Top wide receivers in history

[Lee Elder]

Friends and fellow PFRA members:

I have left the original post below but it looks like the responses have stopped coming so I have tallied the results. The player whose name I did not expect to see mentioned too often was Paul Warfield. Jerry Rice was the top vote-getter. Thanks to everyone who gave a reply. I'll get to work on the Coffin Corner piece and submit it soon.

I am conducting a survey for a piece I am writing for submission to the Coffin Corner. Please reply with your short list of the best wide receivers in pro football history, regardless of era.

I begin with a supposition about a player I do not expect to see on many lists. I will wait a reasonable period of time, maybe two weeks, and then count the lists. It would only be fair for me to mention the player I do not expect to see after the two weeks are over.

I will not use the names of those who submit a list but I will tally the players listed.

I request that you list 3-5 players.

I request that you limit responses to include players who played in the NFL, AAFC, the 1960-1969 AFL, the USFL or the CFL.

With many thanks,

Lee Elder

[Lee Elder]

To all of you eagle-eyed readers, I had to edit my original post. I don't think any receiver played in ALL of the leagues listed, so I changed the final words to, "or the CFL" instead of "and the CFL."

Thanks again for your interest in my survey.

Lee Elder

[ChrisBabcock]

I couldn’t resist going to 6....

1. Rice
2. Hutson
3. Alworth
4. Berry
5. Fitzgerald
6. Warfield

[bachslunch]

In order:

Rice
Hutson
Alworth
Berry
Warfield

Likely will cross over significantly or be the same as lists from others.

[Oszuscik]

I feel the top 3 are...

1. Jerry Rice
2. Don Hutson
3. Randy Moss

Production-wise there have been other receivers that put up amazing numbers, but these 3 dominated the competition like no other.

[conace21]

Rice
Hutson
Berry
Alworth
Moss

[BD Sullivan]

Rice
Hutson
Berry
Warfield
Charley Taylor

[Reaser]

Rice
Hutson
Largent
Berry
Alworth
Moss

[Rupert Patrick]

Rice
Hutson
Alworth
Moss
Berry

I'm going to throw a name out there, since he's not really a Wide Receiver although he caught a lot of passes for his era - Lenny Moore. As great a running back as he was, I always thought he was miscast and should have been a wide receiver. After Hutson, he was really the NFL's next big breakaway player, a guy who could take the ball 80 yards. I remember once checking and I think he has by far the highest percentage of touchdowns in excess of 60 yards of any player in pro football history. From what little film I have seen of him, I think Moore was one of the best receivers I've ever seen as a running back, and he was one of the few backs who would go deep.

[JeffreyMiller]

Randy Moss
Jerry Rice
Don Hutson
Lance Alworth
Larry Fitzgerald