Top 10 Colts WRs of All-Time

When looking at Colts wide receivers, it is impossible to not think of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. When looking at their receiving yards, they are not even close to the rest of the pack (5,000 yards ahead). Throughout the Colts’ history, there have been a few names that stand out, but they seem to drop off pretty fast. Three of the top ten in receiving yards are not even wide receivers (two tight ends and one halfback). Regardless of that, there have been some key players that have helped make a difference in building what the Colts franchise looks like today, dating back to the days in Baltimore. Here is a list of my top 10 wide receivers in Colts’ franchise history.

1. Marvin Harrison

There really is no debating who the clear-cut winner is here. Marvin Harrison holds the record for the most receiving yards in Colts’ history and will likely never be touched in that category ever again. For a while, he held the NFL single-season receptions record at 143. In his eight Pro Bowl selection seasons, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. He hauled in 15 touchdowns in both the 2001 and 2004 seasons. In both 1999 and 2002 seasons, he averaged over 100 yards per game while playing all 16 games. To top this all off, he finished his career with an insane 128 touchdowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. His career numbers really say it all, and I could go on and on about how crazy his career was, but he has clearly positioned himself to be the number one receiver for the Colts forever.

2. Reggie Wayne

Coming in at number two is Reggie Wayne who sits right behind Marvin Harrison in career receiving yards. Like Harrison, it is highly unlikely that any Colts receiver will come close to his numbers in the category again. At 14,345 receiving yards, he ranks 10th on the all-time leaderboard for receiving yards which, even though it is number two for the Colts, would be number one for many other franchises. His 82 touchdowns are nothing to look over either which also ranks second in Colts’ franchise history. If you want to talk about someone dedicated to the Colts’ organization, it is Reggie Wayne who holds the most career games on the Colts (211 which beat Peyton Manning by 3). The Colts’ Super Bowl championship during the Wayne and Harrison period helps show just how dominant these two were.

3. Raymond Berry

Having only watched the Colts during the 2000s, I do not have any first-hand knowledge of how dominant Raymond Berry was. He played as a split end from 1955-1967 and built a huge career for himself with the Colts. He ranks third on the Colts’ receiving yards leaderboard with 9,275 yards over his 13 season career. Keep in mind that the length of each season was only at 12 when he started his career. In 1960, he put up an insane 1,298-yard season over 12 games, averaging 108.2 yards per game. He was selected to 6 Pro Bowls and is a 3-time First-Team All-Pro. His 68 touchdowns also rank third on the Colts. He helped lead the Colts to two NFL championships (before the Super Bowl era). He will forever be rooted in the Baltimore Colts’ history as one of the best.

4. TY Hilton

TY Hilton has jolted past the bulk of the Colts’ receiving leaders in his eight seasons. His numbers will only continue to grow as he keeps playing. He sits in 4th place with no current receiver within touching distance of him. He will likely overtake Berry for the number three spot this upcoming season, barring any season shortages due to the pandemic which will most likely occur, but Hilton doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. He will be number three in no time. Outside of that, Hilton was selected to 4 Pro Bowls over his eight seasons, has reached 1,000 yards in five seasons, and has seen over 100 targets in six seasons. With even more ahead of him, I can see him making a case for surpassing Berry into number three for best Colts’ receiver of all-time.

5. Jimmy Orr

Another player before my time is Jimmy Orr (1958-1970). After spending his first three seasons in Pittsburgh, he started what would be the remainder of his career in Baltimore. He made the Pro Bowl once in Pittsburgh and once in Baltimore, but his truly outstanding statistic while in Baltimore was in 1968. In 13 games played, he posted 25.6 yards per reception (YPR). Throughout his career, his YPR was mesmerizingly high. Before coming to Baltimore he posted his career-high 27.6 YPR in his rookie season. He averaged about 53 yards per game for his career, so it was not just luck from deep balls. There is a reason why he is sixth on the all-time receiving yards leaderboard for the Colts. He retired the year before the Colts won the Super Bowl but helped lead them to an NFL championship in 1968.

6. Bill Brooks

I had never heard of Bill Brooks before this, but he was a dominant force for the Colts during his career. His rookie season numbers consisted of 65 receptions for 1,131 yards and 8 touchdowns. Not bad for a rookie season. While he never topped these numbers, he continued his success for the next five seasons, averaging a little over 800 yards per season. He set the table for right before Marvin Harrison came to Indianapolis. He currently sits at seventh on the all-time receiving yards list for the Colts with no real threat behind him. He never was selected to a Pro Bowl, so he can get overlooked in that aspect, but his numbers will leave his mark on the Colts’ franchise.

7. Roger Carr

Roger Carr came to Baltimore soon after they won their first Super Bowl as a rookie. His first two seasons were nothing flashy, but it was his junior season in 1976 where he broke out. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for his efforts in putting up 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns in a 14-game season. He posted his career-highs in both of those categories as well as yards per game at 79.4 and yards per reception at 25.9 which are all highly impressive numbers. Unfortunately, a knee injury held him back the following year and put a cover on his outstanding previous season. Four years after his monster season, he had a glimpse of return in which he totaled 924 yards, but at this point, the 16-game season was implemented which makes it not as impressive as his 1976 season by far. Nevertheless, Carr gave the spark Indianapolis needed to win a few division titles during his time.

8. Jim Mutscheller

Jim Mutscheller played for Baltimore in its very early stages from 1954-1961 and helped define what the franchise would become. Like with Carr, it was in his junior year of playing for the Colts that he saw the break he needed. He amassed 715 receiving yards which slotted him at fourth on the season’s leaderboard, five places higher than where Raymond Berry finished for that year. But this shows the impressiveness of the Colts’ receivers back then. The following season, he was selected to the Pro Bowl as he finished the 12-game season with 8 touchdowns and 558 yards. The fact that Raymond Berry absolutely destroyed defenders that year is the only damper on what would’ve been an even more fantastic year for him. It was so nice of him to share the wealth. His contribution helped lead the Colts to an NFL championship in 1968 alongside Jimmy Orr. Mutscheller’s dominance for eight seasons, all with the Colts, helped build the foundation that the Colts have further built off.

9. Glenn Doughty

Glenn Doughty sadly missed a Super Bowl ring by one year when he was drafted by the Colts in 1972. After settling into the offense in his rookie season, he gave seven solid seasons for the Colts through the 70s. He never gave any outstanding seasons but rather was a reliable target that gave consistent results. He sits at twelfth on the all-time receiving yards list for the Colts with 3,547 yards. His 666 yard 1975 season amounted to his career-high. Sometimes it does not take anything flashy to leave an impact. Doughty showed how consistency can pay off in the long-run which leaves him at #9 on this list.

10. Sean Dawkins

As you get farther down the list, it is hard to find receivers who made large contributions to the Colts’ franchise but Dawkins is the closest to fit the standard. He spent his first five seasons with the blue and white jersey in Indianapolis and put up some very good numbers. After his rookie season, he never dipped below 700 yards receiving in a season and ended his time in Indy with an 804-yard season in 1997 before going to the Saints. That season, he finished behind Marvin Harrison but helped pave the way for Harrison to explode in the coming seasons.