Former Ohio State and current New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has turned into one of the premier superstars in the NFL. It’s an easy argument to make that he’s done more in his first five years in the league than any human pass-catcher has done in the history of the top league in American football.
So, it should be no surprise that he’s acquired one of only five coveted 99 ratings in the newly released Madden NFL 21 ratings, because he’s that good. However, there are still those out there that believe he’s not the clear No. 1 receiver in the NFL, and one of those include ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler apparently.
ESPN has taken some passes at ranking the top ten at each position in the NFL and turned its eyes towards the wide receivers (subscription required) last week. And while Thomas is very high up there, he was not regarded as the best.
So, what does Fowler say about Thomas? Why does he not consider him the best receiver in the world?
Next … What Fowler says about Thomas and where he ranks him
No. 2 – Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
What Fowler Says
Thomas dominated the No. 2 voting, but an NFL coordinator who put him No. 1 gave the ultimate compliment.
“Watching ‘The Last Dance,’ that’s Jordan,” he said. “He’s getting the ball all day. You point to that guy and say, ‘He’s winning the game for us.'”
Couple the fierce competitiveness with historic stats (an NFL-record 149 catches for 1,725 yards) and it’s sort of hard to figure why he didn’t have more support for the top spot.
If there’s one knock, it’s this scouting report from a veteran NFL corner.
“We just know they are going to get him the ball, a lot of slot stuff, 50 percent of the offense — but he’s not beating you deep like a guy like Tyreek Hill is,” the corner said.
But there are counters like this that are hard to deny: He caught 63.6% of tight-window plays (21-of-33), tops in the league. And his catch rate above expectation — the difference between actual catch rate and expected catch rate — is plus-12.7, also tops.
“Brings this element of toughness, ability to separate and hands. Most complete,” a separate NFL coordinator said.
So who does Fowler have as No. 1? It’s the Falcons’ Julio Jones. Behind Thomas at No. 2 is DeAndre Hopkins.
Next … What we say
No. 2 – Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
What We say
The production doesn’t lie. Say what you will about some of the highlight catches that guys like Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins make. Pull out the film and see how fast those guys look compared to Thomas. Fine.
But at the end of the day, nobody is catching more passes, doing it in tighter windows, and working as hard as what the former Ohio State receiver does.
It’s splitting hairs when you get to the top of the league in comparing the best of the best, but it’s hard not to put Thomas up there as the best receiver in the league. He’s been the most consistent and continues to get better and better every year.
Next … The complete top ten according to ESPN
Top Ten NFL receivers according to ESPN
1. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
2. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
3. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
4. Odell Beckham, Jr., Cleveland Browns
5. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
6. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Davantae Adams, Green Bay Packers
8. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
9. Chris Goodwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
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