We’re ending the breakdown of the top players at each position in a fictional NFL Street re-make with wide receivers. No player today would get the attributes Randy Moss received back in 2004 (full speed, 99% agility, and 99% catching), but these would be the best receivers to use if the game was created today.
12. Sammy Watkins
T.Y. Hilton and Brandin Cooks were among the other speedsters that could’ve made the top-12, but NFL Street ratings are very basic. Sammy Watkins would likely have similar speed, agility, and catching to Hilton and Cooks, but his run power and defensive ratings (important for the game with guys playing both sides of the ball) would be better as a bigger player.
11. Mike Evans
Speaking of bigger players, not many NFLers were built like Mike Evans back in the original NFL Street. Evans has had some issues with drops throughout his career, so his catching would probably be lower than most guys on the list, but he has stellar speed for someone at his size. Agility would be significantly lower than most other top receivers too, but at six-foot-five, Evans could be a factor at defensive end on the other side of the ball.
10. Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas would have among the highest catch ratings in the game, while he’d also have solid marks in the other important categories. With his long body type, Thomas would likely get a decent coverage attribute, making him at fit at defensive back on defense.
9. Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen was not happy about his Madden 20 ratings, but he’d fare better in a re-make of NFL Street. The Pro Bowl receiver would be among the highest in speed, agility, and catching—the three most important factors for a wide receiver in the game—at his position, which would also make him an asset on defense. Allen would be better in a realistic simulation football game, and unfortunately Madden doesn’t deliver that, nor did NFL Street.
8. Davante Adams
There’s no jumping rating in NFL Street because everyone can basically jump high with the over-the-top gameplay, which knocks Davante Adams down a bit for this exercise. However, Green Bay’s No. 1 target is still one of the best receivers in football, so that would translate to the virtual field.
7. A.J. Green
Injuries have been a factor for A.J. Green in the past few years, but he’s still one of the league’s top receivers, and his natural ability would give him among the highest speed, agility, and catching ratings. Those three ratings would be deep into the green zone, which would make him one of the preferred options in an All-NFL Pickup game.
6. JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster wouldn’t be quite as high as Green and some others in speed, agility, and catching, but his run power would likely be a premium attribute among receivers. The third-year Steeler is one of the premier big-play threats in the NFL, and chunk gains in NFL Street are critical.
5. DeAndre Hopkins
There’s no spectacular catch rating in NFL Street, and overall, DeAndre Hopkins would be another guy that’s better suited for a realistic football game. But “Nuk” would likely be compensated with higher ratings than he should get for things like speed, as NFL Street doesn’t have route running.
4. Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill might actually rival Randy Moss in the speed and agility attributes for NFL Street, but his catching likely wouldn’t be one box away from being full like Moss’ was. Also, Hill doesn’t have the size of Moss, hurting him in jump-ball situations. Still, the track-speed receiver would be one of the most unstoppable players in an NFL Street re-make.
3. Odell Beckham Jr.
Style points (helping you build the “Gamebreaker” meter) are important in NFL Street, and Odell Beckham Jr. is among the flashiest players in football, so he’d be great to use on style moves in the game. Additionally, OBJ gets a bonus for his all-around ability as an athlete, and he should probably get his passing to at least half way—aside from trick plays, you might even be able to put him at quarterback if there was a current version of NFL Street.
2. Antonio Brown
His speed isn’t quite on Tyreek Hill’s level, but Antonio Brown is another player that would be rated similar to Randy Moss back in the original game. AB would likely get speed that has just one or two empty boxes, full or one-box-from-full agility, and full catching. He also has style of his own and could help fill up the Gamebreaker meter.
1. Julio Jones
Remember, NFL Street is a 7-on-7 setting where players must be utilized on both sides of the field. This makes Julio Jones the clear top receiver in a fictional re-make of NFL Street. The Falcon great might have the best run power of any receiver, and he’d be near the top at speed, agility, and catching. Also, Jones has played back at safety before on Hail Mary plays, and he’s laid ball-carriers out after interceptions, so he’d likely get high attributes for tackling and coverage. Jones would be one of those NFL Street players that has their ratings pop off the screen when you scroll to them while selecting your team.
This is awesome.
Amari Cooper?