Five rookie wide receivers went over 800 yards last season. Based on recent history of such players, what can be expected from those wideouts (Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Sammy Watkins, Jordan Matthews) in 2015?
Since 2000, there have been 20 other wide receivers to put up at least 800 receiving yards in their rookie seasons. One year later, just over half (11) of those receivers came back and put up at least 800 receiving yards again. Just under half (9) went over 1,000 yards in their second seasons.
The odds look pretty good, then, that at least two and possibly three of those above-named wideouts will go over 1,000 yards in 2015. Beckham Jr. and Evans, of course, are being drafted in most leagues as if they'll be the ones, but the history doesn't look bad for the other three second-year receivers, either.
The 25 wideouts who have gone over 800 yards in their rookie seasons since 2000, sorted by receiving yards in their second seasons, are presented below.
800-YARD ROOKIE WRS, ONE YEAR LATER (2000-PRESENT) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tm | Rec (1) | Yds (1) | TD (1) | Rec (2) | Yds (2) | TD (2) |
2012 | Josh Gordon | Clev. | 50 | 805 | 5 | 87 | 1646 | 9 |
2011 | A.J. Green | Cin. | 65 | 1057 | 7 | 97 | 1350 | 11 |
2013 | DeAndre Hopkins | Hou. | 52 | 802 | 2 | 76 | 1210 | 6 |
2006 | Marques Colston | N.O. | 70 | 1038 | 8 | 98 | 1202 | 11 |
2011 | Julio Jones | Atl. | 54 | 959 | 8 | 79 | 1198 | 10 |
2008 | DeSean Jackson | Phil. | 62 | 912 | 4 | 62 | 1156 | 12 |
2003 | Andre Johnson | Hou. | 66 | 976 | 4 | 79 | 1142 | 6 |
2012 | T.Y. Hilton | Ind. | 50 | 861 | 7 | 82 | 1083 | 5 |
2007 | Dwayne Bowe | K.C. | 70 | 995 | 5 | 86 | 1022 | 7 |
2006 | Santonio Holmes | Pitt. | 49 | 824 | 3 | 52 | 942 | 8 |
2011 | Torrey Smith | Balt. | 50 | 841 | 7 | 49 | 855 | 8 |
2013 | Keenan Allen | S.D. | 71 | 1046 | 8 | 77 | 783 | 4 |
2010 | Mike Williams | T.B. | 65 | 964 | 11 | 65 | 771 | 3 |
2004 | Lee Evans | Buff. | 48 | 843 | 9 | 48 | 743 | 7 |
2001 | Chris Chambers | Mia. | 48 | 883 | 7 | 52 | 734 | 3 |
2004 | Roy Williams | Det. | 54 | 817 | 8 | 45 | 687 | 8 |
2003 | Anquan Boldin | Ariz. | 101 | 1377 | 8 | 56 | 623 | 1 |
2012 | Justin Blackmon | Jac. | 64 | 865 | 5 | 29 | 415 | 1 |
2004 | Michael Clayton | T.B. | 80 | 1193 | 7 | 32 | 372 | 0 |
2008 | Eddie Royal | Den. | 91 | 980 | 5 | 37 | 345 | 2 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | 91 | 1305 | 12 | ? | ? | ? |
2014 | Mike Evans | T.B. | 68 | 1051 | 12 | ? | ? | ? |
2014 | Kelvin Benjamin | Car. | 73 | 1008 | 9 | ? | ? | ? |
2014 | Sammy Watkins | Buff. | 65 | 982 | 6 | ? | ? | ? |
2014 | Jordan Matthews | Phil. | 67 | 872 | 8 | ? | ? | ? |
--Andy Richardson