Calvin Johnson
Career Stats: 135 games played (130 starts), 731 receptions, 11,619 yards, 83 TD
There have been many athletic players in the NFL that have come and gone, and Johnson is possibly the most athletic of them ever. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound wideout, dubbed “Megatron,” resembled a machine more than a human being. He could outmaneuver defenders in any way possible. Johnson was massive, swift (4.3 40-yard dash), and had the ability to leap like a basketball player. Johnson was open even if opponents were wrapped all over him because he could explode like no one else and make a jaw-dropping move on the ball. Johnson, who had been heralded as the next big thing, ultimately put everything together in a decisive 2012 campaign. Johnson caught 122 catches for a career-high 1,964 yards that year. He owns nearly all of the Lions’ receiving records and will almost certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the near future.
Calvin Johnson
Steve Largent
Career Stats: 200 games played (197 starts), 819 receptions, 13,089 yards, 100 TD
Largent was a star receiver for the Seattle Seahawks prior to a successful political career in the United States House of Representatives. Largent lacked the measurables that teams sought in a receiver. He wasn’t exceptionally tall, fast, or strong, but he was extremely sure-handed and played with a lot of confidence. Largent was the gold standard for receivers before Jerry Rice, setting records for career receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. With his rugged play and sticky hands, he won the hearts of a devoted Seattle fan base.
Steve Largent
