Now, it's not so simple.
Last season, the answer was probably that Andre Johnson was the best. He put up league-leading statistics — something that shouldn't have been particularly surprising given his consistently impressive numbers up to that point. This season, Roddy White looks to be doing almost the exact same thing — having a career year after a half-decade of Pro Bowl level play.
Johnson and White, however, are two very different players. Johnson is a physically imposing speedster, whereas White does what he does with grit, route running, intelligence and some speed — much like Rice.
Neither, however are as physically dominant as Calvin Johnson, the league's most imposing receiver. If Johnson were on a better team, he would likely lead the league in every receiving category, but even in Detroit, he puts up big numbers. He already has eight touchdowns this season — nine if you count the game-winner against Chicago that was disallowed.
Even more imposing than Johnson was Moss in his prime, but that may be a few years removed from the present. Still, he has incredible over-the-top speed, and is as great of a deep threat as anybody — when he's playing hard.
Others such as Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall and Miles Austin probably deserve some consideration as well.
