It might be time to change the way we view rookie receivers. Five of them were selected in the first round, and it’s possible that four of them will go over 1,000 yards.
The old rule of thumb has been to wait until the second or third year before a receiver would be expected to break out. Since the merger in 1970, only 12 other wide receivers have gone over 1,000 yards. Either this class is a huge exception, or wide receivers are coming in more pro ready than in the past.
The way Odell Beckham is racking up yards, we can’t dismiss the possibility that he’ll get 158 yards in his final game and take down Anquan Boldin’s rookie record.
Players with 900-plus receiving yards | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Yds | Avg | TD |
2003 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 101 | 1,377 | 13.6 | 8 |
1998 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 68 | 1,313 | 19.3 | 17 |
2004 | Michael Clayton, T.B. | 80 | 1,193 | 14.9 | 7 |
1996 | Terry Glenn, N.E. | 90 | 1,132 | 12.6 | 6 |
1986 | Bill Brooks, Ind. | 65 | 1,131 | 17.4 | 8 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 79 | 1,120 | 14.2 | 11 |
1986 | Ernest Givins, Hou. | 61 | 1,062 | 17.4 | 4 |
2011 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 65 | 1,057 | 16.3 | 7 |
2013 | Keenan Allen, S.D. | 71 | 1,046 | 14.7 | 8 |
1995 | Joey Galloway, Sea. | 67 | 1,039 | 15.5 | 9 |
2006 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 70 | 1,038 | 14.8 | 8 |
1981 | Cris Collinsworth, Cin. | 67 | 1,009 | 15.1 | 8 |
1978 | John Jefferson, S.D. | 56 | 1,001 | 17.9 | 13 |
2014 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 72 | 999 | 13.9 | 9 |
2014 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 63 | 997 | 15.8 | 11 |
2007 | Dwayne Bowe, K.C. | 70 | 995 | 14.2 | 5 |
1999 | Kevin Johnson, Clev. | 66 | 986 | 14.9 | 8 |
2008 | Eddie Royal, Den. | 91 | 980 | 10.8 | 5 |
2003 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 66 | 976 | 14.8 | 4 |
2010 | Mike Williams, T.B. | 65 | 964 | 14.8 | 11 |
2011 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 54 | 959 | 17.8 | 8 |
1985 | Eddie Brown, Cin. | 53 | 942 | 17.8 | 8 |
1985 | Jerry Rice, S.F. | 49 | 927 | 18.9 | 4 |
2014 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 62 | 925 | 14.9 | 6 |
1996 | Eddie Kennison, St.L. | 54 | 924 | 17.1 | 11 |
2008 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 62 | 912 | 14.7 | 4 |
1976 | Sammy White, Minn. | 51 | 906 | 17.8 | 10 |
—Ian Allan