the Giants in 2002.
Calvin Johnson would be a clear No. 1 in the NFC North.
Everyone else is fighting for Nos. 2 and 3…
Packers candidates
From 2006-2014, Greg Jennings had 552 catches for 8083 yards, 14.6 ypc, and 63 TDs.
From 2014-2020, Davante Adams has 546 catches for 6568 yards, 12.0 ypc, and 62 TDs.
From 2008-2017, Jordy Nelson had 550 catches for 7848 yards, 14.3 ypc, and 60 TDs.
From 2002-2012, Donald Driver had 706 catches for 9617 yards, 13.6 ypc, and 58 TDs.
From 2011-2018, Randall Cobb had 470 catches for 5524 yards, 11.8 ypc, and 41 TDs.
From 07-13 + 15, James Jones had 360 catches for 5195 yards, 14.4 ypc, and 45 TDs.
Vikings candidates
From 2014-2020, Adam Thielen has 397 catches for 5240 yards, 13.2 ypc, and 39 TDs.
From 2002-2004, Randy Moss had 266 catches for 3746 yards, 14.1 ypc, and 37 TDs.
From 2015-2019, Stephon Diggs had 365 catches for 4623 yards, 12.7 ypc, and 30 TDs.
Lions candidates
From 2016-2020, Marvin Jones had 286 catches for 4296 yards, 14.2 ypc, and 36 TDs.
From 2014-2018, Golden Tate had 416 catches for 4741 yards, 11.4 ypc, and 22 TDs.
Bears candidates
From 2012-2014, Brandon Marshall had 279 catches for 3524 yards, 12.6 ypc, and 31 TDs.
From 2012-2016, Alshon Jeffrey had 304 catches for 4549 yards, 15.0 ypc, and 26 TDs.
More than 1 team
From 04-08 + 11, Roy Williams had 299 catches for 4391 yards, 14.7 ypc, and 31 TDs.
From 03-06 + 10-13, Nate Burleson had 321 catches for 3872 yards, 12.1 ypc, and 24 TDs.
For me, it would be Calvin, Greg Jennings, and Davante Adams as 1, 2, 3.
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I like the OP’s list. I’d also consider Don Hutson as a great receiver who played when passing wasn’t as prominent.
I’ll come back to this thread in 2040 when all 3 of them are going into the hall of fame!
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Easy question.
Calvin
Herman
Golden
End of topic.
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Don Hutson and Lance Alworth’s per game numbers are bonkers
Hutson in 11 years led the NFL in receptions 8x, yards 7x, TDs 8x. Scored 104 TD in 116 games and had 30 interceptions as a 2 way guy just for kicks…and kicked 7 FG just for…fun.
Alworth retired the all time leader in everything at WR
but if we are doing just NFC North, then it’s Calvin, Adams and Jennings.
We reach back to the 90s, then Calvin Moss and Carter, but I want to say Sharpe…he was a complete beast.
Deeper cuts and I take Hutson over Carter, but Moss and Calvin stay.
So, all all all time, Calvin, Moss, Hutson. Not sure of the order.
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Without reading others and just off the top of my head.
Calvin Johnson
Randy Moss
Cris Carter
Hon. Men. - James Lofton
Since the premise of my post was the NFC North coming into existence in 2002, I only included player stats from 2002 on. Therefore, Schroeder wouldn’t qualify for consideration as a top 3 WR (Alligator Arms wouldn’t anyway, but that’s a different point).
Otherwise, Randy Moss would have been at the top of the list (ahead of Calvin) with 587 catches for 9316 yards, 15.9 ypc, and 92 TDs in 113 games in a Vikings uniform.
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Absolutely. I knew Hutson was great, but didn’t realize he also played D and kicked field goals. And Suh couldn’t even hit his one PAT!
To me, the Packers are now NFC north, so you look back at all Packers, so Hutson replaces Carter, for Moss, Calvin and Hutson. But then again, I don’t make the rules!
1 Moss
2 CJ
3 Carter
Moore is a guy I love but when going over the stats… he only had 4 1,000 yard seasons vs. Carters 8!! Carter played 4 more seasons than Herman did, but damn. There was a stretch where Herman was insane though. His one year where he caught 123 passes, he went for 1,686 yards!! Carter had two seasons back to back with 122 receptions and in comparison went for 1,256 and 1,371 (for 17TD’s damn…) respectively. Plus Carter gets extra points for this moment in football history…
For the NFC Central & NFC North combined (i.e. 1970 to the present), have to agree.
Lofton doesn’t make it because he spent 8 of his 17 seasons outside the Norris Division.
Without looking at anyone else’s first:
- Randy Moss
- Calvin
- Don Hutson (1930s Packers WR, led NFL in receiving 7 of his 11 seasons, still holds the Packers record with 99 receiving TDs.)
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I can’t include Huston because he played in an era when there was no NFC. The NFC wasn’t created until 1970. Furthermore, the Vikings didn’t exist as a franchise until 1961.
When Huston played, from 1936-1945, there were only 10 teams.
The Eastern Division consisted of Washington, Brooklyn, New York, Steelers (Pirates), and Eagles.
The Western Division consisted of the Lions, Bears, Packers, Rams, and Cardinals.