You probably instantly thought of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, while also giving consideration to the likes of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Chad Ochocinco and maybe even Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson, although the latter duo remain in their primes. Then again, I don't know because I'm not you.
But how about Derrick Mason?
It's probably not a name that jumped out at first. And while it seems crazy, if you dig deep, the 37-year-old and newest New York Jet very much deserves to be in the discussion.
He's not the most talented or athletic player at the position by any means. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds with little to no flair in his game, Mason defies all logic when it comes to the makeup of a typical superstar wide receiver.
Yet, for 14 seasons, he's quietly been one of the most productive and consistent wideouts the NFL has had to offer. And only now, on the big stage in the Big Apple, will most casual fans begin to realize just how good he's been.
Mason likely won't put up big numbers with the Jets. Not only has he lost a step or two after 218 hard-fought games, but he'll be competing within a wide receiving corps that features Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress on a run-first, defensive-minded team.
Even if head coach Rex Ryan opens up the offense and lets quarterback Mark Sanchez sling it this season, as he's indicated, both verbally and through the team's decision-making, Mason will likely be a quiet contributor.
But then again, that's been the case for 14 years, so why should things change now?
Mason has only been elected to two Pro Bowls in his 14-year career, a testament to how underrated he truly is.
He isn't a guy you're likely going to see making highlight-reel grabs or going up for jump balls in the back of the end zone on a regular basis. But he hasn't needed to do those things. Instead, he's perfected the art of what he really is — a possession receiver.
But Mason isn't just a possession receiver. He's a damn good one.
Throughout his eight seasons in Tennessee and six seasons in Baltimore, he's been a primary target on two teams that have relied heavily on the run over the years.
While the late Steve McNair may have earned the nickname "Air McNair," the most passing yards he compiled in any one season was 3,387 (2002). And until recently — when Joe Flacco was drafted in 2008 — the Ravens quarterback situation had been in limbo.
But Mason has quietly — silently, in fact — racked up 11,891 receiving yards — the 19th most in NFL history. He's eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark eight times, and recorded at least 750 receiving yards in three of the six seasons in which he didn't eclipse the mark.
But that in and of itself likely isn't enough to land him in Canton, although it at least warrants a glance or two.
Of the 18 players currently ahead of Mason on the receiving yards list, six are Hall of Famers (Michael Irvin, Charlie Joiner, Art Monk, Steve Largent, James Lofton and Jerry Rice). Among the 12 other non-Hall of Famers, tight end Tony Gonzalez is a lock, which should also be the case for Owens, Moss and Marvin Harrison once they're eligible. This would mean that only eight of the players ahead of him on the list wouldn't be Hall of Famers, a number that could dwindle further if Mason puts together another productive season or two.
Meanwhile, Mason is 12th on the all-time NFL receptions list with 924, a number that should also rise until he's firmly within the top 10.
But Mason's career success hasn't been based solely on his receiving production, although that's been a huge portion of it. Early in his career, he was also used as a return man by the Titans, even recording a league-high 2,690 all-purpose yards in 2000.
When it comes to all-purpose yards, he is 14th in NFL history, with only two wide receivers ahead of him (Jerry Rice and Tim Brown). And again, this is a list that Mason could climb up a bit more before all is said and done, especially considering teammate LaDainian Tomlinson is the only active player ahead of him.
With such a prominent role within an offense (and special teams early on), you would think that Mason has battled through an injury or two over the course of his career. But that hasn't been the case, as he's played in all 16 games in 11 of his 14 seasons. During the three in which he hasn't, he played in 13, 15 and 14 in 1999, 2001 and 2002, respectively. Simply put, he's durable.
But still, Mason falls somewhere on that fine line that separates the Hall of Fame and the commonly referred to, yet intangible "Hall of Very Good."
I could sit here all day and regurgitate as many stats as possible, but the fact remains that Mason has never really been regarded as that top-flight, dominant receiver, which will undoubtedly hurt him in the minds of Hall of Fame voters — Cris Carter and Tim Brown can attest to that.
But there's one thing that Mason can do in order to catapult himself into deeper Hall of Fame consideration — win a Super Bowl.
Carter and Brown have yet to receive any love from the Hall of Fame voters, and it's due in large part to their lack of a ring. And while Moss and Owens seem like surefire Hall of Famers, neither has had the opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Mason tasted Super Bowl glory with the Titans in 2001, but quickly had that taste slapped out of his mouth as he and the Titans came up literally inches short.
The Jets will, of course, receive stiff competition from the Patriots and are by no means a lock for anything. But it's difficult to dispute that they've assembled a solid roster capable of going deep into the playoffs. Mason thinks so, at least, which is the reason he jumped aboard the Rex Ryan bandwagon.
If Mason is able to win a ring with the Jets, it'll be a footnote for a team with countless other storylines surrounding it already — most notably the fact that the team hasn't won a Super Bowl since Broadway Joe was in town. But I'm sure that's quite alright with Mason, as it would serve as a microcosm of the receiver's entire career.
And although Mason, at 37 years old, might not be the centerpiece of any potential championship runs from here on out, the glare of a Super Bowl ring might be too bright for Hall of Fame voters to not take notice.
