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WRU: Schools That Produce the Best Wide Receivers in the NFL

By Hunter Haas

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates a 51-yard touchdown with wide receiver Chris Olave (2) during the second quarter of the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Purdue 2
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates a 51-yard touchdown with wide receiver Chris Olave (2) during the second quarter of the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Purdue 2 /
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Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 05: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after a catch during the first half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 05, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. LSU Tigers

•Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

•Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals)

•Odell Beckham Jr. (Free Agent)

•Jarvis Landry (Saints)

•Terrace Marshall Jr. (Panthers)

•DJ Chark (Lions)

•Russell Gage (Buccaneers)

I’m sure you’ve figured this out already, but the top choice for WRU is the LSU Tigers. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase were teammates on the history-making 2019 Tigers team, led by eventual Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow. The Bengals opted to reunite Burrow and Chase together in Cincinnati, and the duo picked up right where they left off. Chase had the best rookie season of any wide receiver in decades (arguably ever). This helped propel the team from picking in the top five, to being a mere one possession away from hoisting the Lombardi trophy. Justin Jefferson ended up in Minnesota with a new quarterback altogether. Kirk Cousins not only brings out the best in Jefferson, but the same can be said about Jefferson with Cousins. In his two seasons with the Vikings, Jefferson has accumulated 196 catches, 3016 yards and 17 touchdowns. That is hard to fathom. As great as Chase was as a rookie, Jefferson was even better in year two. Both guys are in the discussion for top five at the position, with many believing Jefferson is closer to No. 1 than he is No. 5.

Those two alone could carry the group, but wait, there is more. Odell Beckham Jr. burst onto the scene with the New York Giants, highlighted by a catch against the Cowboys that I still have a hard time believing actually happened. Jarvis Landry spent four seasons in Miami to open his career, recording 110+ catches twice in that span. “Juice” ended up in Cleveland in 2018, with Odell being traded over the following offseason. The two played well with the Browns, but never quite to the level of expectations. Landry stuck around through the 2021 season before being released soon after it concluded. Odell, on the other hand, traded out cold Ohio weather for the pristine atmosphere in Los Angeles. With the Rams, Odell proved that he still had plenty left in the tank. He dominated the first three games of the playoffs, and had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown before blowing his knee up early in the Super Bowl. Beckham remains a free agent as of this post, but Landry already found himself a new team. He opted to sign with the New Orleans Saints, choosing to go back to his roots in Baton Rouge.

Russell Gage, DJ Chark, and Terrace Marshall Jr. are all strong No. 3 wide receivers in the NFL. This depth, along with the veteran presence of Odell/Landry, and the star power of Jefferson/Chase makes LSU — far and away — WRU of the NFL.

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