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ESPN's Top 200 NFL Players List Has Calvin Johnson 4th

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is widely regarded as one of the NFL's absolute best players, and now ESPN is all in on the hype.

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Megatron is listed as the fourth-best player in the entire NFL on ESPN's Top-200 list for the 2012 season, a strong statement on just how positively the pass-catcher is perceived throughout the industry.

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As ESPN's blurb notes, Johnson is, "an outstanding combination of size, strength and athleticism for the position. His length and strength create mismatches in most NFL secondaries."

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With a good quarterback like Matthew Stafford to take advantage of those characteristics, Johnson has put up absolutely huge numbers with Detroit. In 2011, he caught 96 passes for a league-leading 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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The Lions clearly like Johnson as much as ESPN does: this spring, they signed him to a seven-year, $132 million contract with $60 million in guaranteed money, the biggest contract ever given to a wide receiver.

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For more on the Lions, be sure to visit Pride Of Detroit. Additional pro football coverage can be found at SB Nation's NFL hub.