Michigan Football: Top 10 All-Time Wolverine wide receivers

Three consecutive 1,000 plus yard seasons. Unanimous All-American. 2× First-team All-Big Ten. Biletnikoff Award. Big Ten MVP.Legend.

Braylon Edwards was to Lloyd Carr what AC was to Bo Schembechler: a workhorse and a game-changer.

Game plans were structured around Braylon, both by Michigan and their opponent. For the defensive coordinator, it wasn’t about eliminating Edwards; it was all about mitigating the impact of the Michigan great.

Braylon many times distinguished himself from the pack, but there was no greater moment for the receiver than the 2004 battle with the Spartans. Down 14 at home in the fourth quarter, Chad Henne, backed into a corner, tossed back-to-back touchdowns to Edwards, sending the game into overtime.

Finally, in the third overtime, Henne found Edwards again for his third and final touchdown of the day. UM won 45-37.

Braylon was drafted third overall in 2004 by the Cleveland Browns and had a promising career, including 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2007 season. Some called him a bust, but there’s always more to the story. That story was written by Edwards and co-authored by Tom VanHaaren in the book DOING IT MY WAY My Outspoken Life as a Michigan Wolverine, NFL Receiver, and Beyond. 

Which, if you haven’t read it yet, the description reads:

"Braylon Edwards has heard all the talk— that he’s only out for himself, only about the money; he’s a bust, a bad guy, a troublemaker, a typical wide receiver who doesn’t get it. He’s also heard the cheering fans, heard them singing “The Victors” after wins in the Big House, and cherished the smiles he saw in the crowd. All of it leaves an impression, just as Edwards has left his mark in return. In this frank, unflinching autobiography, Edwards reveals the heartbeat behind the padded armor and shares how football helped him find his place and gave him a voice. He details his transformative time in Ann Arbor, how he felt when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, what was going through his head when he got traded to the Jets, and lays bare all the bumps, bruises, and unexpected turns along the way"

Honorable mention

Mercury Hayes, Jason Avant, Amara Darboh, Marquise Walker.