16. Art Monk
Plain and simple, Monk was a trailblazer among wide receivers who was a little ahead of his time. After a storied college career at Syracuse, Monk hit the ground running in the NFL and spent over a decade as one of the most consistent receivers in the game. Despite just three Pro Bowl appearances and one First-Team All-Pro selection, Monk was named to the 1980s All-Decade Team for all of his remarkable accomplishments.
While many of his records have since been surpassed, he was the first receiver to achieve many landmarks, doing so before the NFL turned into the pass-happy league it is today. For example, he was the first player in the Super Bowl era with 100 or more receptions in a season. Monk was also the first receiver to reach the 900-career catches milestone. At one point, he had a catch in 180 straight games, becoming the first receiver to accomplish that as well. The lists of Monk’s “firsts” go on and on.