5 Best Wide Receivers in Patriots History

The No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 draft, Fryar took little time making a mark in the league, earning second-team All-Pro status in just his second year. And while his highest numbers came outside of New England - and his off-field troubles remain even today, what he accomplished on the field, especially in a down era, puts him on the list.

Fryar ranks fifth in Patriots history in yards receiving and receptions, achieving marks of 5,726 and 623 despite catching passes from Steve Grogan, Tony Eason, and Hugh Millen for the majority of his career.

Had New England had average-or-better quarterback play, Fryar’s numbers would have been even larger and the Patriots’ success in the '80s would have been greater.

4. Julian Edelman (2009-2020)

The proverbial lightning to Rob Gronkowski’s thunder at tight end, the Patriots duo served as Tom Brady’s go-to guys during the team’s three-Super Bowl run from 2014 to 2018. And although Edelman never made a single Pro Bowl over his 11-year career, his mark is indelible.

He played with the Patriots from 2009 to 2020, although injuries limited him to a full 16-game season in just three of those and a torn ACL completely sapped his 2017. Still, Edelman managed to catch 620 passes, good for second in franchise history for 6,822 yards, which ranks him fourth on the team’s all-time list.

Had he remained healthy throughout a bulk of those 11 years, we might be talking about a potential No. 1 on this list. As it is, No. 4 is nothing to sneeze at.

3. Randy Moss (2007-2010)

From a cumulative standpoint, Moss shouldn’t be here. He ranks 15th in franchise history in catches and 12th in yards. But his 50 touchdowns in 45 games? Absurd enough to get him the No. 3 spot.

Moss’ 2008 season remains one of the most impressive in NFL history. His 98 receptions were only second on the team (to the No. 2 player on this list), but his 1,493 yards ranked second in the entire league and his 23 touchdowns set an NFL record. Only one other player ever has more than 19 touchdowns in a single season.

He’d go on to play just over two more years with the Patriots, still showcasing even when he left early in the 2010 season. He wasn’t the same after, though, and New England will always be remembered as the place where the all-timer made his last great hurrah.

2. Wes Welker (2007-2012)

Tom Brady’s favorite target as the 2000s shifted into the 2010s, Welker is the Patriots' leader in receptions despite playing in 44 fewer games than Edelman and 87 fewer than the No. 1 player on this list. Unfortunately for Welker, this era also coincided as the in-between era of the Patriots’ Super Bowl runs.

That doesn’t take away from his greatness. Welker caught 672 balls in his six-year tenure in New England, eclipsing the single-season century mark five times and leading the entire NFL in single-season receptions in three of those six seasons.

It’s not as though he was a pure possession guy, either. His yardage totals went for more than 1,100 in five of those six seasons, too, as he earned five Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro selections, and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2007.

1. Stanley Morgan (1977-1989)

There was never any doubt as to who would capture the No. 1 spot as the best Patriots wideout in history. Morgan served as New England’s top receiver for more than a decade in the first great Patriots run from the late 1970s to the mid-80s.

Unlike three of the four players listed above him here, Morgan was a raw deep threat. He’s played more games at wide receiver in Patriots history than any other, but isn’t the franchise’s career receptions leader. He ranks fourth there. Instead, he leads in yards. By a lot. Morgan’s 10,352 yards are almost 3,000 more than Welker, who ranks second among wideouts.

In his career, Morgan made four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams, achieved three 1,000-yard seasons, and led the NFL in yards per catch three straight times from 1979 to 1981.