Fantasy Index

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Factoid

First-round receivers

Can Tavon Austin (and others) rebound?

The Rams are expected to release Tavon Austin. Any takers? He’s a former top-10 pick, but he’s been around for five years without being able to get his career off the ground. It was shocking when the team signed him to a four-year extension worth $42 million prior to the 2016 season.

Now, reality has sunk in. He’s at best an average third receiver. Over the last four years, he’s scored as many touchdowns rushing (4) as receiver. He’s quick with the ball in his hands, but he’s tiny and doesn’t have good hands. He finished with more yards rushing than receiving last year.

And Austin is Exhibit A that there have been more hits than misses with wide receivers in the first round recently. Back in 2011, the Bengals and Falcons hit it big with A.J. Green and Julio Jones, but those kind of talents are rare. In the last six drafts, 25 wide receivers have been chosen in the first round, with more misses than hits.

Of those 25 wide receivers, only 5 so far have more than one 1,000-yard season.

Teams are waiting for players like Kevin White, John Ross, Breshad Perriman, Laquon Treadwell, Mike Williams, Corey Coleman, DeVante Parker, Josh Doctson and others to pop. Chances are that for most of them, it simply won’t happen.

Here are the 2017 numbers for those 25 first-round picks, with catches, receiving yards and total touchdowns (including kick returns and runs). The five guys with multiple 1,000-yard seasons are flagged.

FIRST-ROUND WIDE RECEIVERS (2012-2017)
YearPlayerRecYardsAvgTD
2013• DeAndre Hopkins961,37814.413
2014• Brandin Cooks651,08216.67
2014• Mike Evans711,00114.15
2015Nelson Agholor6276812.49
2014Kelvin Benjamin4869214.43
2015• Amari Cooper4868014.27
2015DeVante Parker5767011.81
2012Kendall Wright5961410.41
2014Sammy Watkins3959315.28
2016Josh Doctson3550214.36
2016Will Fuller2842315.17
2017Corey Davis3437511.00
2013Cordarrelle Patterson3130910.02
2016Corey Coleman2330513.32
2014• Odell Beckham2530212.13
2016Laquon Treadwell2020010.00
2015Phillip Dorsett1219416.20
2017Mike Williams11958.60
2012Michael Floyd10787.80
2015Breshad Perriman10777.70
2013Tavon Austin13473.61
2015Kevin White263.00
2017John Ross00--0
2012Justin Blackmon00--0
2012A.J. Jenkins00--0

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index