| Year | Player | Rec | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Calvin Johnson (27) | 122 | DET |
| 2011 | Wes Welker (30) | 122 | NWE |
| 2010 | Roddy White (29) | 115 | ATL |
| 2009 | Wes Welker (28) | 123 | NWE |
| 2008 | Andre Johnson (27) | 115 | HOU |
| 2007 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh (30) | 112 | CIN |
| Wes Welker (26) | 112 | NWE | |
| 2006 | Andre Johnson (25) | 103 | HOU |
| 2005 | Steve Smith (26) | 103 | CAR |
| Larry Fitzgerald (22) | 103 | ARI | |
| 2004 | Tony Gonzalez (28) | 102 | KAN |
| 2003 | Torry Holt (27) | 117 | STL |
| 2002 | Marvin Harrison (30) | 143 | IND |
| 2001 | Rod Smith (31) | 113 | DEN |
| 2000 | Marvin Harrison (28) | 102 | IND |
| Muhsin Muhammad (27) | 102 | CAR | |
| 1999 | Jimmy Smith (30) | 116 | JAX |
| 1998 | O.J. McDuffie (29) | 90 | MIA |
| 1997 | Tim Brown (31) | 104 | OAK |
| Herman Moore (28) | 104 | DET | |
| 1996 | Jerry Rice+ (34) | 108 | SFO |
| 1995 | Herman Moore (26) | 123 | DET |
| 1994 | Cris Carter+ (29) | 122 | MIN |
| 1993 | Sterling Sharpe (28) | 112 | GNB |
| 1992 | Sterling Sharpe (27) | 108 | GNB |
| 1991 | Haywood Jeffires (27) | 100 | HOU |
| 1990 | Jerry Rice+ (28) | 100 | SFO |
| 1989 | Sterling Sharpe (24) | 90 | GNB |
| 1988 | Al Toon (25) | 93 | NYJ |
| 1987 | J.T. Smith (32) | 91 | STL |
| 1986 | Todd Christensen (30) | 95 | RAI |
| 1985 | Roger Craig (25) | 92 | SFO |
| 1984 | Art Monk+ (27) | 106 | WAS |
| 1983 | Todd Christensen (27) | 92 | RAI |
| 1982 | Dwight Clark (25) | 60 | SFO |
| 1981 | Kellen Winslow+ (24) | 88 | SDG |
| 1980 | Kellen Winslow+ (23) | 89 | SDG |
| 1979 | Joe Washington (26) | 82 | BAL |
| 1978 | Rickey Young (25) | 88 | MIN |
| 1977 | Lydell Mitchell (28) | 71 | BAL |
| 1976 | MacArthur Lane (34) | 66 | KAN |
| 1975 | Chuck Foreman (25) | 73 | MIN |
| 1974 | Lydell Mitchell (25) | 72 | BAL |
| 1973 | Harold Carmichael (24) | 67 | PHI |
| 1972 | Harold Jackson (26) | 62 | PHI |
| 1971 | Fred Biletnikoff+ (28) | 61 | OAK |
| 1970 | Dick Gordon (26) | 71 | CHI |
| 1969 | Danny Abramowicz (24) | 73 | NOR |
| Lance Alworth+ (29) | 64 | SDG | |
| 1968 | Clifton McNeil (28) | 71 | SFO |