Is wes welker the best reciver?

Answer 1

On a statistical front, Wes Welker shows traits of being the most dominant receiver currently in football. In the past three seasons, he leads the league in receptions (346 total) and Yards after catch (over 50% of his total yards, though not an NFL recognized stat), which is important because of how many first downs this produces for the offense. He is however, a slot receiver, which means he is rarely sent into deep coverage, and his routes usually try to take advantage of slower linebackers. His size and speed are perfect for this sharpshooting, 5-15 yard play production. He is however, not a consistent touchdown threat, where shorter fields tend to bunch up the defense and allow coverage to spoil his sharp, sometimes predictable patterns, since linebackers don't have to run quite as far to cover. His touchdown production shows this.

His physique limits his uses on the field. Body types like Brandon Marshall, younger T.O., Andre Johnson, can sometimes simply dominate space and 'rip' the ball out of the air. He would not be successful in plays and routes run by these types of receivers.

His physique however, is very similar to another player who tends to get deep coverage passes, Steve Smith. It could be argued that S. Smith is a more dynamic playmaker, since his average Yards per Catch is higher, and his number of plays of 25yards or more are greater as well.

One statistic that Welker dominates is Total Yards in his career, and in his first 5 seasons, he produced 9,304 yards. No receiver in history has more, and only four other players in all positions exceed that number.

The case for Wes Welker being the best receiver is not as controversial as it might seem. The only real drawbacks are Touchdowns and big play potential, both below average. In almost all other categories, however, there is none better.