Ranking the 10 Best NFL Wide Receivers of the 2000s

Not only do

NFL

wide receivers have to be quick, but they also must have reliable hands to catch the ball and creativity to make a play afterward in some cases. Let’s face it, the best wide receivers make the quarterback look good. Signal-callers can throw a wild pass, but if the receiver makes the catch, nobody’s talking about the errant throw afterward.

Not many wideouts have been able to put together that winning combination of speed, size, strength, soft hands, crisp route-running, and creativity with the ball. And during the 2000s, the decade in which the NFL truly shifted into more of a passing league, there were 10 wide receivers who found that special recipe and were able to dominate opposing defenses.

Related

Ranking the 10 Best NFL Wide Receivers of the 1990s

Some of the best wide receivers in NFL history padded their respective resumes during the 1990s.

1

Randy Moss

Moss had a record-setting season for the undefeated Patriots in 2007

The country boy from West Virginia was drafted in the first round in 1998 by the

Minnesota Vikings

out of Marshall. There weren’t many players like Randy Moss and there haven’t been many since.

His rookie season was almost too good to be true, but that was Moss in a nutshell throughout his career. He was so good that the phrase “Mossed,” which refers to a receiver jumping over the back of a DB to make a catch, is still used to this day.

He ended his rookie campaign with 17 touchdown receptions and 1,313 receiving yards, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and earning the first of six Pro Bowl selections. Moss’ freakish combination of size and speed made him a matchup nightmare, and he could hurdle a man without even breaking stride.

He topped 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons in the league, with one of his career years coming in 2003 when he put up 1,632 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 111 receptions. Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2005 and added another 1,000-yard season, but issues with the coaching staff led to his early departure from the Bay.

He was traded to the

New England Patriots

before the 2007 season, which led to another career year for Moss. He won Comeback Player of the Year, nabbed an NFL record 23 receiving touchdowns from

Tom Brady

, grabbed 98 receptions, racked up 1,493 yards, and helped the Pats to a 16-0 regular season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 for his on-field exploits.

2

Terrell Owens

T.O. was arguably the best WR in the game in the early 2000s

Terrell Owens was one of the more outgoing players the NFL has ever seen. He was a dominant force on the field and the life of the party off of it. While those lines sometimes blurred a bit, it’s rare to have the combination of speed, physicality, and exceptional route running that T.O. had.

Drafted by the

San Francisco 49ers

in 1996, Owens moved up the depth chart in his second season after Jerry Rice suffered an injury. He helped the Niners get to 13 wins that season, finishing with 936 yards and eight touchdowns. He made it over the 1,000-yard mark the following year, a mark he’d eclipse nine times during his career.

From 2000 to 2002, it was hard to argue T.O. wasn’t the best in the game. In those three seasons, he earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors while averaging 96.7 receptions, 1,387.7 yards, and 14 touchdowns per year.

After eight years in the Golden Gate City and two seasons with the

Philadelphia Eagles

, Owens spent three seasons with the

Dallas Cowboys

and had over 1,000 yards in each. He finished his career with 1,078 receptions, 15,934 receiving yards, and 153 touchdowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

3

Marvin Harrison Sr.

Harrison helped Peyton Manning win his first Super Bowl

Marvin Harrison Sr. was drafted in the first round out of Syracuse in 1996 by the

Indianapolis Colts

. He started 15 of 16 games as a rookie, but he didn’t get his first 1,000-yard season until 1999, when he put up 1,663 in his first full season with

Peyton Manning

.

He continued that trend for many years, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in eight straight years. Harrison’s career high came in 2002 when he scored 11 touchdowns, led the NFL in receiving yards (1,722 yards), and led the league in receptions (143), the latter of which also set an NFL single-season record that stood until 2019.

In 2006, Harrison became the fourth player in NFL history to record 1,000 receptions. He was also one of only seven wide receivers in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns. He finished the 2006 season with 95 receptions for 1,366 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.

That same season, the Colts took a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl 41, with Harrison recording five receptions for 59 yards.

When Harrison decided to retire after the 2008 season, he went down as a one-team player, having spent his whole career with Indy. Harrison made eight Pro Bowls in a row, eight All-Pro teams in a row, and led the NFL in receiving yards and receptions twice. Harrison finished his career with 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards, and 128 touchdowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

4

Torry Holt

Holt was elite even after “The Greatest Show on Turf” ended

Torry Holt was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 1999 out of NC State and was an integral part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. His explosiveness on the field and dynamic route running were essential parts of what made him a top-10 receiver.

As a rookie, Holt caught 52 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns en route to Super Bowl 34 against the

Tennessee Titans

, where Holt got his first and only ring. After his rookie year, Holt accumulated over 1,000 receiving yards in a whopping eight straight seasons.

Holt had a phenomenal 10 years with the Rams, the best of which came in 2003 when he led the league with 117 receptions and 1,696 yards to earn his only First-Team All-Pro selection. He also racked up seven Pro Bowl appearances and led the league in receiving yards in 2000 as well.

No other receiver gained more receiving yards (12,594) or caught more passes (868) than Holt did during the decade from 2000-2009. He has been a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame 10 times but has yet to be inducted.

5

Reggie Wayne

Wayne was much more than just Marvin Harrison’s sidekick

Reggie Wayne, who was drafted by the Colts 30th overall in 2001 out of Miami, emerged as the ideal complement to Marvin Harrison in the early 2000s, and the chemistry he had with the great Peyton Manning was top-notch. Wayne’s route running and ability to make explosive plays is what made him a top receiver.

In the Colts’ 2005 Wild Card Round win against the

Denver Broncos

, Wayne had ten receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns, good for the third-most receiving yards in a postseason game at the time. In the 2006 season, Wayne had five games with over 100 yards and ended that year with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

He did not play in his first Pro Bowl, however, because the Colts made it to the Super Bowl, where, as mentioned, they defeated the Bears thanks in no small part to Wayne’s two catches for 61 yards and a score. Statistically, Wayne’s best campaign came the following year, in 2007, when he led the league with 1,510 receiving yards.

From 2004 to 2010, Wayne topped 1,000 yards receiving in seven consecutive years and from 2006 to 2010, Wayne registered five straight Pro Bowl nods. He was also named to three All-Pro teams and ended his career with 1,070 receptions, 14,354 receiving yards, and 82 touchdowns.

6

Andre Johnson

Johnson was a bright spot on some bad Texans teams

Thanks to Andre Johnson’s combination of size, speed, and immense physicality, not to mention his ability to catch anything, he climbed his way into the upper echelons of NFL receivers during the 2000s. Johnson was drafted third overall by the

Houston Texans

ahead of their second season as an expansion franchise in 2003.

He had a solid rookie season, but his breakout year did not come until his sophomore campaign. In 2004, he recorded 79 catches for 1,142 yards, and six touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games that year, including a 170-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Johnson was arguably the best in the business in 2008 and 2009, when he led the league in receiving yards for back-to-back seasons and averaged 108 receptions, 1,572 receiving yards, and 8.5 touchdowns during that two-year stretch.

Johnson accrued multiple honors in his career. He was a two-time First-Team All-Pro, two-time Second-Team All-Pro, and was named to seven Pro Bowls. He also led the league in receptions on two occasions. Johnson ended his impressive career with 1,062 receptions, 14,185 yards, and 70 touchdowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.

7

Chad Johnson

Ochocinco talked plenty of trash but had the game to back it up

Chad Johnson’s trash talking is right up there with the best of them. Johnson was so over the top on the field he legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco to reflect his jersey number, but we’re not here to talk about his shenanigans. The only reason Johnson was able to be so outgoing was because of his skill level.

Johnson was drafted by the

Cincinnati Bengals

in 2001 out of Oregon State. He did not see much playing time in his rookie season, but after that, his snap count skyrocketed and so did the young receivers’ stats. From 2002 to 2007, Johnson had six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He led the league in receiving yards in 2006 with 1,369, but his career high came in 2007, with 1,440 receiving yards.

Johnson holds almost every Bengals’ franchise receiving record, including career receptions with 751, career yards with 10,783, career yards from scrimmage with 10,958, and career receiving touchdowns with 66. After an injury in the 2008 season, Johnson came back in 2009 with his last 1,000-yard campaign (1,047).

8

Steve Smith Sr.

Smith helped the Panthers to their first Super Bowl berth

Steve Smith Sr. was only 5-foot-9, but he had explosive speed and gritty toughness that more than made up for his lack of stature. He was drafted in the third round out of Utah by the

Carolina Panthers

in 2001 and became a starter in the 2003 season, where he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time.

He finished with 88 receptions for 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns that year, helping the Panthers to the Super Bowl, where they fell short in a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots.

After suffering an injury in 2004, Smith came back in 2005 with a vengeance, winning the receiving Triple Crown during that comeback season. He led the league in receptions with 103, receiving yards with 1,563, and touchdowns with 12. He was selected for his third Pro Bowl and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, although he did share the honor with Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

Smith maintained over 1,000 yards in six more seasons, hitting the mark eight total times in 16 years. Throughout his career, Smith was named a First-Team All-Pro twice, a Second-Team All-Pro once, and a Pro Bowler five times.

9

Anquan Boldin

Boldin burst onto the scene with the Cardinals to win Offensive Rookie of the Year

Anquan Boldin was an expert at making tough catches in traffic. It took more than one hit to take him down. The man was stout, and it showed. Boldin was never the quickest, but his intensity and reliable mitts put him ahead of many others.

Boldin was drafted in 2003 by the

Arizona Cardinals

, and he came out the gates ready, setting the record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game with 217 on 10 receptions against the

Detroit Lions

. He ended his rookie year with 1,377 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

After missing roughly half of the 2004 season due to injury, Boldin had the best campaign of his career in 2005. He finished with 102 catches for 1,402 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while leading the league with 100.1 yards per game.

Boldin spent seven seasons with the Cards and then headed to Baltimore, where he got himself a ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl 47. But he did not have another 1,000-yard season until he landed in San Francisco, where he eclipsed that mark in 2013 and 2014 at ages 33 and 34. Boldin ended his career with 1,076 receptions, 13,779 yards and 82 touchdowns.

10

Hines Ward

Ward earned Super Bowl MVP honors for the Steelers

Hines Ward spent his entire career with the

Pittsburgh Steelers

after he was drafted in 1998 out of Georgia. The two-time Super Bowl champ wasn’t afraid to be the go-to guy in big moments, and he was especially unafraid of laying a big hit on a defender. While Ward was only the 10th-best receiver of the decade, he may very well be the greatest blocking receiver in NFL history.

Ward had the best season of his career in 2002 when he put up career highs in receptions (112), yards (1,329), and touchdowns (12). Because of those efforts, Ward earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod and his first Second-Team All-Pro selection as well.

Ward recorded over 1,000 receiving yards four more times and finished his career with 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 receiving touchdowns. He also won Super Bowl 40 MVP on the back of five receptions for 123 yards and a score and was a three-time Second Team All-Pro.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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15 Best Wide Receivers in NFL History, Ranked

Although today’s wide receivers are as productive as ever, they are still chasing past greats.