ESPN-RANKING TOP WR's

[Bretsky]

ESPN.com's NFL writers rank the top 10 wide receivers in the league today. Next week: Running backs.

Randy Moss and Terrell Owens must be running fade routes.

Neither iconic receiver drew even one vote when ESPN.com asked eight panelists to rank the top 10 receivers in the NFL today.

"When three different teams can't use a player," AFC East blogger Tim Graham said of Moss in particular, "then he can't be considered elite anymore."

Ranking the Wide Receivers
1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
3. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
5. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
6. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
7. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
8. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
9. Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos
10. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins
That's fine. Our top 10 list aspires to be one for the ages, not for the aged.

The Indianapolis Colts' Reggie Wayne, 32, was the only one in our top 10 older than 29. Owens, 37, and Moss, 34, could serve as chaperones for this bunch.

The Houston Texans' Andre Johnson, 29, edged the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald, 27, for the top spot. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky made it so by ranking Johnson first on his ballot and Fitzgerald only ninth, five spots lower than any other panelist ranked Arizona's five-time Pro Bowl wideout.

"I have nothing against Larry Fitzgerald -- I think he's fantastic," Kuharsky explained. "I just found so many receivers to love, and consider most of the guys I put ahead of him as having more upside."

Divergent views on Johnson and Fitzgerald made this a hotly contested battle for the No. 1 spot. Johnson might have won in a runaway if NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert and NFC South counterpart Pat Yasinskas hadn't ranked the Texans' five-time Pro Bowler only sixth.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Houston's Andre Johnson is the NFL's top receiver according to a panel of eight ESPN writers."I’ve got nothing against Johnson," said Yasinskas, who joined AFC West blogger Bill Williamson in ranking the Atlanta Falcons' Roddy White first overall. "In fact, if I had to go out and start a team from scratch, he’d get very strong consideration to be one of my wide receivers. But the reason I went with White was because I went off statistics and I went off success of teams when I filled out my ballot. Sorry, but another mediocre Houston season really didn’t excite me."

That was a tough sell in the AFC South.

"Andre Johnson is an incredible combination of power and speed, and I think of him as at the forefront of an anti-diva wide receiver movement, which is refreshing -- though not a big factor in his being No. 1 on my list," Kuharsky said. "In three seasons of covering him, I've never heard anyone talk of the smallest hole in his game."

Some of our NFC West fans might poke a few holes in Kuharsky's ballot. Giving Fitzgerald even a No. 5 ranking from Kuharsky would have moved Fitzgerald into the top spot.

More from Kuharsky in a bit. First, let's take a closer look at the rankings.

How we scored it: First-place votes were worth 10 points, second-place votes were worth nine, and so on.

Sixteen receivers drew votes.

[Tony Oday]

Is it just me or does Jennings not "feel" like a top flight WR? I dont know maybe its clouded perception because of massive amounts of beer during the game.

[Iron Mike]

Ranking the Wide Receivers
1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
3. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
5. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
6. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
7. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
8. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
9. Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos
10. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins

[gbgary]

gj should be number three on that list at least.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'd go:

1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
2. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
4. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
6. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

[channtheman]

Is it just me or does Jennings not "feel" like a top flight WR? I dont know maybe its clouded perception because of massive amounts of beer during the game.

I get that feeling too. Sorta like a reverse kool aid feeling. Maybe others perception of him as a game changer is just vastly different from how I see it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Personally, I think Jennings is a star. He doesn't have the size that Johnson or Fitz has, but he has everything else. He has legit 4.4 speed, great quickness, good hands (and can't make the great catch), and probably runs routes better than anyone in the NFL. You can add toughness to go across the middle and team leader (I loved it when he good-naturedly kept ripping Rodgers by saying "can't you just win a playoff game" while always having ARod's back). I honestly think he's the fourth best WR in Packers history--behind Hutson, Sharpe, and Lofton.

[Smeefers]

The reason you don't see Jennings as a top receiver is because he's not flashy at all. He scores a TD, drops to a knee, then runs off the field. He effortlessly breezes past CB's on a deep post route to pick up 35 yards and you don't think anything of it. He doesn't make flashy, crazy catches. He's not the fastest. He's not the most elusive. He's not the ultimate clutch catch guy. He doesn't have the best hands. He's not super tall and he can't jump out of the building. He's just number 2 or 3 on all those lists. He's a jack of all trades and master of none. He doesn't dominate, he just quietly gets his numbers, quietly gets his catches, quietly gets his touchdowns and suddenly at the end of the year he has 1200 yards and 10+ touchdowns. His career just started peaking. He's got another 3 or 4 years of being at the top of his game.