Longtime fans of the Madden franchise will remember an era when throwing the deep ball was the smartest play in the game. It was usually caught for huge yardage and the cornerbacks couldn't keep up. That died a few games back and, by the time Madden NFL 22 has come around, pretty much everybody playing seriously is running and throwing short.
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Is that to say that the long ball is dead? Despite the look of things, not at all. Simply put, the difference now is that it takes a great wide receiver to blaze past and jump over the opposing cornerbacks. And they're out there, gamers just have to choose the right team and the right target to take their shots with.
10 Allen Robinson II – 90
Any team that lacks a clear quarterback is in for a world of pain and the Bears have been the recipients of that pain for the last couple of years. When the captain of the offense suffers, everybody suffers. Everybody, that is, except for Allen Robinson II.
Somehow, Robinson has had two of his best years with virtually nobody throwing to him, getting himself over 1100 yards in each of the last two years. If whoever wins that starting job in Chicago is even average, Robinson will be undisputed as one of the best in the business of hauling in footballs.
9 Mike Evans – 91
In all seven of his NFL seasons, Evans has played at least thirteen games and received over 1000 yards. If that's not the beginning of a career that ends in Canton, what is? And now, after Brady joined the Bucs last year, he's got a Super Bowl ring to back up the raw numbers.
Last year was arguably Evans' best, with a career-high thirteen touchdowns. Tampa Bay is loaded with weapons, but their most consistent tool in the arsenal is Mike Evans. He's too fast for as tall as he is, making him a real challenge to keep out of the endzone.
8 Amari Cooper – 92
Since being dealt to the Cowboys from the Raiders, Cooper went from being a Pro Bowler to a superstar. From day one, Prescott knew exactly what to do with this kind of talent. Passing to Cooper is always a good idea for teams that need points on the board.
He's played every game for the past two seasons, so his health is not a concern. And despite a tough year for Dallas in a lost year where they needed backup quarterbacks, Amari Cooper still hit four-digits in receiving yardage.
7 Keenan Allen – 93
When Justin Herbert stepped in to play for the Chargers, many believed the season was a wash. But, statistically speaking, it appeared that Herbert was an upgrade. Los Angeles fans had their new guy.
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While Allen had a statistically mild year, he was responsible for spreading out the offense and drawing extra coverage. With a year of experience together, it only seems logical that Keenan's best years could be coming right up.
6 Michael Thomas – 94
Last year, Michael Thomas had his season shortened after an ankle surgery last year, but the year before that, he recorded an NFL all-time record 149 receptions while leading all receivers in receiving yards in 2019-2020.
Sadly, while Thomas is coming back, his quarterback, Drew Brees, has retired. While this is somewhat unfortunate, whoever wins out the quarterback committee for the Saints will be happy to have the NFL's toughest target to cover as a weapon on day one.
5 Julio Jones – 95
Julio Jones is no stranger to the top wide receivers ranks; he's an annual installment. But this year will be something new; he's leaving Atlanta and heading to Tennessee. Fans will have to rub their eyes to get used to seeing this star in another uniform after ten years with the Falcons.
It's yet to be seen if Tannehill can match the magic Jones and Matt Ryan had together, but with hands like the ones on Jones, it seems possible that 95 might actually be too low a rating for the future Hall of Fame wideout.
4 Stefon Diggs – 97
Some gamers thought that Stefon Diggs was benefitting from a Minnesota Vikings team that had all of these weapons. Being the main receiver in Buffalo, how would he fair? The answer: Just fine, thanks.
It helps when the quarterback is a top ten rated passer, but Diggs has earned a name for himself outside of any system. His speed and ability to get open are second to none. And don't forget that he led all receivers last year in both yards and receptions.
3 Tyreek Hill – 98
Players are constantly pushing for Madden to make changes to the series, but sometimes it's the players that get to make demands. Tyreek Hill didn't demand that they insert his signature peace sign, but his game was so otherworldly that the developers went ahead and threw it in there.
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Fifteen games and fifteen touchdowns ended up being the seasonal total for Hill, who is no stranger to big plays. Teams are doubling and tripling the coverage against him, but Patrick Mahomes manages to find him despite all of this.
2 DeAndre Hopkins – 98
When the Texans parted ways with Hopkins, players were wondering who the real talent was. Was it Deshaun Watson and the Texans making DeAndre Hopkins look good, or was Hopkins carrying the team?
The question had answered itself by week two. Hopkins deserves all of the X-Factor traits as he hauls in every 50-50 ball and toe-tapper in his vicinity. The Cardinals are the beneficiaries of the Texans not knowing what they had.
1 Davante Adams – 99
Going into last year, Davante Adams entered the game with a 94 rating, incredibly respectable. And yet he managed to make the list of the most improved wide receivers by clawing his way to a 99.
Aaron Rodgers had an MVP season, but Adams was less of a contributor and more of a source for that happening. In only fourteen games, Adams didn't need to play every game in order to lead the league with eighteen touchdown catches.
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