You ask the average NFL who the best receiver in the NFL is and many would still likely say Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Anyone giving that answer wouldn’t be up to date on the present. Over the last 12 months plus it’s become clear that no one is more dominant than Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while there are other elite receivers and Megatron still belongs in the upper tier discussion, Jones and Brown have separated themselves as the best two in the league. But which one deserves to be called the league’s current best pass catcher?
Looking at 2014, both had monster seasons. Brown lead the league in catches by an appreciable distance (129 to Jones’s 104 which was third best). Jones averaged 15.3 per catch to Brown’s 13.2, which made them must closer in yardage (1,698 to 1,593 in favor of Brown). Despite being much bigger in size which would in theory make him a more viable red zone threat, though, Jones’s 6 touchdowns were dwarfed by Brown’s 13. Brown’s 129 catches in 2014 were second in NFL history only to Marvin Harrison who caught 143 balls in 2002. Brown’s yardage was sixth best in NFL history. Per Pro Football Focus, Brown also rated as the best receiver in the NFL in 2014 with a +23.4 grade, whereas Jones finished sixth with +17.0. So when you put those two up against each other in 2014, there’s no shame in saying Brown was a bit better. After all, he did put together one of the very best seasons for a receiver in the history of the league.
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