DeAndre Hopkins has arrived, and now we know why the Texans jettisoned Andre Johnson.
Hopkins is currently having the best season of his three-year career — ranking third in the league in touchdown catches (10), third in receiving yards (1,169) and fourth in receptions (86) through week 13.
Hopkins 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.”
“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.”
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 — but has he really skyrocketed past superstars like Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham or Calvin Johnson?