3. Michael Thomas– Three remain! When he first came into the league, he set the tone early for his team. His first three seasons, he recorded over 1,000 yards receiving. He’s been a number one receiver since being drafted. People are talking about him and rightfully so. The sixth player to make his debut on my list is finally here. Michael Thomas checks in as my third-best player in the NFL and my top ranked receiver entering the 2020 season.
This is the NFL’s version of Kawhi Leonard. I say that because just like the NBA star, he quietly goes about his business but always seems to find himself being mentioned with the other elite wide receivers (Hopkins & Julio). He’s not the fastest guy on the field. However, he positions himself perfectly to go get the football. Mike plays “bully ball”. He’s a physical receiver at the line of scrimmage that’s more than capable of handling physicality. It doesn’t matter where the ball is placed. Mike always finds a way to make the catch. I’ve seen Drew Brees throw it high and he’ll come down with it. When it comes to route running, Mike is very precise. He’s so efficient off his release and doesn’t waste time to get the ball.
In 2019, he put together a historic year. He caught 149 passes last season which is now an NFL record. He broke a record held by Hall of Fame wide receiver, Marvin Harrison. If you follow him on Twitter, his handle is “@cantguardmike”. The name fits because you really can’t defend him. You can only hope to contain him.
