1. Jerry Rice
Statistics in sports don’t always tell the whole story. But as we all know, numbers don’t lie, and the numbers say that Rice is the NFL all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, and that makes him the greatest wide receiver of all-time, no questions asked. Just in case there was any doubt, the 13 Pro Bowl selections, three Super Bowl rings, and over 100 NFL records leave no room for debate.
No one on the planet who will argue that Rice was the most physically gifted receiver to ever play the game. There are reasons why he ended up at Mississippi Valley State and not a more prestigious college. To be fair, he did have plenty of natural speed and pass-catching ability, but Rice was also one of the hardest-working players in the game. He knew how to take care of his body, rarely missing in over two decades in the NFL. He also paid close attention to detail while becoming one of the most precise route runners the game has ever seen. Whatever talent he was born with, Rice got the most out of it. There’s no more admirable trait than that in any walk of life, and it’s why Rice is beyond any shadow of a doubt, the NFL’s best wide receiver of all-time.