The Best Wide Receivers Of All Time In NFL History [2024 Updated]

Are you looking for the best wide receivers of all time ranking? Other figures are out of date. Here we give you the ranking of the best NFL wide receivers all time with the latest figures from the NFL.

Check out the best 10 WRs with Scott Fujita!

The ten best wide receivers of all time.

Top 10 Wide Receivers Of All Time

Let’s discover who is the best WR of all time! Below are the top 10 greatest wide receivers of all time according to the NFL stats:

1. Jerry Rice – Best Receiver

Jerry Rice 

Team:

• 1985-2000: San Francisco 49ers
• 2001-2004: Oakland Raiders.
• 2004: Seattle Seahawks.

Achievements:

“Flash 80” is the best WR of all time in NFL history. Jerry Rice has 1549 receptions, 22895 receiving yards, 197 touchdown catches when playing wide receiver.

His achievement is still an unbroken record, thanks to his productivity and longevity during 20 NFL seasons. Rice had a three-time Super Bowl Champion. 

Jerry Rice’s most outstanding achievement is the 22-touchdown campaign in the 1987 season. Jerry Rice made them in just 12 games.

2. Don Hutson

Don Hutson 

Team:

• 1935-1945: Green Bay Packers.

Achievements:

Apart from Jerry Rice, who is the best wide receiver of all-time in NFL history? The answer is “Flash 80”. However, Don Hutson held that honor for the first 50 years of the National Football League.

Hutson achieved a 99 receiving touchdowns record in his whole career. No one got over that for 40 years after he retired.

View more: 

• Best running backs of all time
• Fastest running back in the NFL

3. Randy Moss 

Randy Moss 

Team:

• 1998-2004 and 2010: Minnesota Vikings.
• 2005-2006: Oakland Raiders.
• 2007-2010: New England Patriots.
• 2010: Tennessee Titans.
• 2012: San Francisco 49ers.

Achievements:

“Edel-nut” is one of the best receivers of all time. Randy Moss had 77 touchdowns and over 8,000 receiving yards in the first six years of his NFL career.

Randy Moss is a nightmare for any defensive coordinator in the NFL league. His power has been around since his rookie season.

4. Lance Alworth 

Lance Alworth 

Team:

• 1962-1970: San Diego Chargers.
• 1971-72: Dallas Cowboys.

Achievements:

The 1965-66 seasons were the best years of his entire career. He scored over 110 receiving yards and one touchdown per game in the two seasons.

Alworth was the 1st true AFL player to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. Steve Largent

Steve Largent 

Team:

• 1976-1989: Seattle Seahawks.

Achievements:

Steve Largent is a consistent NFL player. He holds many records regarding receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in football history. 

Steve Largent scored eight 1,000-yard seasons despite playing through 2 strikes. Largent’s name also became the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team in the 80s.

Largent achieved the Hall of Fame and ended up with seven Pro Bowl teams. While Largent has not had many personal achievements, he has had an admirable career.

6. Terrell Owens 

Team:

• 1996-2003: San Francisco 49ers.
• 2004-2005: Philadelphia Eagles.
• 2006-2008: Dallas Cowboys. 
• 2009: Buffalo Bills. 
• 2010: Cincinnati Bengals.

Achievements:

Owens is a talented receiver. It’s hard to place Terrell Owens anywhere in this ranking. Terrell Owens is the second wide receiver of all-time in receiving yards. He is the third wide receiver in touchdown grabs.

However, his rank may not be higher. The reason is that his era had too many good players. People often refer to Moss as terror. Moss is the most dominant receiver in this ranking. Owens made six Pro Bowl appearances.

However, no one can match the talent of Terrell Owens in league history. Terrell Owens wasn’t even afraid to take on the G.O.A.T.

7. Larry Fitzgerald

Team:

• 2004-now: Arizona Cardinals.

Achievements:

Larry Fitzgerald is a promising player as he continues to conquer records in his career.

He’ll likely climb to the top soon if he performs well in the next NFL seasons.

In terms of performance, Larry Fitzgerald is in the top 15. He has posted 1018 receptions, 13366 receiving yards, 98 touchdowns, and 11 Pro Bowl appearances.

It belongs to the postseason when Larry Fitzgerald has shined. Fitzgerald posted more than 100 yards per game and at least one touchdown in just nine seasons in playoff games.

8. Calvin Johnson

Team:

• 2007-2015: Detroit Lions.
• Pro Football Hall of Fame 2023.

Achievements:

Calvin Johnson had a relatively brief NFl career: just nine seasons. However, Johnson still made the top 10 of the best wide receivers in NFL history. That is enough to prove how good his 9-year career is in his NFL history. 

Calvin Johnson – Megatron was the greatest WR of all time in pro football. Megatron is the only player to record 60 or more receptions in his first eight seasons.

Calvin Johnson was first-team All-Pro all three of those seasons. He averaged 110 receiving yards per NFL game in those times.

Johnson was the most physically gifted receiver to play the football game. His retirement after only nine seasons brought many regrets to fans.

9. Marvin Harrison 

Team:

1996-2008: Indianapolis Colts.

Achievements:

Harrison is also a strong WR. MH is one of the most talented receivers in NFL history. 

His career began to flourish from the 2nd year of Peyton Manning. He has averaged 1,000 receiving yards and ten touchdowns per season from that season till 2006.

He could have won more Super Bowl wins. However, he got one and had eight-time Pro Bowls.

10. Raymond Berry 

Team:

• 1955-1967: Baltimore Colts.

Achievements:

People often say that Raymond Berry has unbelievable hands. Berry is the last person in top 10 WRs of all time compared to an average receiver. He did his job well and helped the Baltimore Colts win many advantages.

Other Best Wide Receivers NFL History 

Apart from the above top 10 receivers of all time, you can refer to the three WRs as the best WRs of all time.

Tim Brown

Team:

• 1988-1994: Los Angeles Raiders.
• 1995-2003: Oakland Raiders.
• 2004: Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
• Tim Brown played in 255 games. 

He posted 1094 receptions, 14934 receiving yards, and 100 touchdowns. He gained Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

“Mr. Raider” is the only receiver retired in the top 5 best receiving and return yardage.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall posted 12,000 receiving yards and 80 receiving touchdowns in his entire career. Besides, Marshall made six Pro Bowl teams and eight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards.

He posted 14 touchdowns in the 2015 season. He had 14 big hauls in double-digit touchdowns per season.

Steve Smith Sr.

Steve Smith Sr. played for Carolina in the 2001-2013 season. After that, he played for Baltimore in the 2014-2016 season.

In his entire career, he played 219 games and posted 1031 receptions, 14731 receiving yards, and 81 touchdowns.

Steve Smith Sr., Sterling Sharpe, and Jerry Rice are the only three wide receivers to earn receiving’s triple crown since 1966.

How Many Wide Receivers Are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

1. John Stallworth.
2. Lance Alworth.
3. Raymond Berry.
4. Fred Biletnikoff.
5. Tom Fears.
6. Elroy Hirsch.
7. Charlie Joiner.
8. Steve Largent.
9. Dante Lavelli.
10. Don Maynard.
11. Tommy McDonald.
12. Bobby Mitchell.
13. Pete Pihos.
14. Lynn Swann. 
15. Charley Taylor.
16. Paul Warfield.

Final Thoughts

Rice is the top 1 best wide receiver of all time, thanks to his unbroken series of outstanding achievements. He became one of the most precise route runners the NFL history has ever seen.

You can search for other names as good WRs such as Art Monk (three Super Bowls), Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson, Joe Montana, and so forth.