New England Patriots: Tom Brady’s top 5 receivers of all time…so far

Tarringo Basile-vaughan

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady

GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Julian Edelman

Tom Brady has developed chemistry with an array of wide receivers over his long career with the New England Patriots. Who are the top 5?

The best receiver has always been the open receiver for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t forced the ball at times to wide receivers he depends on, but those who have earned his trust have done so by being in the positions he needs them to be.

A former 199^th pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has earned the reputation of turning average or unknown receivers into productive playmakers. From Michael Timpson to Chris Hogan, the 39-year-old quarterback has found ways to develop chemistry with players willing to do what it takes to help the team.

But, not every receiver has prospered in the Patriots offense. Former greats like Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Joey Galloway couldn’t find their way in New England.

So, what does it take for a wide receiver to gain trust from Tom Brady? How have receivers like Jabar Gaffney and David Givens found success in a system that Colts great Reggie Wayne found difficulty adapting to?

There may not be just one answer, but players who flourish catching the ball from Brady have one thing in common: toughness. They all also had skill sets Brady and strengths the Patriots quarterback utilized within his play calling.

Throwing for over 61,500 yards in his career, the man known as the G.O.A.T has had many dependable targets. While not all have been from the wide receiver position, this is a list of the top 5 receivers to have ever played with Tom Brady.

This list can certainly change, especially with a weapon like Brandin Cooks now in the mix.

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No.5 – Troy Brown

In many ways, Troy Brown put the New England Patriots usage of the slot receiver on the map. He also paved the way for players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.

One also has to wonder, if there was no Troy Brown, would Tom Brady have been as successful in 2000 as he was?

Brown was at the tail end of his career when Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe, but he did catch the ball from No. 12 for five seasons.

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In fact, No. 80 was one of Brady’s top targets during his early stages and rightfully so. Brown’s reliability and ability to make big plays at crucial times extended well into the Brady era in New England.

Mr. Production

His 557 regular season receptions, 6,366 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns well established Troy Brown as one of the most productive receivers in New England Patriots history.

Taking into account that 15 of those touchdowns came from Brady, and one could only wonder what type of numbers the two would’ve put up if Brown was at a younger stage of his career when Brady became quarterback. This is the sole reason he wasn’t ranked higher on this list.

As Tom Brady’s original go-to guy, Brown has named the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback as his greatest Patriots teammates.

"“[Tom Bray’s] just a warrior, man,” Brown said in a 2015 interview with WBUR’s Bob Oakes. “He refuses to fail. He’s a guy that’s so competitive, that he’s not going to lose. Even in defeat, he’s not going to lose.”"

Overall, Troy Brown has helped Brady win some very important games. One of his biggest receptions came in the final drive of that thrilling Super Bowl XXVI victory over the then St. Louis Rams.

No.4 – Deion Branch

Unlike Troy Brown, Deion Branch started off his career with Tom Brady at quarterback. In fact, one has to wonder how great this duo would’ve been if Branch played in New England during the prime of his career.

Like Brown, Branch was an undersized receiver who played big catching the ball from Brady. While not exactly a deep threat receiver, Branch was able to stretch the field had had his biggest games during the team’s biggest moments.

One of those big moments include a historic performance in the team’s 24-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. He caught 11 receptions for 133 yards and earned the MVP award.

If it wasn’t for Branch’s outstanding performance, the Patriots may not have won that Super Bowl and Brady would’ve definitely took home the award.

During Branch’s 11-year career (twice with the Patriots), he caught 518 receptions for 6,644 yards and 39 touchdowns, 24 of those TDs from Brady.

The perfect receiver

If there is a theme with this list, it is how undersized receivers have been utilized by Tom Brady. Branch was a prime definition of one of those players. So much so that the team did bring him back towards the latter part of his career. It was his route running and quickness that made him a valuable contributor in the Patriots’ offense.

When Branch returned to the team in 2010, he spoke about the chemistry he had with Brady, a chemistry that was still intact even after being a part of a few years.

"“We’re always going to have this bond,” Branch said back in 2012, via The Sporting News. “The friendship we have off the football field, the way we communicate off the football field, is what’s most important, overall, from all the years we’ve been playing together.”"

No. 3 – Wes Welker

It’s a shame that one of the last memories of Wes Welker in a New England Patriots uniform was him dropping a pass in Super Bowl XLVI.

Whether it was a bad pass by Tom Brady or just Welker taking his eyes off the ball a split second, drops weren’t a part of this dynamic connection.

An undrafted player out of Texas Tech, Welker saw his NFL career take off once he was traded to the Patriots. He was another undersized receiver who relied on quickness, instead of speed, to find the open spot of the football field.

The little engine that could

As part of that historic 2007 offense, Welker was the engine that made the train go. He was Brady’s go-to man and the ultimate Patriots player. For that reason, his decision to sign with the AFC rival Denver Broncos late in his career left fans feeling a little bit sour.

In his career, Welker caught 900 passes for 9,905 yards and 50 touchdowns. With 34 of those TD catches coming from his good friend Tom Brady, Welker is a player who played a major role in No. 12’s Hall-of-Fame career.

As far as playing with Brady, Welker summed up his experience in a 2016 interview Brooke Cersosimo of NFL.com:

"“Everything I learned, the knowledge. We would sit there in the offseason and go over every single route. This is how we wanted it against this coverage or that coverage, so we’d sit there and go over it all. Every time we stepped on the field or I was going to run a route, he knew the coverage, I knew the coverage and he knew exactly where I was going to run it and where I was going to be. It was a perfect set-up.”"

No. 2 – Randy Moss

The obvious No. 1 receiver on this list should be the athletic freak known as Randy Moss. This dude was absolutely amazing in a New England Patriots jersey, but the reason why I don’t have him at No. 1 is he only played three seasons with Tom Brady and he really didn’t fit Brady’s strength.

I know that sounds ridiculous since the two tore up the NFL. During that 2007 season, the two connected for 23 touchdowns, including many deep bomb connections.

A different style

Anyone who has watched Brady over the years know he is not really a deep ball passer. But, the athleticism and height of a player like Moss makes him an easy target.

What a deep threat like Moss did prove is that when Brady has that kind of weapon, he is even more lethal. The 50 TD performance during that 2007 season proves it. At the end, Moss could not get the team over the hump in the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

In my opinion, the team went away from the short passing game that made Tom Brady so successful. That is my main reason for not ranking Moss No. 1 here.

His 982 receptions, 15,292 receiving yards and 156 touchdowns will get him into the Hall of Fame. While 34 of those touchdowns came from Brady, we are left to wonder how much great those numbers would’ve been if they played more than three seasons together (just a half of a game in 2008).

In an interview with Patriots.com in 2016, Randy Moss gushed about his time playing with the G.O.A.T.:

"“I did some great things here (in New England). There’s a lot of memories I left here on this field, man. And I still keep in contact with the guys, Mr. Kraft. One thing about the fans of the Patriots is they love their guys. Now I’m a fan, so I’m able to understand a bit where they’re coming from.”"

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 07: Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots celebrates during the Super Bowl victory parade on February 7, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime in Super Bowl 51. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

No.1 – Julian Edelman

Julian Edelman is no Randy Moss, but No. 11 has a heart bigger than anyone on this list. The fact that this guy was a quarterback in college and transcended into one of the top receivers in the NFL puts him at No. 1 on this list.

Up until a couple of seasons ago, Edelman would’ve maybe would’ve came in at No. 3 only behind Wes Welker and Moss, but his connection with Brady has surpassed Welker.