20 best wide receiver seasons in NFL history

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 28: Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammates after he scored a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990 at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 55-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 22: Calvin Johnson #81 of the Detroit Lions participates in pre-game activities prior to playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in a preseason game at Ford Field on August 22, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

7. Calvin Johnson, Lions (2012)

He was the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Former Georgia Tech standout Calvin Johnson was a 6’5”, 237-pound target that appeared unstoppable with the Yellow Jackets and the Detroit Lions were hoping those skills would translate for a team that had not had much luck selecting wideouts in the first round recently.

Michigan State’s Charles Rogers was the second overall pick in 2003 and played only 15 games in three seasons. A year later, Roy Williams (Texas) went seventh overall and was solid, but he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2008 season. In 2005, USC’s Mike Williams (10th overall) played only two seasons in Detroit and caught two TD passes.

The Lions went back to the well in ’07 and finally hit paydirt. Johnson would play nine seasons, catch 731 passes for an impressive 11,619 yards and 83 scores. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Off a strong 2011 season that resulted in a rare playoff appearance, the Lions fell to 4-12, losing their final eight games. That didn’t stop Johnson from an all-time performance. He caught 122 passes for an NFL-record 1,964 yards. He scored only five touchdowns, but totaled at least 100 yards receiving in 11 of his 16 outings. Unfortunately, his team proved to be very stoppable.

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