The Facts: When five-time Pro Bowl CB Ronde Barber retired from the Buccaneers two years ago, he cited Smith as the toughest wide receiver he was ever assigned to cover. It was high praise coming from a potential Hall of Famer who squared off against the likes of Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison. Recently retired Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor lent credence to Barber's assessment, echoing the Smith appreciation. "Little Mighty Mouse, I call him," Taylor said. "He's only 5'10" and some change, but he plays like a 6'3" guy. ... all-around No. 1, Steve Smith."

Diehards Line: All of this prompted NFL.com's Chris Wesseling to suggest that Smith has been one of the best players of his generation. Evidence? Among players ranked in the top 25 for career postseason receiving yards, Smith's average of 91.0 per game ranks first. Michael Irvin (82.2) ranks second, with Jerry Rice (77.4) third. Since the 1970 merger, Smith (2005), Rice (1990) and Sterling Sharpe (1992) are the only players to win the wide-receiver triple crown, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. From 2005 through 2008, Smith was the most dominant receiver in the league. In 48 games with Jake Delhomme at quarterback over that span, Smith averaged an astonishing 101.3 yards from scrimmage to go with 38 touchdowns. Smith is currently 14th on the career receiving yards list, with a chance to ascend to the top 10 if he posts another 1,000-yard season in 2015. Overlooked on draft days last year, Smith will be much higher on the fantasy radar this time around.