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The NFL has entered a Golden Age of wide receivers, with premier players coming in from college displaying game-changing abilities from their very first few games.
Just this season, Malik Nabers has been a revelation for the otherwise cellar-dwelling New York Giants, while Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. ranks eighth among all receivers in yards this season.
Yet it has not always been this way, with many players coming into the league holding overpriced status for far too long, or “one season wonder” pass catchers riding that one-off wave for years.
With that in mind, here are Heavy’s picks for the 10 most overrated NFL wide receivers of all time:
10. Mike Williams
GettyMike Williams.
Not a bad player by any means, Mike Williams‘ strongly hyped career has been unfortunately blighted by injuries. A unique blend of size and speed, Williams’ physical traits and capabilities often outweigh his actual production on the field, having posted 1000+ yards just twice in his eight-year career — and looks unlikely to do so in 2024, despite having just been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
9. Josh Gordon
GettyJosh Gordon.
A wildly talent receiver who was unable to overcome various personal, off-the-field issues over the span of his decade-long career in the NFL. A promising rookie year followed by an outstanding 1,646 sophomore season in 2013 granted Josh Gordon first-team All Pro and Pro Bowl status. Sadly, Gordon was never able to reach those heights again, spending the best parts of 2014-2017 suspended for numerous failed drug tests and other incidents, although he did manage to rouse himself to play a key role for the New England Patriots as they won the 2019 Super Bowl. A well regarded player, albeit one who will perhaps be over-regarded in the annals of history.
8. JuJu Smith-Schuster
GettyJuJu Smith-Schuster.
Currently in the NFL’s receiver rehabilitation program — A.K.A the Kansas City Chiefs offense — JuJu Smith-Schuster had a phenomenal start to his pro football career, amassing 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons. However, once All Pro teammate Antonio Brown moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s powers started to deteriorate, Smith-Schuster’s production plummeted. Currently back in Kansas City for his second spell after an unimpressive stint in New England, the former Pro Bowler cannot even get things going with All World QB Patrick Mahomes at the helm. Many will remember his start out of the gate, but it sadly does not accurately capture the rest of his time in the NFL.
7. Corey Davis
GettyCorey Davis.
A highly touted prospect coming out of the college powerhouse known better as Western Michigan, Corey Davis was expected to do big things in the NFL when the Tennessee Titans selected him with the fifth-overall pick in 2016. Yet, he never managed to reach even borderline Pro Bowl status; he failed to reach the 1,000 yard receiving mark at all throughout the duration of his career, and consistently struggled to find the end zone, recording just 17 touchdowns in 6 seasons in the pros.
6. Kenny Golladay
GettyKenny Golladay.
Another player who was once regarded as one of the NFL’s premier receivers, especially considering the work he was doing on the (then) lowly Detroit Lions. But Kenny Golladay‘s reasonably strong second and third years were unable to be replicated after losing Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 — while Golladay simultaneously left for the Daniel Jones-led New York Giants. Golladay did close to nothing at the Giants, despite coming in as a high-priced free agent, managing just 602 receiving yards in two years before getting released in 2023.
5. Jarvis Landry
GettyJarvis Landry.
There is no question that Jarvis Landry had a successful career in the National Football League. Did he have the sort of pedigree that one would expect from a five-time Pro Bowler? No. A slightly one-dimensional player who did the majority of his productive work from the slot, Landry is not the sort of No. 1, all-purpose player that one might associate with a player of his stature, despite being very good over his nine years in the league.
4. Keyshawn Johnson
GettyKeyshawn Johnson
The last wide receiver to be selected first in an NFL draft. When Keyshawn Johnson received this honor back in 1996, it was expected that he become a Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald-esque generational player — fairly or not. Instead, he became a very competent but not elite wideout who ended up bouncing around in a Brandin Cooks manner from team to team, winning the 2003 Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along the way. Yet he is still considered by many — and was more so at the time — put unduly into the upper echelon of pass catchers that he was ultimately not a part of.
3. Alshon Jeffrey
GettyAlshon Jeffrey.
A player who will always have a small place in the heart of Philadelphia Eagles fans for his role in garnering the team’s first ever Lombardi Trophy in the 2019 Super Bowl. And despite being the supposed WR No. 1 for that 2017 championship winning team, Alshon Jeffrey managed less than 800 yards receiving. And despite this somewhat mediocre production, Jeffrey still managed to receive a four-year contract extension mid-season to the tune of $52 million; a substantially larger contract than it is seven years later. Jeffrey’s strong early years never managed to develop into consistent, No. 1 receiver production, despite a contemporary public and league wide perception to the contrary.
2. Sammy Watkins
GettySammy Watkins.
Granted, few consider Sammy Watkins to be among the finer wide receivers to have ever graced this world, but Watkins was really a massive disappointment in the league. Barring a strong start, in which he accumulated 2,030 yards and 15 touchdowns in his debut season, Watkins never lived up to his draft hype and the general public perception of his prowess. This came to a head when the LA Rams inexplicably traded a second-round pick for the former Clemson star; and the Chiefs subsequently gave him a three-year, $48 million deal one year later — for which they received one set of strong postseason performances in 2019.
1. Dez Bryant
GettyDez Bryant.
Without question, the easiest name on this list. Dez Bryant had some high level production from 2012-2014 under former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. But the way in which Bryant was spoken about in the category of some of the top top receivers of the time (and in league history) reeks of classic “Cowboy-flation.” Bryant’s temperamental nature and various off-the-field issues often caused team-wide distractions; and while he was certainly a force to be reckoned with at the time, he never earned the kind of plaudits he received.
Who’s on your list? Sound off with your most overrated WR in the comments.
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10 Most Overrated NFL Wide Receivers of All Time, Ranked