Ranking the top 25 wide receivers in NFL history…
24. Anquan Boldin
Drafted 54th overall in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003 out of Florida State, Boldin burst onto the scene as a physical force, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting a record with 217 receiving yards in his debut and totaling 101 catches for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns.
Over seven seasons with the Cardinals, he formed a dynamic duo with Larry Fitzgerald, earning three Pro Bowl selections (2003, 2006, 2008) and leading the league in receiving yards per game in 2005 (100.1) with 102 receptions for 1,402 yards and seven scores.
Boldin set NFL marks for fastest to 400 and 500 receptions and holds Cardinals records for receptions and yards per game averages. His 2008 postseason heroics included 145 yards in a divisional win, helping Arizona reach Super Bowl XLIII, where he had eight catches for 84 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh.
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Traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2010, Boldin’s career peaked with a Super Bowl XLVII victory in 2013, catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a 34-31 win over San Francisco. He posted 921 yards that season and was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2015 for philanthropy. Later stints with the 49ers (2013-2015) and Lions (2016) saw consistent production, including 1,179 yards in 2013, before a brief Buffalo Bills signing and retirement in 2017.
Boldin’s career totals stand at 1,076 receptions, 13,779 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns across 202 games, ranking him among the top 15 all-time in receptions and yards at retirement.
Boldin’s standout attributes were his exceptional strength, contested-catch ability and blocking prowess, making him a tough matchup despite modest speed.
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His playing style was that of a bruising, chain-moving receiver: physical after the catch and reliable in traffic. Boldin overcame injuries to deliver consistently.
But who ranks ahead of Boldin at No. 23 all-time?
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