11. Chad Johnson
Love him or hate him, Chad Johnson was far more than just a guy with great end zone celebrations. Did he talk a lot? Yes. Did he back it up? Absolutely. Johnson deserves a lot of credit for making the Bengals relevant again. From 2002-10, he was one of the best receivers in the game.
In that nine season span, Johnson amassed 1,000 yards seven times. His first 1,000 yard season came in 2002, where he caught 69 passes for 1,166 yards. He broke out, though, in 2003. That season, Johnson had 90 receptions for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
Alongside college teammate and good friend T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Johnson helped make the Bengals one of the best offenses in the NFL throughout the 2000s. He was a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2005 and ’06, leading the NFL with 1,369 receiving yards in the latter.
Whether he was claiming to be like 7-11 because he was always open, or telling defensive backs to “Kiss the baby,” Chad Johnson was one of the most entertaining and gifted players of his generation. While he is not in the Hall of Fame, an argument can definitely be made that he deserves a spot in Canton.