Active White NFL Reception Leaders

[Carolina Speed]

Didn't know if anyone has posted this lately, but thought I would update this list on the heels of Jordy Nelson finally making it into the top 250 all time reception leaders. I believe he actually made into the top 250 2 weeks ago. Anyway, Nelson along with others have made some movement up the all time list this season!

15. Jason Witten, DAL. 932 recs., has passed Anquan Bolden, (931) for 15th all time. Up from 22nd at the beginning of the season.

20. Wes Welker, DEN. 884 recs., has moved into the top 20 all time!
108. Heath Miller, PIT. 522 recs., closing in on the top 100.
120. Dallas Clark, ... 505 recs., still listed as active????
149. Greg Olsen, CAR. 462 recs., possibly the biggest mover other than Nelson. Up 87 positions from 236th at the beginning of the season with a career best 81 receptions!
171. Owen Daniels, BAL. 430, I believe was out last season with an injury.
215. Brandon Stokley,.... 397 recs. still listed as active????
229. Jordy Nelson, GBY. 385 recs. Finally, making it into the top 250! Looking forward to seeing him continue to climb!

Others that could make the list in the next year or 2.....need 371 recs. to crack the top 250.

Brent Celek, PHI. 342
Zach Miller, SEA. 328 Injured
Gronkowski, NE. 302
Hartline, MIA. 293
Decker, NYJ. 284
Edelman, NE. 266
Amendola, NE. 265

If I missed someone, please correct my list. Although still listed as active Clark and Stokley I believe are retired?

 

[Carolina Speed]

Updating the top active white receivers....

13. Witten, DAL. 943 recs., moves past Art Monk for 14th all time.
20. Welker, DEN. 890 recs., holds at 20th.
106. H. Miller, PIT. 532 recs., moves up from 108th.
150. Olsen, CAR. 465 recs., actually loses a spot from 149th after getting only 3 receptions over the last 2 games.

169. Daniels, BAL. 433 recs., up from 171st.
209. Nelson, GB. 400 recs., up from 229th.

... you need 372 receptions to crack the top 250. Others who could make the top 250 next season...

Celek, PHI. 344 recs.
Z. Miller, SEA. 328 recs, was injured most of the season.
Gronkowski, NE. 308 recs.
Hartline, MIA. 298 recs.
Decker, NYJ. 296 recs.
Amendola, NE. 277 recs,
Edelman, NE. 266 recs.

Interestingly, 9 of these players if you include Riley Cooper, with 148 recs. are between the ages of 27-29 years of age. Olsen (29), Nelson, (29), Celek (29), Z. Miller (29), Hartline (28), Decker (27), Amendola (29), Edelman (28), and Cooper (27).

Does this seem odd or a lot of our receivers bunched together and then it seems to fall off after age 27, except Gronkowski (25), the exception, however, at the TE position where whites traditionally fare well? Why does there seem to be a good run of white receivers and then a drought?

Thoughts?

 

[Don Wassall]

Interestingly, 9 of these players if you include Riley Cooper, with 148 recs. are between the ages of 27-29 years of age. Olsen (29), Nelson, (29), Celek (29), Z. Miller (29), Hartline (28), Decker (27), Amendola (29), Edelman (28), and Cooper (27).

Does this seem odd or a lot of our receivers bunched together and then it seems to fall off after age 27, except Gronkowski (25), the exception, however, at the TE position where whites traditionally fare well? Why does there seem to be a good run of white receivers and then a drought?

Thoughts?

It's a reaction by the league to having too many good White receivers at one time. The same thing happened after the 1999 season, which I have written about before. That year White receivers were three of the top four in the NFL in yards per reception (Keith Poole, Tim Dwight and Patrick Jeffers), and there were a total of three White receivers who went over 1,000 yards after a decade of none (Jeffers, Bill Schroeder and Ed McCaffrey, who had broken the thousand yard drought a season earlier). The next year, Jeffers -- who was nothing short of spectacular the second half of '99 -- suffered a severe knee injury in a preseason game that effectively ended his career, Dwight was demoted, and Poole saw his playing time decrease as did Darren Chiaverini, who shone as a rookie for the Browns in the second half of '99. The league was back to Ed McCaffrey and Wayne Chrebet as the two White receivers who were "allowed" to start for several years, and Bill Schroeder, who went over 1,000 yards in '99 and then went over 900 yards each of the next two seasons before quickly fading.

In 2004, Drew Bennett and Brandon Stokley had big seasons, especially Bennett, who was unstoppable when Billy Volek played for an injured Steve McNair. The next season both saw their playing time and receptions substantially reduced and neither had a thousand yard season again.

You look at the drafts the past two seasons and very few White receivers were taken and lots of good ones went undrafted, and none have received much of a chance so far. Campanaro was beginning to see some playing time before he was injured, Janis hardly played.

Where are the successors in a few years to Nelson, Cooper, Decker, Hartline, Edelman and Amendola? So far I don't see any. Chris Hogan possibly, Campanaro, Janis and Abbrederis might eventually start after serving racial apprenticeships. But nothing definitive so far combined with the marked decline in the way Cooper and Hartline were used this season, and also Wes Welker, likely means another drought before a new small crop of White receivers overcome the barriers of the Caste System.

 

[Leonardfan]

Great post Don. Guys like Matt Miller, jaxon Shipley, currySexton and Jordan taylor are all very draftable prospects this year but none of them have gotten any interest from the senior bowl nor are they receiving any sort of recognition as being draftable.

Miller is better than the two blacks from Boise state who were drafted fairly high - Pettis was a 3rd rounder and Titus young was a 2nd. Miller does have a foot injury and I hope he is recovering from it in time for the combine. Miller was easily one of the best WRs this season prior to the injury.

Shipley suffered from having a terrible qb at Texas, Sexton is overshadowed by a shorter black team mate that the media just can't seem to hype up enough and Jordan Taylor is one of the best deep threats in the country. These are just 4 players I can think of off the top of my head.

Every year there are a core group of wrs we seem to get excited about and every year they get screwed over.

In 2013 it was swope as a 6th rounder who retired without playing a snap, Vernon was undrafted although he has some of the best hands of any wr coming out in the past 5 seasons, spadola with his great production at the fcs level and amazing combine numbers.

Last year it was Jared Abrederis who fell to the 5th round after having a huge season which included making a 1st round Ohio st Cb look foolish in there matchup. Janis opened a lot of eyes with his eye opening combine performance but was drafted by the packers right after they picked up jared in the 5th round. Campanaro was another guy who should of been a 3rd round pick but was screwed over due to his size.