20 top white wide receivers who’ve made NFL history with their standout skills
Many white wide receivers have always played an essential role in the NFL. From icons like Don Hutson to contemporary players like Wes Welker, these athletes have defied prejudices and exceeded expectations. They have demonstrated that talent and hard work can overcome boundaries and significantly contribute to teams' success.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Top 20 white wide receivers
- 1. Don Hutson
- 2. Wes Welker
- 3. Steve Largent
- 4. Lance Alworth
- 5. Fred Biletnikoff
- 6. Raymond Berry
- 7. Jordy Nelson
- 8. Julian Edelman
- 9. Riley Cooper
- 10. Ed McCaffrey
- 11. Dwight Clark
- 12. Harlon Hill
- 13. Cris Collinsworth
- 14. Brandon Stokley
- 15. Cooper Kupp
- 16. Adam Thielen
- 17. Justin Watson
- 18. Alec Pierce
- 19. Braxton Berrios
- 20. Hunter Renfrow
- Who are the most underrated white wide receivers?
- Who is the number 1 wide receiver ever?
To determine the best white wide receivers, we analysed factors such as impact on the game, notable recognition and awards, public perception and legacy, agility, and total yards gained through receptions.
Top 20 white wide receivers
There is no irrelevant position on the playing field, yet the importance of some roles, like wide receivers, is highly evident. Aside from catching many passes and winning touchdowns, the best wide receivers are offensive players. Here are the best white wide receivers of all time.
| Player | Achievements |
| Don Hutson | 2× NFL Champion, 8× All-Pro, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team |
| Wes Welker | 5× Pro Bowl, 2× First-team All-Pro, NFL receptions leader (2007, 2009, 2011) |
| Steve Largent | NFL Man of the Year (1988), 7× Pro Bowl, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team |
| Lance Alworth | AFL Champion (1963), 7× AFL All-Star, Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| Fred Biletnikoff | Super Bowl Champion (XI), Super Bowl MVP, 6× Pro Bowl |
| Raymond Berry | 2× NFL Champion, 6× Pro Bowl, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team |
| Jordy Nelson | Super Bowl Champion (XLV), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2016)s |
| Julian Edelman | 3× Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP (LIII) |
| Riley Cooper | Career-high 835 receiving yards in 2013 |
| Ed McCaffrey | 3× Super Bowl Champion, Pro Bowl (1998) |
| Dwight Clark | 2× Super Bowl Champion, 2× Pro Bowl |
| Harlon Hill | NFL Rookie of the Year (1954), 3× Pro Bowl |
| Cris Collinsworth | 3× Pro Bowl, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team |
| Brandon Stokley | 2× Super Bowl Champion |
| Cooper Kupp | Super Bowl Champion (LVI), Super Bowl MVP, NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2021) |
| Adam Thielen | 2× Pro Bowl, NFL receptions leader (2018) |
| Justin Watson | 2× Super Bowl Champion |
| Alec Pierce | Promising rookie season with 593 receiving yards in 2022 |
| Braxton Berrios | First-team All-Pro (2021) |
| Hunter Renfrow | Pro Bowl (2021), 1,000+ receiving yards season (2021) |
1. Don Hutson
- Full name: Donald Montgomery Hutson
- Born: 31 January 1913
- Died: 26 June 1997
- Years active: 1935–1945
Don Hutson was a former NFL player and coach from the United States. He was an end during the one-platoon era and spent his whole 11-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers. Hutson was among the most famous NFL's white wide receivers. He headed the Packers to four NFL Championship Games, triumphing in three in 1944, 1939 and 1936.
2. Wes Welker
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- Full name: Wesley Carter Welker
- Born: 1 May 1981
- Years active: 2004–2005
Wesley Welker is a former wide receiver who now coaches professional football in the United States. He coaches wide receivers for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). Wesley is among the most famous white wide receivers, widely recognised as among the best-undrafted athletes ever. He maintains the NFL record for undrafted player receptions.
3. Steve Largent
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- Full name: Stephen Michael Largent
- Born: 28 September 1954
- Years active: 1976–1989
Stephen Largent is an American politician and retired professional football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1976 but traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Stephen is widely recognised as one of the best wide receivers of any era. When he retired, he had all of the key NFL receiving records. Stephen was admitted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
4. Lance Alworth
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- Full name: Lance Dwight Alworth
- Born: 3 August 1940
- Years active: 1962–1972
Lance Alworth is a retired professional football wide receiver from the United States. He has previously played for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, the National Football League (NFL), and the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). Alworth competed for 11 seasons from 1962 to 1972 and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
5. Fred Biletnikoff
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Frederick Biletnikoff
- Born: 23 February 1943
- Years active: 1965–1978
Fred Biletnikoff is a retired football player and coach from the United States. He spent 14 seasons as a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders in AFL and NFL before becoming an assistant coach with the group. Fred was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
6. Raymond Berry
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- Full name: Raymond Emmett Berry Jr.
- Born: 27 February 1933
- Years active: 1955–1967
Raymond Berry is a retired National Football League (NFL) player and coach from the United States. He was a split end with the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967. Raymond was an assistant coach for several years before becoming head coach of the New England Patriots from 1984 to 1989.
7. Jordy Nelson
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Jordy Ray Nelson
- Born: 31 May 1985
- Years active: 2008–2019
Jordy Nelson is an ex-American football wide receiver who spent 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He was a consensus All-American for the Kansas State Wildcats during his undergraduate career in 2007. In 2023, he received an induction into the Packers Hall of Fame.
8. Julian Edelman
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- Full name: Julian Francis Edelman
- Born: 22 May 1986
- Years active: 2013–2020
Julian Edelman is a former American football wide receiver. He spent 12 seasons in the National Football League with the New England Patriots. He was a quarterback for the Kent State Golden Flashes in college before being picked in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Patriots. Julian became the Patriots' primary offensive starter in 2013.
9. Riley Cooper
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Riley Cooper
- Born: 9 September 1987
- Years active: 2010–2015
Riley Cooper is a former NFL wide receiver from the United States. He spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams during his collegiate football career at the University of Florida. The Eagles selected him in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
10. Ed McCaffrey
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- Full name: Edward Thomas McCaffrey
- Born: 17 August 1968
- Years active: 1986–2003
Ed McCaffrey is a retired professional football player from the United States. He played wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Giants, and Denver Broncos. Ed was a Stanford Cardinal college football player named first-team All-American in 1990.
11. Dwight Clark
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- Full name: Dwight Edward Clark
- Born: 8 January 1957
- Years active: 1979–1987
Dwight Clark was a professional wide receiver with the American football team. From 1979 to 1987, he spent nine seasons with the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers. Dwight was a part of the 49ers' first two Super Bowl title teams.
12. Harlon Hill
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- Full name: Harlon Junius Hill
- Born: 4 May 1932
- Died: 21 March 2013
- Years active: 1950–1962
Harlon Hill was an American football end who spent nine seasons in the NFL. He formerly played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears. Hill won the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 1954 and the Jim Thorpe Trophy as the National Football League Player of the Year in 1955.
13. Cris Collinsworth
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Anthony Cris Collinsworth
- Born: 27 January 1959
- Years active: 1981–1988
Cris Collinsworth is a retired professional football player and sports broadcaster from the United States. He played wide receiver in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals for eight seasons from 1981 to 1988. Cris played collegiate football at the University of Florida and earned the distinction of an All-American.
14. Brandon Stokley
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Brandon Ray Stokley
- Born: 23 June 1976
- Years active: 1999–2013
Brandon Ray Stokley is a former American professional football player who played wide receiver in the NFL. He represented the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in collegiate football. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the 4th round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He is widely recognised as The Slot Machine.
15. Cooper Kupp
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Cooper Douglas Kupp
- Born: 15 June 1993
- Years active: 2017–present
Cooper Kupp is a wide receiver with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League. He attended Eastern Washington University, where he received the Walter Payton Award as a junior, and was drafted in the third round by the Rams in 2017.
16. Adam Thielen
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Adam John Thielen
- Born: 22 August 1990
- Years active: 2013–present
Adam Thielen is a US-based professional football wide receiver who plays for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League. He is among the most recognised white wide receivers for the 2024 season. Adam played college football with the Minnesota State Mavericks before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 2013.
17. Justin Watson
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Justin Howard Watson
- Born: 4 April 1996
- Years active: 2018–present
Justin Watson is a wide receiver with the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He attended Penn and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL draft. Justin has won three Super Bowl championships, including Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers and Super Bowls LVII and LVIII with the Chiefs.
18. Alec Pierce
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Alec Pierce
- Born: 2 May 2000
- Years active: 2022–present
Alec Pierce is one of the best current white wide receivers in the NFL. He plays with the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League (NFL). Alec attended Cincinnati College before the Colts took him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
19. Braxton Berrios
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Braxton Berrios
- Born: 6 October 1995
- Years active: 2020–present
Braxton Berrios is a wide receiver and return specialist for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He attended collegiate football at Miami (FL). Braxton excelled in sports at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, playing wide receiver and quarterback. The New England Patriots selected him in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
20. Hunter Renfrow
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- Full name: James Hunter Renfrow
- Born: 21 December 1995
- Years active: 2019–present
James Renfrow is a wide receiver in the American National Football League. He earned two national titles while playing college football for the Clemson Tigers. The Raiders picked him in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Who are the most underrated white wide receivers?
Determining the most underappreciated player is subjective and frequently depends on personal preferences and perceptions. However, based on previous performance, statistical research, and expert judgements, Cooper Kupp and Eric Decker are two white wide receivers regarded as underestimated.
Who is the number 1 wide receiver ever?
Jerry Rice is recognised as the best wide receiver ever in the National Football League. He has multiple NFL records, including the most professional receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns.
The white wide receivers listed above have made their mark in the NFL. Their remarkable abilities and relentless dedication have catapulted the game to new heights. As the league evolves, white wide receivers will continue to be a driving force, encouraging the next generation of athletes and spectators.
Yen.com.gh published a fantastic list of the shortest NFL players. The shortest NFL players in history and the present league have shown that athletes' height does not always correspond with their effectiveness on the field.
The shortest NFL players share one thing in common: they are fast. These individuals defeated their opponents with quickness rather than strength. Read the article to learn more about the NFL's all-time shortest players.
Source: YEN.com.gh
