Madden 19: Fastest wide receivers (WR)

If there is one thing in sport that can defeat a prepared opponent it's raw athleticism. The New England Patriots came into the 2017 season as defending champions and were blown off their home field by the sheer speed of the Kansas City Chiefs offense.

That can happen in Madden 19 as well. You can have the right play called at the right time, but if your opponent simply has faster players than you, it will be incredibly tough to win.

How to choose the fastest wide receivers in Madden 19's Franchise Mode

The speed stat is obviously very important here. But there is a lot more for wide receivers (WR) than just top speed. They need to be quick, accelerate well, and they need to be able to change direction. So as well as speed, make sure you are considering the acceleration and agility stats too. Here are all the wide receivers in Madden 19 with a speed stat over 94.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs (OVR 88)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 2 years/$1.32m

2018 Cap Hit: $610k

Stats: Speed (98), Acceleration (97), Agility (98)

Tyreek Hill has been terrorizing defenses ever since he came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick in 2016. In his rookie season Hill caught 61 passes and carried the ball 24 times, he picked up 860 yards from scrimmage and averaged 13.3 yards per touch, as well as scoring nine offensive touchdowns. His speed really showed in special teams, where he scored three touchdowns (two kick return, one punt return). In 2017 Hill became a more deadly part of the offense. Catching 75 passes at 15.8 yards per reception and scoring seven times while adding one return touchdown.

He is the fastest player in Madden 19 for good reason and if paired with a strong-armed quarterback, he can be deadly.

John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals (OVR 76)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 3 years/$13.03m

2018 Cap Hit: $4.15m

Stats: Speed (97), Acceleration (95), Agility (93)

John Ross played just three games in 2017, his rookie year, due to injury and touched the ball just once, which he fumbled. However, his speed has a long history. Ross was a menace during his college days in Washington, averaging 14.4 yards per touch over his four years and scoring 24 touchdowns. During his combine Ross floored scouts by breaking the record for the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.22 seconds. He added an incredible 11'1" broad jump and a 37 inch vertical jump. If you put some time into developing Ross' technical side, then you could create a dominant force.

Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins (OVR 73)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 2 years/$1.26m

2018 Cap Hit: $600k

Stats: Speed (96), Acceleration (95), Agility (91)

A sixth-round pick in 2016, Jakeem Grant hasn't done a lot in the NFL so far. He has just 23 targets and 13 catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He's been a return specialist for the most part with the Dolphins, averaging 23 yards per kick return and 7.9 yards per punt return, with one touchdown, so far. 

Grant played his college ball at Texas Tech, where he registered 90 catches and 1,268 yards in his senior year. He followed that up by running a 4.34 40-yard dash at his pro day to prove his pace. Like Ross, Grant isn't a strong wide receiver yet, but with some patience you can turn him into a game winner.

Damiere Byrd, Carolina Panthers (OVR 72)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$630k

2018 Cap Hit: $630k

Stats: Speed (96), Acceleration (94), Agility (94)

The first of two Panthers, Damiere Byrd earned his impressive stats with a 4.28 40-yard dash at his pro day. With a track & field background, Byrd is a natural athlete who also posted impressive times in the short shuttle (4.03s) and the 3-cone drill (6.6s) along with a massive 42-inch vertical jump.

He was a threat at South Carolina, averaging 18.6 yards per catch, but he only caught 68 passes in his four years. Byrd went undrafted in 2015 but was soon picked up by the Panthers and made their practice squad. He even saw the field in Super Bowl 50 as a rookie.

Byrd finally saw game time in the offense in 2017, catching 10 of his 17 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned seven kicks, taking one 103 yards for a score. Byrd is very raw as a receiver, but as an athlete he is among the best on Madden 19.

JJ Nelson, Arizona Cardinals (OVR 77)

Age: 26

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$610k

2018 Cap Hit: $610k

Stats: Speed (96), Acceleration (94), Agility (92)

Nelson has been a secondary piece of the Cardinals offense during his three years in Arizona so far. As a rookie he flashed big-play ability, catching 11 passes for a crazy 299 yards and two touchdowns. That year the Cardinals offense specialized in deep passes, but as their quarterback play regressed, so did Nelson's effectiveness. 2016 was his best year in terms of volume, catching 34 passes for 568 yards and six scores. That came down to 29 catches, 508 yards, and two touchdowns last season.

Nelson's ability to burn defenses has never been in question, but the Cardinals have seemed reluctant to make him a fixture in their gameplan. You can change that though.

Marquise Goodwin, San Francisco 49ers (OVR 83)

Age: 27

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 4 years/$18.2m

2018 Cap Hit: $4.32m

Stats: Speed (95), Acceleration (96), Agility (91)

Marquise Goodwin first came to prominence when he roasted Darrelle Revis in Week 2 of the 2016 season. He caught two passes for 112 yards and a touchdown that day, but due to Buffalo's lack of a passing game he faded away somewhat. A move to San Francisco and a partnership with Jimmy Garoppolo soon restored Goodwin's image though. With a quarterback that could feed him the ball, Goodwin started to shine. He put up 99 yards against the Bears and followed that up with 106 and 114 in the next two games, as well as his first 10-catch game against the Titans.

Goodwin is more of a straight-line receiver in Madden 19 thanks to his elite acceleration (96) and lower agility (91), but he can fly across the field and should be a favorite target this year for players.

Will Fuller V, Houston Texans (OVR 82)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 2 years/$5.25m

2018 Cap Hit: $2.42m

Stats: Speed (95), Acceleration (93), Agility (92)

A first-round pick in 2016, Fuller's progress has been halted by injuries. He missed six games last season with a shoulder and then rib injury, and missed time in his rookie year too. When he's on the field though, Fuller is usually found behind the defense causing chaos. He had over 100 yards receiving in each of his first two games in the NFL, and last year put up 125 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks to prove his athleticism and potency.

Fuller has better route running (short 80, medium 83, deep 86) than a lot of the faster receivers, making him a more rounded threat in Madden 19.

Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers (OVR 74)

Age: 22

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 3 years/$4.93m

2018 Cap Hit: $1.54m

Stats: Speed (95), Acceleration (93), Agility (91)

A do-it-all running back at Ohio State, Curtis Samuel had 771 yards rushing, at a 7.9-yard average, and 865 yards receiving, at an 11.7-yard average, in his final year with the Buckeyes. That kind of home run threat was not ignored by the NFL, and the Panthers drafted him in the second-round in 2017.

Samuel transitioned to a wide receiver during his rookie season, and as a result didn't see too much of the field. He was targeted just 26 times, making 15 catches for 115 yards. He also returned 10 kicks with a 22.1-yard average. He has great potential, especially if you like to run the jet sweeps and WR screens.

Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams (OVR 87)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 1 year/$4.62m

2018 Cap Hit: $4.62m

Stats: Speed (95), Acceleration (92), Agility (96)

Cooks will start his fifth season in the NFL on a third team after he was once again traded for a first round pick in the offseason. Taken 20th overall in 2014 by the New Orleans Saints, Cooks quickly established himself as one of the deadliest receivers in the league. He registered 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns in his second year, and mirrored that in 2016 with 1,173 yards and eight scores before moving to New England for the 2017 season. He and Tom Brady immediately struck up a good relationship and Cooks averaged a huge 16.6 yards per catch for the Patriots.

Cooks has great speed (95) in Madden 19. His elite agility (96) makes him a nightmare for defenders once the ball is in his hands. He can run every route well and beat a defender over the top with ease.

Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens (OVR 74)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$2.14m

2018 Cap Hit: $2.14m

Stats: Speed (95), Acceleration (92), Agility (89)

Breshad Perriman has been a rare misstep by the Ravens in his short career. A first-round pick in 2015, Perriman missed all of his rookie season due to injury and has since been woefully unproductive. He played every game in 2016 and caught just 33 of his 66 targets, before having an even worse catch rate last year. In 2017 Perriman caught only 10 of his 35 targets and could struggle to make the team in 2018 if he can't improve his catching.

Thankfully, in Madden 19 his catching (79) isn't too awful. It's something you'll want to improve immediately, but it shouldn't result in drops all over the field, allowing his raw speed to shine through.