#5. Antonio Brown– Numbers ten through six are finally in the books and the top five can begin. We had a first in the history of The Daily Blitz as the first five guys revealed all made their debuts on our annual best in the business project and there’s one more guy who is slated to make his debut soon. When you talk about the position of wide receiver, you can’t discuss it without bringing this guy up. Last year, he made his debut on our list and this year, he kicks off the top five and he’s one of the four guys from last season’s list to be revealed first. Antonio Brown checks in as my fifth best player and my second ranked wide receiver entering the 2017 season. What is it that makes this guy so special you ask? Well first, you can throw it anywhere around him and no matter who the defender is and even if the corner is draped on him, he finds a way to catch the football. As a quarterback, you must have the utmost confidence and trust in the guys that you throw the football too and it’s very obvious that Ben Roethlisberger has a lot of trust and confidence in him. He can make those catches over the middle of the field, in the red zone, shows the ability to stretch the field vertically and he can make the catch near the sidelines and no receiver has better feet to balance himself and stay in bounds than Antonio Brown. He’s extremely dynamic and he makes moves that I’ve never seen. He’s a smaller guy at 5’10 and has the tremendous footwork to complement his skillset. He’s always moving and finding ways to get open and that can help you greatly especially when you’re the teammate of a quarterback who has been known to extend the play. When I think of his explosiveness, I often think back to the Steelers playoff game against the Miami Dolphins in January. Ben threw him the ball on a screen pass, he got a few blocks, was patient enough to allow the hole to open and he gets his space and he’s in the end zone for six points. He always wants the football and wants to make a big play once it’s in his hands. He’s very reliable and has great hands. Since 2013, he’s caught 481 passes, the most receptions in NFL history over a four-year span. He seems to be even better when the game is on the line. Christmas Day is a perfect example of that. The Steelers were facing the Ravens and Ben gets them in the red zone. He throws it to Antonio and he makes the catch, reaches over the pylon and the Steelers win the game and the AFC North division title. If I’m a general manager and I need a receiver, Antonio Brown is one of the five or six guys who’d be at the top of my list to sign to a contract.
