Sport The 8 Best And 7 Worst White NFL Receivers Since 2000

White guys in the NFL usually stick to a few positions  Large country boys fair well on the offensive or defensive line, while ex-soccer players become place kickers, and level-headed, smart rich kids usually become quarterback (or head coach)

15 BEST – DANNY AMENDOLA Even though Amendola is getting up there in age, as of a couple weeks ago, he has no plans of slowing down or retiring. The 5’11” standout from Texas Tech came into the NFL undrafted in 2008 with the Dallas Cowboys.  

After bouncing from the Cowboys to the Eagles to the Rams, Amendola finally made it to every white WR’s favorite team, the New England  Patriots.  I’m not sure why white guys thrive in Boston

14 WORST – NICK WILLIAMS Described by many Atlanta fans as “scrappy,” (which is just another term for short and white in the NFL), Williams has been on and off rosters and practice squads throughout his 4-year career. 

In 2013, Williams signed with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Connecticut. He did not make the final cuts, but was signed to the practice squad and made his NFL debut in Week 11, catching a two-point conversion.

13 BEST – JULIAN EDELMAN Sorry Atlanta fans, I’m sure you have relived Edelman’s ridiculous catch in the Super Bowl over and over again in your heads, and that is why another Pats “gym rat” comes in on the good side of white WRs since 2000.

 Edelman is officially listed at 6’0″ (but even he admits that he is 5’10”) and had played all sides of the ball for the Patriots: 

WR on offense, DB on defense, and PR/KR on special teams, and even has the most punt return TDs (4) in Patriot’s history. Edelman played QB in college at Kent State.

12 WORST – DAVID KIRCUS “Circus Kircus” known for his circus catches in college, is one of the worst white wide outs since 2000.  

He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2003 in the sixth round out of a small school, Grand Valley State University. During his short career with the Lions, Broncos, and Dolphins, Kircus only had 15 receptions for 308 yards and 1 touchdown. Talk about a big disappointment.

11 BEST – ERIC DECKER Decker was drafted 87th overall, in the 3rd round of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.  In 2017, Decker signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans, who were desperately hurting for a star receiver. 

Throughout the course of his career with the Broncos, Jets, and now Titans, Decker has reeled in 385 receptions for 5,253 yards and 52 TDs.  Solid numbers for a WR of any color.

10 WORST – ANTHONY GONZALEZ Just look at the guy!  Gonzalez looks like he should be working in an accountant’s office, not on the Gridiron.  

The Ohio State standout was drafted as the last pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts (in which he was 26 years old at the time of the draft).

9 BEST – BRANDON STOKLEY Even though Stokley was a journeyman for most of his career (played with the Ravens, Colts, Broncos, Seahawks, Giants, Broncos again, and Ravens again), he put up solid numbers on the field.  

Stokley attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Lousiana-Lafayette) where his Dad, Nelson Stokley, a former college football player from LSU, coached from 1986 to 1998.  In college, Stokley had the luxury of having a good quarterback in Jake Delhomme.

8 WORST – BRENTON BERSIN In 2012, Bersin signed on with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Wofford.  

How he is still on the team (signed a on-year contract extension in 2017) is beyond belief. 

Throughout his career with the Panthers, Bersin has been cut, released, signed, benched, and everything in between. I think he is trying to go for the Clay Matthews look, but it’s hard to look like a Norse warrior when you are riding the bench all game.

7 BEST – JOE JUREVICIUS Selected by the New York Giants in the second round in 1998 out of Penn State, Jurevicius had a solid career for a white WR. 

He was able to grab 323 receptions for 4,119 yards and 29 touchdowns over his 11 year stint in the NFL. Not only was he a Superbowl XXXVII champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was on the cover of Sports Illustrate twice, in 1997 and 2003.

6 WORST – GRIFF WHALEN Like any undrafted free agent, you can’t fault them for not succeeding in the NFL.  

Griff Whalen is no different, but due to his promising first few seasons, he definitely was a big disappointment.  Coming out of Stanford (which is a hotbed for white skill players), Whalen signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Inidianapolis Colts in 2012.  

After four seasons with the Colts, he jumped around the NFL to the Dolphins, Chargers, Patriots, and Ravens, whom he signed with in July of 2017.

5 BEST – JORDY NELSON Many questioned the Packers’ motives when they drafted Jordy Nelson, out of Kansas State, in 2008. But in today’s NFL, he is one of the premier wide receivers. 

Nelson has a Super Bowl championship (XLV), Pro Bowl selection (2014), was NFL TD receptions leader (2016), and was given multiple accolades for his comeback year in 2016 after he had torn his ACL the previous season.

4 WORST – RILEY COOPER Not everyone is the worst because of their talent, but just simply their personality. The current free agent and ex-Eagles wide receiver was at a Kenny Chesney in July of 2013.  

Whilst being denied entry backstage of the concert, the rude and belligerent footballer shouted “I will jump back in and fight every n****r here,” in reference to the security guards. Riley, not a smart move man, especially when you are the minority in your own sport.

3 BEST – WAYNE CHREBET Chrebet’s road to the NFL is like no other.  As a star player at Hofstra University, he set school records in several categories, but was never scouted heavily by NFL teams. 

 He signed with the CFL, but was cut after a day.  Luckily, Chrebet got an invitation to the Jets’ training camp, since it was held at his Alma Mater, Hofstra.  Story has it that even the security guard wouldn’t let Chrebet through the gate because he thought he was too small to play football. 

Going into that training camp in 1995, Chrebet was the 11th receiver on the roster!  But through the true definition of a “gym rat,” he worked his way up the depth chart and made the final-53 man roster.  And the rest, so they say, is history.

2 WORST – MATT JONES Who? Matt Jones! Who? Ma–, oh sorry, that was the rapper. Matt Jones was a former NFL wide out and tops are worst white WR since 2000 list. 

The true “Great White Hype,” Jones played QB in college at the University of Arkansas, and was drafted in the first round by the Jaguars in 2005, not to play QB, but to play receiver. 

Many experts thought this was way to high in the draft to pick someone unproven at the position, but Jones came into the combine at 6’6″, 240 lbs, great stature for any deep threat.

1 BEST – WES WELKER.

Not only since 2000, but Welker is one of the best white wide receivers in the history of the NFL. The 5’9″, Texas Tech grad went undrafted in 2004 to the San Diego Chargers, who released him after the first game of the season, prompting then head coach Marty Schottenheimer to say it was the “biggest mistake [he] ever made.”

Sport The 10 Worst And 10 Best Wide Receiving Corps In The NFL Heading Into 2017

With the NFL season right around the corner, it’s always fun to look at depth charts and see which teams rank the best at certain positions.

20 WORST — CAROLINA PANTHERS (BENJAMIN, FUNCHESS Last season was a difficult one for the Carolina Panthers, as the team finished in last place in the NFC South with a 6-10 record. 

While the team was expected to make another deep playoff run like the season prior, both the offense and defense took a step back. Cam Newtown has new weapons at his disposal — most notably first-round pick Christian McCaffrey — but the team could still use some help in the wide receiver department.

19 BEST — DENVER BRONCOS (THOMAS, SANDERS, LATIMER) Like the Carolina Panthers, the Denver Broncos didn’t have the season they wanted in 2016. While there was an expected regression as the young Trevor Siemian took over for future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning, the campaign was still a disappointing one. 

One positive, however, was the duo of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, as they ranked at the top of all wide receiver rankings, including receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

18 WORST — LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (WILLIAMS, ALLEN) The Chargers may be heading to Los Angeles this season but they’re still struggling to acquire top-tier wide receivers for the successful-yet-aging Philip Rivers. 

Ever since they drafted the franchise quarterback, he’s been blessed with a Hall of Fame tight end (Antonio Gates) and running back (LaDainian Tomlinson); but he’s had little help outside of the hash marks.

17 BEST — SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (KEARSE, BALDWIN, LOCKETT) From the time Russell Wilson took the reigns at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, they’ve been a contender. In the beginning stages of their most recent run, the Pete Carroll-led football team was run-heavy, as Marshawn Lynch was the bell cow and heart and soul of the team. 

But when Beast Mode retired, Carroll went with an aerial attack — and Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Tyler Lockett were the primary weapons.

16 WORST — TENNESSEE TITANS (DAVIS, MATTHEWS, SHARPE) When it comes to young teams on the rise, the Tennessee Titans are definitely one of them. 

With a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota not even in his prime, the offense — which also has one of the better running backs in the NFL in DeMarco Murray — will be one to watch. One thing that may hold them back, however, are the wide receivers on the roster.

15 BEST — JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (HURNS, ROBINSON, LEE) Like the Tennessee Titans, the Jacksonville Jaguars are another team on the rise. 

And if Tom Coughlin can work the magic that he did with the New York Giants, success may be on the horizon sooner rather than later. While the defense has gotten some high praise, the receivers will play a big role in that as well.

14 WORST — BUFFALO BILLS (WATKINS, JONES, HOLMES) The Buffalo Bills appear to be a team in flux on a yearly basis. 

While they have a potential franchise quarterback in Tyrod Taylor, the weapons that he has are less than flattering. Sure, LeSean McCoy continues to make tacklers miss every Sunday but it’s the wide receivers that underwhelm.

13 BEST — CINCINNATI BENGALS (GREEN, LAFELL, ROSS) When you have one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL on your roster, you’re going to rank on the positive side of things. And since A.J. Green catches passes from Andy Dalton every Sunday, it’s no surprise to see where the Cincinnati Bengals rank. 

Despite suffering a torn hamstring in Week 11, he still posted 66 receptions and 964 receiving yards.

12 WORST — SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (GARCON, GOODWIN, KERLEY) Next season doesn’t look to be too kind for the San Francisco 49ers. While they’re doing their best to revitalize their defense, their offense is still a mess — and that’s putting it kindly. 

Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley are expected to compete for the starting role and neither man possesses much upside. What makes it worse is their depth chart at wide receiver, as there isn’t much upside at that position, either.

11 BEST — GREEN BAY PACKERS (NELSON, ADAMS, COBB) Similar to the New England Patriots (we’ll get to them a bit later), it always appears that the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers get the best out of their wide receivers, no matter who is catching the ball. 

But even though that may be the case, their trio of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams are one of the best in football, as they’ve all played at an elite level in the past.

10 WORST — CLEVELAND BROWNS (BRITT, COLEMAN) The Cleveland Browns are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel; after acquiring a number of early draft picks during the 2017 NFL Draft. 

They addressed a number of key positions while also bringing in a much-needed infusion of young talent. Once position, however, that still remains a mystery is wide receiver.

9 BEST — DALLAS COWBOYS (BRYANT, WILLIAMS, BEASLEY) The way the Dallas Cowboys are positioned, they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the present and the future.

 While their youth at quarterback and running back and their monstrosity of an offensive line are seen as their greatest positives, don’t sleep on their crop of wide receivers.

8 WORST — NEW YORK JETS (DECKER, ENUNWA, PEAKE, STEWART) The 2017 season may be an ugly one for the New York Jets. During the 2017 NFL Draft, they addressed safety in both the first and second rounds, which shows that they’re focusing on their defense. 

While revamping that side of the ball is a necessity, so is doing so with the offense — and as it stands, it doesn’t look like they’ll put up a ton of points next season.

7 BEST — OAKLAND RAIDERS (COOPER, CRABTREE, ROBERTS) In 2016, the Oakland Raiders burst onto the scene as one of the top teams in football. Although injuries didn’t work in their favor, their roster is full of youth, putting them in position to compete for a Super Bowl for the foreseeable future. 

Their offense is viewed as their strength, as Derek Carr is on his way to elite status while the addition of Marshawn Lynch will add a new dynamic to the run game. But their pass-catchers are as good as any position on the roster.

6 WORST — LOS ANGELES RAMS (WOODS, AUSTIN, THOMAS) When the Los Angeles Rams decided to make Jared Goff their future at quarterback, many questioned why. 

Not because Goff didn’t have upside but the organization had to give up such a hefty price to move up and take him first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. When you invest in a player in such a way, it’s expected you’ll do anything to help him succeed. That’s why it’s even more surprising they haven’t brought in much help at wide receiver.

5 BEST — ATLANTA FALCONS (JONES, SANU, GABRIEL).

 Although the Atlanta Falcons blew a seemingly insurmountable lead in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, one massive positive that came out of their playoff run was just how good their crop of wide receivers are. Fortunately for quarterback Matt Ryan, he has a number of high-quality targets at his disposal.

4 WORST — BALTIMORE RAVENS (WALLACE, PERRIMAN) The Baltimore Ravens tend to play well even when many believe they’ll struggle. 

And while the organization has hardly given Joe Flacco a serious crop of talents at wide receiver, having steady veterans like Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. on the roster will rub off on the rest of the pass-catchers. But with Smith retired, this season will be different — and not in a positive way.

3 BEST — NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (COOKS, EDELMAN, HOGAN, AMENDOLA) As stated in the Green Bay Packers’ section, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots seem to turn every receiver they get their hands on into a valuable weapon in their offense.

That situation rings true year in and year out — but in 2017, their crop of wide receivers is as good as its ever been.

2 WORST — CHICAGO BEARS (WHITE, WRIGHT, MEREDITH, WHEATON) Similar to the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bears have two inexperienced quarterbacks on the roster as Mike Glennon has been largely relegated to backup duties throughout his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Mitchell Trubisky was their first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. 

But no matter who wins the competition out of Training Camp, they won’t have many options to throw to in 2017.

1 BEST — NEW YORK GIANTS (OBJ, MARSHALL, SHEPARD) After speaking about the worst, now let’s focus on the best. Throughout their most recent runs to the Super Bowl, the New York Giants were seen as a team predicated on tough football, as defense and a strong running game were their focal points. 

But once Ben McAdoo came to town, the passing game took precedence over everything — and in 2017, they’ll have their best group of receivers the organization has ever seen.

Sport Top 8 NFL Quarterbacks Who Will Throw 30 TD Passes In 2017 And 7 Who Won’t

With the schedule for the 2017 being official, and training camp seems like it is right around the corner, it is time to take a peek into the 2017 NFL season. One of the more important positions in the National Football League is the quarterback position

15 WILL – ELI MANNING The New York Giants are poised to have a successful regular season like they did in 2016, but they are looking to do better than they did in the playoffs. 

Eli has one of the best wide receiver duos in recent memory in Odell Beckham Jr., and the newly signed Brandon Marshall. Having those two bid deep threats on the same field means that there is no reason why Eli should not throw over 30 touchdown passes in 2017.

14 WON’T – ALEX SMITH Alex Smith is a quality quarterback, but when it comes to touchdown passes he has never thrown for more than 23 touchdowns in a single season. 

Smith is a game manager, and it has shown in the past in the regular season. With that being said it is not that Smith has not had talented receivers around him cause he has. 

He focuses on working the running game at all times, and passes when he sees the opportunity to strike against the defense.

13 WILL – PHILLIP RIVERS The Los Angeles Chargers have a quarterback who the offense runs completely through him. With Melvin Gordon having a break out season last season, it opened the play action up for the Chargers and it helps Rivers with his stats. 

Phillip Rivers has thrown for 30 plus touchdowns five times in his 13th season in the NFL. With the Chargers looking to improve their offensive game from a season ago it sure looks like Rivers will throw 30 plus touchdowns with the receiving core that he has.

12 WON’T – DAK PRESCOTT Dak Prescott took the league by storm a year ago, when he led the Dallas Cowboys to the playoffs with a 13-3 record and received the number one seed in the NFC. 

The thing though, is the Cowboys were a run heavy team and Prescott did not throw the ball that much. 

Prescott was not needed to throw for over 30 touchdown passes due to their effective running game, and that led him to not have to throw the ball more than he needed to.

11 WILL – JAMEIS WINSTON Winston has been a spark plug for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has helped turn the franchise around in the right direction in only two seasons. 

Going into his third season Tampa Bay has had some serious talent for the receiving core to be even better than it was a season ago. Winston had 28 passing touchdowns a season ago, and it looks like he will only improve his numbers with this receiving core that he has for this upcoming season.

10 WON’T – BRIAN HOYER Brian Hoyer is poised to be the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers to start off the 2017 season, but he is definitely not a quarterback who could throw for 30 touchdowns next season. 

Hoyer has yet to spend a full season in the NFL as a starting quarterback, and has not thrown for more than 19 touchdowns in a single season.

9 WILL – DEREK CARR Derek Carr is coming off of what could have potentially been an MVP caliber season in 2016, but an injury doomed Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders for the rest of the 2016 season. 

When Carr went down so did Oakland’s chance of winning a Super Bowl title, now in 2017 Carr is out to prove that last season was not a fluke. Carr and the Oakland Raiders have an all-around great offense, which next season will include “Beast Mode” himself Marshawn Lynch. 

With Lynch as your running back it opens up the play action passing game which Derek Carr thrives in.

8 WON’T – JARED GOFF Jared Goff was taken with the number one overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and had a very rocky rookie season. Goff’s potential is higher than he showed a season ago, but with the talent that he has at wide receiver it is tough for him to be able to throw more than 30 touchdowns in the 2017 season. 

There is no legit number one receiver that is on the Los Angeles Rams’ roster and that is a huge part of the reason why Goff struggled in 2016.

7 WILL – MARCUS MARIOTA Marcus Mariota is a former Heisman Trophy winner and has performed pretty well so far in his two seasons in the NFL. He has helped change the culture of the Tennessee Titans. 

They are poised to have a great 2017 season and Mariota is a huge reason why. The Titans receiving core does not stick out at you in any shape or form, but with Mariota being the quarterback it makes the receivers around him better.

6 WON’T – TYROD TAYLOR Tyrod Taylor is a mobile quarterback who likes to use his legs at times rather than his arm. Especially with Buffalo’s running game being the best in the league from a season ago, but it is because that Taylor and McCoy are a great quarterback/running back rushing duo. 

Taylor has started 2 seasons in Buffalo and has not thrown more than 20 touchdowns in a single season. He is one of the mobile quarterbacks that are currently in the game today, but he has not shown that he can be an effective quarterback in the league today.

5 WILL – TOM BRADY Tom Brady has thrown for 30 plus touchdowns six times in his illustrious career, and is poised to do it again in 2017. 

Brady is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2016, and with the acquisitions that New England got he looks like he can top that in 2017. 

The targets that the Patriots have for Brady looking like he could be in the MVP talk in 2017, and that Brady could be a 40-year-old MVP which has never been done in NFL history.

4 WON’T – DESHAUN WATSON Deshaun Watson is entering his rookie season, and looks like that he is one rookie that has the best scenario entering the league in 2017. 

He looks to be the guy that will start for the Texans in Week 1, and he has one not only one of the best receivers in the league, but he also has one of the best defenses to help him out. Watson in college was a very consistent quarterback, but in the NFL look for him to struggle at first.

3 WILL – DREW BREES Drew Brees has thrown for 30 plus touchdowns for nine straight seasons, and will look to make it ten straight seasons in 2017. 

He has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks since 2008, but the teams that he has played on has struggled to help bring Brees to the playoffs since 2013. 

The Saints have had one of the best offenses in the league with Brees at running the show, and 2017 should be no different.

2 WON’T – RYAN TANNEHILL Ryan Tannehill is coming off of a sprain in his ACL and MCL, and is looking to help bring the Dolphins back to the playoffs. 

The Dolphins offense was not the same without Tannehill and it showed down the stretch of the regular season, and into the postseason. That being said with the emergence of Jay Ajayi, Tannehill’s chances of putting up 30 touchdowns are slimming more and more.

1 WILL – AARON RODGERS Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 30 plus touchdowns six times in his career, including three straight seasons (2014-2016).

 Green Bay has been one of the most consistent teams in the 2010s and it is due to the fact that they have had some great quarterbacks play for them. Rodgers has the targets to continue to improve his numbers year after year, and always seems to find his way into the MVP discussions.