As the 2017 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.

We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series today with the wide receivers, a group that doesn't necessarily feature the biggest names but possesses some serious talent.

Previous Rankings: QB | RB

On one of the most explosive passing offenses in college football last season, Nick Westbrook was Indiana's No. 1 target.

Needing someone to step up after fellow star wide out Simmie Cobbs Jr. was lost for the year to injury, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Westbrook answered the call in a major way.

He ended the season hauling in a team-high 54 receptions for 995 yards - the second-highest total in the Big Ten - along with six receiving touchdowns.

Now a junior, Westbrook will have the luxury of getting Cobbs back in the rotation to take some of the coverage attention away from him, plus he'll enter his second year working with quarterback Richard Lagow.

Every year it seems Wisconsin has a wide receiver that manages to make the biggest plays at the biggest moments. Jazz Peavy emerged as that wide out last season.

A versatile athlete who can churn out yardage in a variety of ways, Peavy ended up with 43 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He also added 318 rushing yards as a weapon on jet sweeps.

Look for the Badgers to continue to scheme up ways to get the ball in Peavy's hands, as he will once again be counted on to be UW's top offensive playmaker.

From a statistical standpoint, Stanley Morgan Jr. had an above-average season for Nebraska in 2016.

The 6-1, 200, native of New Orleans ranked second on the team with 33 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns, catching at least one pass in all 13 games he played.

But entering his junior season this year, Morgan could be in for a serious breakout campaign.

Not only has he established himself as the Huskers' clear No. 1 wide out, he'll also be the go-to guy for NU's highly acclaimed new starting quarterback Tanner Lee.

Based on the chemistry Morgan and Lee developed this spring, Morgan could prove to be one of the Big Ten's best wide outs when all is said and done.

An offseason broken ankle sidelined Simmie Cobbs Jr. for the entire 2016 season, earning him a medical redshirt.

When he's healthy, though, the redshirt junior is one of the best wide receivers in the conference.

At 6-4, 220, Cobbs is a physical matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks, and he put that on display as a sophomore in 2015 when he racked up 60 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns.

Now back to 100 percent and paired up opposite of Westbrook, Indiana might feature one of the best receiver tandems in the country this season.

Malik Turner has been one of Illinois' go-to wide receivers for the past three seasons, and now he'll enter his senior year as the clear No. 1 target.

The 6-3, 205 Turner posted a career 2016 campaign as a junior, finishing with 48 receptions for 712 yards and six touchdowns.

He ended the year with a huge game on the road at Northwestern, recording 11 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

The Fighting Illini are hoping that performance was a sign of things to come in 2017, as Turner will be counted on more than ever this season.