Ranking NFLs best wide receivers OBJ AB from John Short's blog

When it comes to operatic offense, it doesn't get much better than the best wide receivers in the NFL. In 2019, there has beena little more drama than usual off the field, as two of the position's most popular superstars in blockbuster trades.

The wideouts who made the cut inourtop 25 for 2019 all bring the nece sary physical gifts size, speed, quickne s, hands, route-running to linger in the offseason nightmares of cover men around the league.But each dynamo alsohas a unique trait that makes him special.

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These rankings consider where theplayers finished last seasonwith a lean towardwhat they can do James Van Jersey in 2019, either in familiar situations or new ones.

Without further ado, they all deserve a warm reception.

NFL's top 25 wide receivers1.DeAndre Hopkins, Texans

Fantasy football players know this: Hopkins does nothave bad games. He has either spectacular games or very good games. He is a complete, smooth target and has become only more locked in with a quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who consistently knows where and when to find him open which is everywhere and most of the time. A Billy Smith Jersey lot more Nuk, please.

2.Julio Jones, Falcons

Jones has led the league in receiving yards per game inthree of the past four seasons. He is evenmore monstrous whenMatt Ryan is playing at an MVP level and Calvin Ridley is with him asa legitimate rising No. 2. And people can stop saying"he doesn't score" after he had eighttouchdownsin Atlanta'sfinal ninegames last season.

3.Michael Thomas, Saints

"Can't guard Mike" is an appropriate Twitter handle. He isthe most dangerous all-around receiver Drew Brees has ever had, and he led the NFL with 125 receptions last season. He doesn't need go deep to make a big impact, as he catches everything for bigyardageall over the field. At 6-3, 212 pounds, Thomas isthe ultimatepo se sional mismatch.

4.Odell Beckham Jr., Browns

He is"only" fourth because he hasmi sed a full season's worth of games over the past two years, while the trio above isdurable. Beckham should go back to making more explosive plays downfield and scoring more Colton Sceviour Jersey consistently with a QB upgrade to Baker Mayfileldand with Jarvis Landryeasingthe coverage attention. OBJ should also be motivated to make the Giants look bad and challenge for the top spot in these rankings for2020.

5.Antonio Brown, Raiders

Brown hasn'texperienced any kind of drop-off from his tremendous six-year run of Canton-clinching play in Pittsburgh, but he is entering his age-31 season with a rebuilding offense led by a le ser QB in Oakland. Brown has enough elite equityfor one togive him the benefit of the doubt after he scored aleague-high 15 TDs last year, but he isnolonger better than the rest of the best.

6.Keenan Allen, Chargers

Allen, even this high, remainsunderrated because he isnot flashy and plays on the NFL's Left Coast. But he isan effective,efficient route-running machine who racks upcatches incritical situations for Philip Rivers. File Allen a notch belowThomas in the super-reliable po se sion category.

7.Davante Adams, Packers

Adams has caught 35 TD pa ses over the past three seasons and is coming off a career-high 111 catches for 1,386 yards, cementing his status as a true No. 1. Aaron Rodgers in a Matt LaFleur offense will bode well for Adams' momentum of production.

8.JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers

At only 22, Smith-Schusterhas alreadyput up twostellar seasons, including 111 catches for 1,426 yards and sevenTDs a sensational sophomore. He has dominated with both shorter and deeper routes out of the slot, and with Brown gone, he now gets a chance to line up in more places to make big plays for Pittsburgh.

9.A.J. Green, Bengals

Green turns 31 in July, and two of his past three seasons have been marred by injury. But at 6-4, 210 pounds, the future Hall of Famer still MacKenzie Weegar Jersey has enough speed and quickne s left to get rejuvenated in Zac Taylor's pa sing offense, especially a with new established No. 2 in Tyler Boyd.

10.Adam Thielen, Vikings

Thielen has gone from undrafted free agent to indispensable target with his ability to use his size, hands and precision routes to win most battles in the middle of the field. His 100-yard receiving streak in the first half of last seasonwas incredible, and it led to hisdemanding top coverage down the stretch.

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11. Stefon Diggs, Vikings

With the Vikings having some pa s protection i sues in front of Kirk Cousins, Diggs had to be more of a shorter-route receiver last season, with his 102 receptions adding up to 1,021 yards and nineTDs. His speed and downfield flair should comeinto play more often during his age-26 season.

12.T.Y. Hilton, Colts

Hilton is still looking for his first season of 100 receptions or more, but he iscoming off what was arguably his best seasonthanks to a Frank Reich offense tailored to push the ball downfield now that the Colts have a line that can giveAndrew Luck more time. Hilton'szip and elusivene s to get deephas led to hisaveraging 16 yards per catch.

13.Mike Evans, Buccaneers

The knock on Evans used to behis drops, with acatch Andrey Pedan Jersey rate that was justabove 50 percent. But he changed that narrative a little last season whilecatching 62.3 percent of his targets (86 of 138), leading to a career-high 1,524 receiving yards with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick. His 17.7 yards per catch is in line withBruce Arians' offense, which aimsto stretch the field better with Winston's big arm.

14.Julian Edelman, Patriots

Edelman celebrated hisbirthday (33) early with a two-year, $18 million contract extension. He is in impeccable shapeand has a few more years left to be Tom Brady's most valuable target. Calling him a "slot machine" is underselling how he can use his quick, 5-10,198-pound frame to get open everywhere. He isalso the pound-for-poundtoughest receiver in the NFL.

15.Robert Woods, Rams

The Rams have the best wideout trio Auston Matthews Jersey the league, and Woods stands out from the other two. Heis atechnician with his routes and hands, and he is well-rounded with both po se sion and field-stretching qualities. Beyond his 86 catches for 1,219 yards and sixTDs last season, he also rushed for157 yards and a TD. He isthe modern Swi s Army knife receiver for Sean McVay.

16.Tyler Boyd, Bengals

Boyd needed a few years to put it all together, but he found his niche dominating from the slot last season. He had an exceptional catch rate in only 14 games, posting 76 catches from108 targets for 1,028 yards and sevenTDs. Like Green, his versatility and quickne s will be deployed in the right wayby Taylor.

17.Tyler Lockett, Seahawks

With Doug Baldwin gone, Lockett takes over as Ru sell Wilson'sgo-to guy and a busier slot option. Last season, he caught only 57 balls (from 70 targets) but maximized his impact with 965 yards and 10 TDs. His 16.9 yards per catch served asa reminder that he can flat-out fly, but healso has learned how to better use his smarts and agility to win on all routes against any coverage.

18.Jarvis Landry, Browns

Landry has seen his volume ofreceptions and yards drop over the past two seasons, but the scrappy slot man is positioned to find his 2015 form with Beckham now complementing him on the outside. His signature is his Patrice Bergeron Jersey quickne s inside toget Miles Wood Jersey open in a hurry.

19.Amari Cooper, Cowboys

He was fading in the Raiders' offense until he was saved with the tradeto Dallas, where Dak Prescott didn't waste time in dealing to him. Cooper'shalf-season of Pro Bowl work with the Cowboys 53 catches, 725 yards, 6TDs reestablished him as the No. 1 he was supposed to be when he wasdraftedNo. 4 overall in 2015. At 6-1, 210 pounds and set to turn only 25 in June, Cooper will soon be locked in as a well-paid Cowboy for the long term.

20.Mike Williams, Chargers

Williams got it going with limited looks in Year 2 (43 catches for 664 yards and 10 TDs) after an injury-riddled rookie season. He is nowthe clear No. 2 to Allen with the team choosing not to re-sign Tyrell Williams. Mike Williams, the No. 7 overall pick from Clemson in 2017, hinted he will play up to that level with a much bigger opportunity. At 6-4, 220 pounds, he isn't going away as a force in the red zone.

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21.Brandin Cooks, Rams

Cooks has managed to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons on three differentteams, no easy feat in this era of complicated pa sing offenses. His speed and quickne s to stretch the field before and after the catch are his trademarks.

22.Kenny Golladay, Lions

Golladay (6-4, 213 pounds) fit the physical profile of a No. 1 receiver when the Lions stole him in the third round in 2017. He isready for his truebreakout in a key Year 3 after catching 70 of 119 targets for 1,063 yards and fiveTDs last season.

23.Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

Here isanother high-upside third-rounder from Golladay's cla s. Arians and the Bucs' new offensive coaching staff can'twait to deploy Godwin outside and inside Matthew Tkachuk Jersey , consistently getting favorable matchups while playing off Evans. With DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries gone, Godwin will see a significantjump in vacated-target production from his 59 catches for 742 yards and fiveTDs.

24. D.J. Moore, Panthers

Moore was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he isabout to live up tobeing the first wideout taken in the cla s, ahead of a talented group that includes Ridley, Courtland Sutton, Dante Pettis, Christian Kirk, Anthony Miller and Michael Gallup. Moore is the prototypical fast, explosiveplaymaker meant to light it up in a Norv Turner offense with Cam Newton's big arm. His 55 catches for 788 yards was only a smallappetizer for how he will eat up slower cornerbacks.

25.Cooper Kupp, Rams

The Rams needKupptocomeback strong from his torn ACL, as they mi sed his presence in Super Bowl 53. Projected over 16 games, Kupp'shalf-season last year would have produced 80 catches for 1,132 yards and 12 TDs. He isthe glue of the Rams' receiving corps given hischemistry with Jared Goff, and he takes full advantage of his high football IQ to getopen Ryan Kesler Jersey in the right spots.

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(Editor's note: Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was omitted from SN's wide receiver rankings for 2019 due to of an NFL-imposed suspension or placement onthe commi sioner's exempt list.)