DeAndre Hopkins and the myth of the number one receiver
In her book, , V.E. Schwab wrote: “Myths do not happen all at once. They do not spring forth whole into the world. They form slowly, rolled between the hands of time until their edges smooth, until the saying of the story gives enough weight to the words—to the memories—to keep them rolling on their own.” The NFL offers plenty of myths, and perhaps the biggest one is “the number one receiver.” This myth of the league being filled with number one receivers followed Schwab’s path perfectly.
Commentators and experts toss out the phrase as if there were 50 number one receivers all throughout the league. They don’t understand how hard it is to be a number one receiver, acting as if every team in the NBA had a player like Michael Jordan. Being a number one requires a skill set like Jordan, being able to dominate when double-teamed, able to put the ball into the end zone, able to get open on the most critical downs and impossible to take out of the game with coverage. Who fits that description? Maybe six to eight players total. Maybe. When we get to the wide receivers on the GM Shuffle Blue/Red Chip ratings, I will give out the list.
Part of the myth-generating issue lies within. We as a society have a hard time making the distinction from what is good to what is great. It’s why the Hall of Fame is upside down. Tommy McDonald and Randy Moss are both Hall of Fame receivers, yet there is a world of difference in their skill set and on-the-field production. Tommy might be in the Hall, but he was never a number one receiver, and Moss was a number one from his rookie season. We tend to overrate, overpraise, and because a player is making a large sum of money, we naturally assume the player is great. Currently, 18 wide receivers are making over $18 million per season. Are all of them number one receivers? No. Christian Kirk from Jacksonville isn’t one. Neither is Keenan Allen, or Terry McLaurin. They are good players, but they don’t place the fear of God into defensive coordinators. They are solid, not elite.
When I worked in the league, players that occupied my mind on the bus ride to the stadium were the ones that fit into the elite class. Knowing Moss scored a touchdown on every 6.29 passes he caught made me shake in my boots. Or Terrell Owens scoring once every 7.04 catches qualifies as frightening. Former Miami Dolphins great Paul Warfield scored once every five catches—now that is a number one receiver. Getting the ball into the end zone is what matters most. Davante Adams scores every 8.83 passes he catches. Tyreek Hill scores every 9.09. Adams and Hill are number one receivers.