Despite having somewhat of a disappointing history across the NFL landscape, the New York Jets have been known to field some excellent wide receivers.
From a Hall of Famer and legend to some of New York’s biggest fan favorites, Gang Green has seen plenty of stars walk through the halls of the team’s complex as some of the Jets’ best of all time.
Today, we break down the best receivers in Jets history based on their numbers, the impact they had on their team, and the difficulties each faced during their careers.
Best New York Jets Wide Receivers of All Time
Spoiler alert: Ranking the five best receivers in Jets franchise history is really hard. With so many excellent players, it’s no wonder why.
As things stand, the players on this list have accounted for multiple All-Pro nominations, multiple Pro Bowl nods, and even a Hall of Fame bust in Canton, Ohio. Not too bad for a team that has struggled to find stars at other positions of high value.
Without further ado, let’s get this list rolling.
Honorable Mention: Laveranues Coles, Keyshawn Johnson, Brandon Marshall
5) Garrett Wilson
I will admit, it was very hard leaving Laveranues Coles off this list and putting the young Garrett Wilson on it. However, there are a couple of reasons I was left with no choice.
For starters, while Coles obviously played longer in a Jets uniform to this point and has better numbers, he never received a postseason on-field accolade for his work in New York — something Wilson accomplished as the former Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Coles also played with some pretty solid quarterbacks like Chad Pennington. Pennington would easily be the best quarterback Wilson caught passes from at this point in his career if he were still playing.
Wilson has set Jets franchise marks in catches and yards through his first two seasons, and that has come with a revolving door of quarterbacks throwing him the ball. He belongs on this list for that reason alone.
4) Al Toon
Not many wide receivers in Jets history have been named a first-team All-Pro player. Al Toon, the former 10th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft was one of them.
He only played for eight seasons and retired at 29 years old due to concussion concerns, but Toon was one of the more consistent players in team history. He recorded 517 catches for 6,600 yards receiving and scored 31 touchdowns.
At the time of his retirement, Toon had set the Jets’ single-season record for catches in a year and was among the top three in total catches, yards, and touchdowns. As dependable a player as they come, Toon is well deserving to be on this list.
3) Wesley Walker
It was a fierce internal debate deciding where Wesley Walker belongs on this list. On the one hand, he was a first-team All-Pro receiver and had an electric start to his career, setting multiple team records.
On the other, after his meteoric rise to the top, Walker struggled with injuries and wasn’t nearly as consistent as the two other players on this list.
MORE: Ranking the Best New York Jets Quarterbacks of All Time
Despite the injuries, Walker was a lethal offensive weapon for the Jets after being drafted out of California in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft. Walker is among the top players in team history in most receiving categories — thanks to his 13-year NFL career — including catches (438), yards (8,306), and touchdowns (71). He was an underrated receiver during his time and more than deserving of a top-five finish here.
2) Wayne Chrebet
Wayne Chrebet is one of the more interesting players on this list. Unlike every other player, the Hofstra grad did not reach a Pro Bowl or earn any postseason honors. Despite the lack of accolades, Chrebet’s standing with Jets fans, and his consistent work on the field, is why he is more than deserving of being named the second-best receiver in franchise history.
In his 11-year run with New York, Chrebet finished his career with 580 catches, 7,365 yards, and 41 touchdowns. Those numbers are either second or third on the Jets’ all-time receiving list.
The fact that Jets fans love him is just more of a bonus as to why Chrebet is higher on this list than other All-Pro players.
Not bad for an undrafted free agent, either.
1) Don Maynard
There really is no contest here. Don Maynard is one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, let alone the best receiver in Jets history.
Since his retirement in 1973, Maynard still holds the record book for every single career receiving statistic in Jets history and was a key part of the team’s lone Super Bowl victory in 1968 over the Baltimore Colts.
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Maynard is credited as quarterback Joe Namath’s top receiving target and led the AFL/NFL in yards receiving, touchdowns, and yards per game in four separate seasons throughout his illustrious 15-year career.
He is the lone wide receiver enshrined in Canton as a New York Jet and played for more than just a single season (sorry, Art Monk doesn’t count). There is no one else in the Jets’ history to this point who has the credentials Maynard has.
