Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is currently having the best season of his three-year career. Through 13 weeks this season, Hopkins is ranked third in the league in touchdown catches (10), third in receiving yards (1,169) and fourth in receptions (86).
Hopkins has been so good this year that he now considers himself the top receiver in the NFL.
"I think I'm the best wide receiver in the NFL," Hopkins told ESPN the Magazine recently. "I work hard. I've wanted to put myself in that position to be the best wide receiver in the NFL, and I definitely think I'm putting my foot forward to make that claim."
The Texans receiver credits his sticky hands for making him so good.
"I think I have the best hands in the NFL," Hopkins said. "Not because I'm full of myself, but I think if you look at drops over the past three years, I'd say I'm at the top of that list. When people say I have the best hands, that means you're the most consistent person at catching the football in the NFL. Most footballs that come your way, you're going to come down with the completion. That's exactly what that means."
The wide receiver's claim about having the best hands isn't exactly crazy. Since 2012, Hopkins has only dropped three percent of the catchable passes thrown his way, which is the lowest mark in the NFL, according to ESPN.
When you think of the NFL's top receivers, you usually think of guys like Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham or Calvin Johnson. Hopkins definitely deserves to be in the conversation, especially because he's a distinct advantage thanks to his quarterback situation.
While the other guys have a pro Bowl quarterback throwing them passes, Hopkins has been stuck with Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Matt Schaub and Case Keenum throwing him passes since his rookie year in 2013.
If Hopkins had an All-Pro quarterback throwing him passes, it's almost scary to imagine what kind of numbers he could put up.
