Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz rank among NFL.com's top 20 wide receivers

We know the New York Giants' wide receivers are good. But how good?

In the latest ranking by NFL.com's Around the League writer Chris Wesseling, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are both ranked among the league's top 20 receivers. Nicks takes the No. 14 spot, with Cruz landing at No. 18.

Nicks is placed in the "go-to receivers" category, fittingly I may add, warranting a spot alongside other top targets like Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, Roddy White and Reggie Wayne. Despite injuries crippling Nicks' production in 2012 -- a career-low 692 yards and 3 TDs -- Nicks still received the credit he deserves.

"Nicks would be in the first tier as a well-rounded play-maker if he could stay healthy. Alas, he can't," writes Wesseling.

Nicks' counterpart, Cruz, earns a spot in the "not quite true No. 1s" category, with others such as Jordy Nelson, Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, Randall Cobb, Marquel Colston and Greg Jennings as his company.

Cruz has produced impressive numbers in each of his last two seasons as a starter, but the argument can be made -- (much like it is during his contract negotiations) -- that Cruz is a slot receiver, not a pure No. 1 like Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald.

"Cruz and Cobb have strong arguments for higher rankings, but slot receivers don't typically take on the task of beating double coverage," writes Wesseling. "If NFL teams don't place a high value on slot receivers, why should we?"

It's a dose of reality, for sure. If you wanted fantasy, check out Dennis Esser's piece on Cruz's and Nicks' Fantasy Football ceiling in 2013.

The NFL.com rankings encompass more than just statistics from last year; they are based on their projected impact this coming season, age, potential and yearly trends.

Where do you think Nicks and Cruz rank among the league's best?

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