Three rookie wide receivers went over 1,000 yards last season, and that's not just impressive, it's historic and unprecedented. Since the 1970 NFL merger, on only one other occasion have even two wide receivers gone over 1,000 yards as rookies, let alone three.
Some will take this as a sign that wide receivers are more ready than ever to help NFL teams out right away. Colleges are running more sophisticated, pro-style offenses and whatnot.
But it might be more accurate to simply say it was a remarkable draft class, and one that's unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. If college offenses are doing such a better job of getting receivers ready for the NFL, how to explain that in the seven years from 2007 through 2013, there were only two 1,000-yard rookies?
The 2015 rookie class also features some intriguing wideouts, like first-rounders Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Philip Dorsett. But don't automatically assume all will be immediate fantasy contributors. The 2014 class might just be a rare bird.
The list of 1,000-yard rookie wideouts since the merger is presented below.
ROOKIE 1,000-YARD WIDE RECEIVERS, 1970-PRESENT | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD |
1978 | John Jefferson, S.D. | 56 | 1001 | 17.9 | 13 |
1981 | Cris Collinsworth, Cin. | 67 | 1009 | 15.1 | 8 |
1986 | Ernest Givins, Hou. | 61 | 1062 | 17.4 | 3 |
1986 | Bill Brooks, Ind. | 65 | 1131 | 17.4 | 8 |
1995 | Joey Galloway, Sea. | 67 | 1039 | 15.5 | 7 |
1996 | Terry Glenn, N.E. | 90 | 1132 | 12.6 | 6 |
1998 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 69 | 1313 | 19 | 17 |
2003 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 101 | 1377 | 13.6 | 8 |
2004 | Michael Clayton, T.B. | 80 | 1193 | 14.9 | 7 |
2006 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 70 | 1038 | 14.8 | 8 |
2011 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 65 | 1057 | 16.3 | 7 |
2013 | Keenan Allen, S.D. | 71 | 1046 | 14.7 | 8 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 91 | 1305 | 14.3 | 12 |
2014 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 68 | 1051 | 15.5 | 12 |
2014 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 73 | 1008 | 13.8 | 9 |
--Andy Richardson