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Marques Colston

The Saints have released Marques Colston, and it's probably the end of the line for their all-time leading wideout. End of the line for one of the more remarkable late-round draft picks, too.

It's rare for wide receivers to go over 1,000 yards as rookies. Since the NFL went to a 16-game season nearly 30 years ago (1978), it's happened only 16 times. Colston was one of those players, and he stands alone in that he was selected in the seventh round. None of those other 1,000-yarders was drafted later than the fourth round, and only two were taken outside the second.

Ten of the 16, in fact, were drafted in the first round, and those players typically get more opportunity to contribute right away than a seventh-rounder like Colston. Pretty remarkable.

Thousand-yard rookie wideouts since 1978, as well as a handful of near misses (most also first-rounders) are presented below.

1000-YARD ROOKIE WIDEOUTS, PLUS NEAR MISSES, 1978-PRESENT
YearPlayer, TeamNoYardsAvgTDDraft Rd
2003Anquan Boldin, Ariz.101137713.682nd
1998Randy Moss, Minn.69131319.0171st
2014Odell Beckham Jr., NYG91130514.3121st
2004Michael Clayton, T.B.80119314.971st
1996Terry Glenn, N.E.90113212.661st
1986Bill Brooks, Ind.65113117.484th
2015Amari Cooper, Oak.72107014.961st
1986Ernest Givins, Hou.61106217.432nd
2011A.J. Green, Cin.65105716.371st
2014Mike Evans, T.B.68105115.5121st
2013Keenan Allen, S.D.71104614.783rd
1995Joey Galloway, Sea.67103915.571st
2006Marques Colston, N.O.70103814.887th
1981Cris Collinsworth, Cin.67100915.182nd
2014Kelvin Benjamin, Car.73100813.891st
1978John Jefferson, S.D.56100117.9131st
2007Dwayne Bowe, K.C.7099514.251st
2014Sammy Watkins, Buf.6598215.161st
2008Eddie Royal, Den.9198010.852nd
2003Andre Johnson, Hou.6697614.841st
2010Mike Williams, T.B.6596414.8114th
2011Julio Jones, Atl.5495917.881st

--Andy Richardson

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