Six wide receivers were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, indicating it's an appealing group of incoming rookies. But even if they exceed typical expectations, it's unlikely they'll be able to touch 2014's group.
Led by Odell Beckham Jr., the 2014 draft class produced five wideouts who were immediate standouts. Each put up at least 850 receiving yards as rookies, and three of them (Beckham, Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin) went over 1,000 yards.
In the last 20 years, no other draft has produced more than two wideouts who went over 850 yards as rookies, and none has produced more than one 1,000-yard receiver. There were only eight 1,000-yard rookies, total, in the 19 years from 1995 through 2013.
The top rookie receiving totals over the last 20 years are presented below. Rookies from 2014 are in bold.
TOP ROOKIE RECEIVERS, 1995-2014 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Team | Rec | Yds | TD |
2003 | Anquan Boldin | ARI | 101 | 1,377 | 8 |
1998 | Randy Moss | MIN | 69 | 1,313 | 17 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | 91 | 1,305 | 12 |
2004 | Michael Clayton | TB | 80 | 1,193 | 7 |
1996 | Terry Glenn | NE | 90 | 1,132 | 6 |
2011 | A.J. Green | CIN | 65 | 1,057 | 7 |
2014 | Mike Evans | TB | 68 | 1,051 | 12 |
2013 | Keenan Allen | SD | 71 | 1,046 | 8 |
1995 | Joey Galloway | SEA | 67 | 1,039 | 7 |
2006 | Marques Colston | NO | 70 | 1,038 | 8 |
2014 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | 73 | 1,008 | 9 |
2007 | Dwayne Bowe | KC | 70 | 995 | 5 |
1999 | Kevin Johnson | CLE | 66 | 986 | 8 |
2014 | Sammy Watkins | BUF | 65 | 982 | 6 |
2008 | Eddie Royal | DEN | 91 | 980 | 5 |
2003 | Andre Johnson | HOU | 66 | 976 | 4 |
2010 | Mike Williams | TB | 65 | 964 | 11 |
2011 | Julio Jones | ATL | 54 | 959 | 8 |
1996 | Eddie Kennison | STL | 54 | 924 | 9 |
2008 | DeSean Jackson | PHI | 62 | 912 | 2 |
2002 | Jeremy Shockey | NYG | 74 | 894 | 2 |
2001 | Chris Chambers | MIA | 48 | 883 | 7 |
1995 | Frank Sanders | ARI | 52 | 883 | 2 |
2014 | Jordan Matthews | PHI | 67 | 872 | 8 |
2012 | Justin Blackmon | JAC | 64 | 865 | 5 |
2012 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | 50 | 861 | 7 |
1996 | Keyshawn Johnson | NYJ | 63 | 844 | 8 |
2004 | Lee Evans | BUF | 48 | 843 | 9 |
2011 | Torrey Smith | BAL | 50 | 841 | 7 |
1996 | Marvin Harrison | IND | 64 | 836 | 8 |
2006 | Santonio Holmes | PIT | 49 | 824 | 2 |
1995 | Chris Sanders | HOU | 35 | 823 | 9 |
2004 | Roy Williams | DET | 54 | 817 | 8 |
2012 | Josh Gordon | CLE | 50 | 805 | 5 |
2013 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | 52 | 802 | 2 |
2009 | Percy Harvin | MIN | 60 | 790 | 6 |
2009 | Hakeem Nicks | NYG | 47 | 790 | 6 |
2011 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | 51 | 788 | 4 |
1999 | Torry Holt | STL | 52 | 788 | 6 |
2004 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | 58 | 780 | 8 |
2009 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | 56 | 773 | 4 |
2014 | Jarvis Landry | MIA | 84 | 758 | 5 |
2009 | Mike Wallace | PIT | 39 | 756 | 6 |
2007 | Calvin Johnson | DET | 48 | 756 | 4 |
2004 | Keary Colbert | CAR | 47 | 754 | 5 |
--Andy Richardson