Who is the best wide receiver in football? Is it Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown, or A.J. Green? Could it be Julio Jones, Dez Bryant or DeAndre Hopkins? All of these players (and others) have built strong cases throughout their careers. However, there is one player whose name rarely comes up in those discussions.
Although he has a myriad of seasons with well over 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit scores, Jordy Nelson’s name is never brought up during those debates. Naysayers will say it’s because of All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but excluding Hopkins and Green, every great receiver as a great quarterback.
Jordy Nelson is the NFL’s Most Underrated Player
In heated debates about which player is better, sports fans and pundits will bring up consistency and length. How long has player X been at the top of his game, and has there been a drop off in his production when player Y was traded or out with an injury.
Jordy Nelson has continuously improved since entering the NFL in 2008. Every year he finishes with more receptions and yards than the year before, except for 2009 and 2012 when he missed games due to injuries. In both of those seasons, Nelson was on pace to record more receptions for more yards than the year before.
However, it was not until the 2011 campaign that Nelson broke through and established himself as one of the better wide receivers in the league. Since then he has consistently ranked near the top in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
During the NFL Top 100 players of 2013, former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon said, “Jordy, I think is just so consistent.” Consistency is the most important factor in determining greatness. Consistency is what separates good players from great ones. Nelson is one of the most consistent wide receivers in the National Football League. Each year, Nelson improves as a player, and it shows in his stats. Even in 2013, when Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone, and Green Bay played with four different quarterbacks, Nelson managed 85 receptions, 1,314 yards, and eight touchdowns.
After missing the entire 2015 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, pundits doubted Nelson. Could he come back from such a devastating injury? He responded with the finest season of his stellar career. The Kansas State product produced 98 receptions for 1,257 yards and league high 14 touchdowns. Had any other star wide receiver produced a similar season, pundits would have anointed him as the best wide receiver in football, but Nelson keeps getting snubbed.
Length is another key factor when comparing great players. Most receivers tend to suffer drops in production past 30 years old; however, Nelson (32) has had the two best seasons of his career at ages 30 (2014) and 32 (2016). The “old man” had eight receptions for 40+ yards and an 80-yard touchdown at 30 years old. Last season, Nelson’s longest reception was “only” 60 yards, but he led the league in touchdown receptions. He was tied for the sixth most first downs with 62. Younger and flashier receivers stealing the spotlight does not mean older receivers should be forgotten.
Nelson is a complete wide receiver. He has all of the measurables (6’3″, 217 pounds), speed (4.51 40-yard dash), and over the course of both his college and professional career has proven that he possesses some of the finest hands in the land. In his senior year at Kansas State, he finished second to Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) in receptions with 122.
Sports Illustrated published a cover story in December 2014 on the Riley County, KS native. Tim Layden argued that Nelson is the NFL’s best deep threat and there are a handful of stats to back this claim.
Since the 2011 season, Nelson has scored 57 touchdowns, which ranks third behind Dez Bryant (61) and Rob Gronkowski (58). Nelson has 28 receptions of 40+ yards in his career, and 102 receptions of 20+ yards. He has also a 93-yard touchdown reception, two 80-yard touchdowns, and two receptions over 70 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown.
If you could point to one moment where Nelson began his ascension as one of the finest receivers in the league, it would be Super Bowl XLV. “Since that game, he’s been our best receiver,” Aaron Rodgers told SI. “He took a big confidence jump after that game.” In the Super Bowl, Nelson hauled in nine catches for 145 yards and one touchdown en route to the Packers 31-25 win over the Steelers.
“Guys still underestimate Jordy’s ability when he’s standing in front of them,” Greg Jennings, Nelson’s teammate from 2008-12 told SI. “Honestly, I don’t know what more they need to see.” And, we don’t know what more they need to see for Jordy Nelson to finally get the respect he has earned throughout his career.
