The wide receiver position in the NFL is one that has been growing quite a bit over the course of the last few years, as there are some legitimate stars that are really shining in this next generation. Here at Bankroll Sports, as a part of our countdown to the 2012 NFL season, we are taking a look at the Top 10 Wide Receivers in Football.

1: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions: Simply put, the Megatron is awesome. He led the league in receiving with 1,681 yards, and he found the end zone 16 times, tops amongst wide receivers. This is a talented specimen of a receiver that can burn you down the sidelines just as easily as he can go into traffic and catch a ball in a crowd or out-jump a DB in the end zone. Simply put Johnson is the best, and he is really the reason that Detroit has one of the most dynamic offenses in the league.

2: Andre Johnson, Houston Texans: The other Johnson really could stake a claim to being the best receiver in the league, but there definitely is a concern about injuries. AJ spent not just one, but two different stints out of the lineup last year with hamstring problems, and his groin has been acting up in the preseason. That being said, when Johnson is out there, there isn’t anything that he can’t do either. He put the nail in the coffin for the first playoff game in Texans history with his long touchdown catch against the Bengals in the playoffs, arguably the biggest play at this point in Houston’s brief history.

3: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: A future Hall of Famer, Fitzgerald has had a great career with the Cardinals. Last year was just another ho hum year for the former Pitt Panther, as he had 80 receptions, 1,411 yards, and eight TDs on a team that had nothing in the way of quarterback play. Fitzgerald was able to make both QB Kevin Kolb and QB John Skelton look good, and that’s hard to do. Can you imagine what he would be able to do if his team actually had a quarterback to count on that could get the ball down the field?

4: AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals: This is going to be probably the most controversial selection for our Top 10 wide receivers in the NFL this year. Green had a great rookie campaign, catching 65 passes for 1,057 yards with seven TDs, and we think that he is in for even more progress this year. This is a receiver that has huge hands, something that is tremendously important in a West Coast offense. Yards after the catch are something that Green prides himself on, and he is big enough and strong enough to get those yards. Don’t be shocked if he is in for a 1,400-yard season in 2012.

5: Wes Welker, New England Patriots: Welker just keeps on producing at the wide receiver position, and he is the most fearless receiver in the league. A slot man by nature, Welker does a lot of the dirty work for a New England offense that doesn’t run the ball all that much. Four and five yard passes to Welker are the equivalent of the running game for the Pats, and that has been the case for years. Now all of a sudden, Welker has 650 career receptions for 7,226 yards, and he might one day be considered for the Hall of Fame.

6: Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers: It looked like Smith’s career was basically over a couple of years ago when he and the Panthers were at odds over the fact that the team just didn’t have a quarterback. However, things are better now that QB Cam Newton is playing on Tobacco Road, and Smith is a happy camper again. He had 1,394 yards in what amounted to be one of the better years of his career, and the lifelong Panther is now in the elite 10,000-yard club after his last campaign.

7: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons: Sure, there is a lot of clamoring for sure that Julio Jones is the best receiver on the Falcons, but we just don’t see it yet. Yes, Jones stretches the field a lot further than White does, but if you want a receiver to run the proper route for you and make the solid catch, White is your guy. The UAB product has put together five straight seasons with at least 1,100 yards and at least 80 receptions, and there are few in the league that can say that. He’ll be a force once again in the Atlanta offense, which is turning into quite the aerial assault as the years go on.

8: Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints: There aren’t many receivers that have made more out of less than Colston has in his career. The Hofstra product never figured to catch on as a receiver in this league, yet he has figured out how to become a stalwart with his play in the slot. Colston isn’t quite a Wes Welker type, knowing that he often does his work up the seam and not in the short passing plays, but he is the man that QB Drew Brees turns to first in one of the most talented offenses in the league. Colston is surely one of the best 10 receivers that the NFL has to offer.

9: DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles: Jackson had an awful year in 2011, catching just 58 passes, but he also had 961 yards and four scores as well. D-Jax is one of the fastest receivers in the league, and he routinely figures out how to get behind defensive backs for huge plays. There will be plenty of games where Jackson has just a few looks at the football, but when QB Michael Vick uncorks one down the field, you can bet that more often than not, Jackson is going to catch up to it. If he ever figures out how to catch 100 passes in a season, he might be good for over 2,000 yards and 20 scores.

10: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs: The yelling is going to come from Victor Cruz, Mike Wallace, Brandon Marshall, Hakeem Nicks, and perhaps Vincent Jackson that they should be on this list, but Bowe is the significantly better receiver in our eyes. This is a man that is a huge target by the end zone, and that is undeniable. The quarterbacks in Kansas City have been downright bad over the course of the last several years, but Bowe just keeps putting up his numbers and his scores. He’ll reach 5,000 yards in his career right off the bat in 2012, and that’s huge for a man that has only been in the league for five years.

The month of April is here and that means one thing for big football fans and that is NFL Draft Time. The one part of the off-season that really can make or break team’s chances to succeed next season. While many may be aware of the biggest names entering the NFL Draft, we will break down one of the most exciting positions on the field at wide receiver. Take a look as we rank the top ten wide outs in the 2009 class and their chances to make an impact on Sundays. This year’s receiving class is very talented and loaded with speed. The 2008 WR core was the only in nearly 20 years to not have at least one receiver drafted in the first round. However, the chances of that happening again this year are absolutely none as up to around 4-5 college standouts have the opportunity to be selected in the first round. Take a look at the biggest names on the board at the wide receiver position.

1. Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech)
Crabtree exploded onto the college football scene last year with help of the Red Raiders early season success. The sensational sophomore really became a household name when he caught the game winning touchdown over Texas in the final two seconds of the ball game while tight roping the sidelines. However, Crabtree had long established his playmaking ability before the season defying play. The sophomore racked up over 3,000 yards in just two seasons at Texas Tech with a combination of strength, speed and size that makes him extremely difficult to defend. Crabtree has been hampered by injuries all during the NFL workout sessions, but is widely declared as the best receiver in the draft and will likely be gone if the first 4 selections.

2. Jeremy Maclin (Missouri)
Maclin will likely be the number two receiver to go in the 2009 class. The red-shirt sophomore out of Missouri terrorized the Big 12 this season in many different ways. Maclin set an NCAA record as a freshman posting over 2700 all-purpose yards. Maclin has great mobility, but only stands at 6’0 even. However, he could be a great fit to make an immediate impact for teams as a lookdown receiver and possibly be a potential returner on special teams as well. Look for the star receiver out of Missouri to go around the number 10 overall selection range.

3. Kenny Britt (Rutgers)
Britt may be the underdog in consideration of popularity, but he has been very impressive in the months leading up to the NFL draft through the workout sessions. Britt may be the best receiver in terms of long-term tenure to the NFL. The Rutgers standout has a considerable size advantage over the other top choices in the draft. Britt also contains very strong acceleration and catching ability which could make him a big play threat.

4. Darious Heyward-Bey (Maryland)
Heyward-Bey may be the most unpolished receiver in the draft with so much potential in store. The sophomore out of Maryland only caught a little over 600 yards last season for the Terrapins, but that was from an offense who struggled in the passing department. Heyward-Bey may have some issues with actually catching the ball, but his speed will be the big eye opener. The potential superstar posted one of the fastest NFL combine times at a 4.3 flat in his very first attempt, and if he can work on the route running along with other areas then he can definitely become a big time player.

5. Percy Harvin (Florida)
If you kept up with the Florida Gators National Championship season, then you can make a legitimate argument that Percy Harvin was possibly the biggest asset to the Gators offense and not the more popular Tim Tebow. Harvin was used in many different type scenarios and even lined up in the back field for some plays meaning his versatility is superior most others receivers. Game-breaking speed and play making ability jump right out, but his durability and size could hold him back a few spots despite his play at the college level.

6. Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina)
Hakeem Nicks led the ACC in total yards this season with over 1,200 receiving yards while adding 12 touchdowns. Nicks will be the first Tarheel selected in the NFL draft with other star wide out Brandon Tate likely to coming shortly after. Nicks ability to turn plays from nothing into something were a highlight of his college career. After a breakout junior season campaign, Nicks could possibly go as high as the late first round but will probably end up as a 2nd round selection.

7. Brandon Tate (North Carolina)
North Carolina will put their 2nd receiver in the draft with standout Brandon Tate given the slight chance Tate is selected ahead of Nicks. The downside to Brandon Tate is he suffered a season ending injury that needed surgery to repair an ACL and MCL. The electrifying wide receiver may have been a top 5 pick among wide outs in the draft if not for that injury, and the question everyone has is how will the injury affect him in the future?

8. Derrick Williams (Penn State)
Williams may well be the only receiver on the board drafted solely for being a returner on special teams. The former Nittany Lions return specialist averaged 18.5 yards in his career in Happy Valley on kick returns. Williams posted some disappointing 40 times in the NFL workouts and will likely not be used in the primary receiver role. However, his return skills may be enough for a team to gamble on in hopes to improve special teams play.

9. Brian Robiskie (Ohio State)
Brian Robiskie is one of those receivers in the draft that you just may not be able to measure the amount of potential. Robiskie was apart of the heavily run favored offense from the Buckeyes and there may be some talent just waiting to explode. The Ohio State senior has solid size, but the questionable aspect may be his speed. After some slower than average times at the combines, Robiskie could fall downwards.

10. Louis Murphy (Florida)
Louis Murphy was one of the lost names among the National Title roster that just may have been in the shadow of Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow. However, Murphy was a solid threat for the Gators passing attack and has the potential to become an NFL starter as well. Great size and speed give him lots of room to develop. Anybody not needing any direct impact on the field this year, may target Murphy as he appears to have a tremendous room to grow in the years to come.