The Cowboys cut Dez Bryant, and now every mock draft is sure they'll draft a wide receiver in the first round. Calvin Ridley, Courtland Sutton (pictured) and D.J. Moore are the popular choices. And maybe they will. But the history indicates that while that player might go on to be the team's future at wide receiver, he's unlikely to put up big numbers in his first season.
Since 2000, there have been 74 wide receivers selected in the first round; a little over four per year. Nearly as many of those players have caught no passes at all (five) as have gone over 1,000 yards (six). More than half (38) haven't reached 500 yards in their rookie seasons.
FIRST-ROUND WIDE RECEIVERS, ROOKIE SEASONS (2000-2017) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pk | Player | No | Yds | TD |
2014 | 12 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 91 | 1305 | 12 |
2004 | 15 | Michael Clayton, T.B. | 80 | 1193 | 7 |
2015 | 4 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 72 | 1070 | 6 |
2011 | 4 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 65 | 1057 | 7 |
2014 | 7 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 68 | 1051 | 12 |
2014 | 28 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 73 | 1008 | 9 |
2007 | 23 | Dwayne Bowe, K.C. | 70 | 995 | 5 |
2014 | 4 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 65 | 982 | 6 |
2003 | 3 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 66 | 976 | 4 |
2011 | 6 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 54 | 959 | 8 |
2012 | 5 | Justin Blackmon, Jac. | 64 | 865 | 5 |
2004 | 13 | Lee Evans, Buff. | 48 | 843 | 9 |
2006 | 25 | Santonio Holmes, Pitt. | 49 | 824 | 3 |
2004 | 7 | Roy Williams, Det. | 54 | 817 | 8 |
2013 | 27 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 52 | 802 | 2 |
2009 | 22 | Percy Harvin, Minn. | 60 | 790 | 8 |
2009 | 29 | Hakeem Nicks, NYG | 47 | 790 | 6 |
2004 | 3 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 58 | 780 | 8 |
2009 | 19 | Jeremy Maclin, Phil. | 56 | 773 | 4 |
2007 | 2 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 48 | 756 | 5 |
2001 | 15 | Rod Gardner, Wash. | 46 | 741 | 4 |
2009 | 30 | Kenny Britt, Tenn. | 42 | 701 | 3 |
2000 | 21 | Sylvester Morris, K.C. | 48 | 678 | 3 |
2016 | 21 | Will Fuller, Hou. | 47 | 635 | 3 |
2012 | 20 | Kendall Wright, Tenn. | 64 | 626 | 4 |
2009 | 10 | Michael Crabtree, S.F. | 48 | 625 | 2 |
2002 | 13 | Donte Stallworth, N.O. | 42 | 594 | 8 |
2000 | 4 | Peter Warrick, Cin. | 51 | 592 | 7 |
2007 | 32 | Anthony Gonzalez, Ind. | 37 | 576 | 3 |
2012 | 13 | Michael Floyd, Ariz. | 45 | 562 | 2 |
2010 | 24 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 45 | 561 | 8 |
2014 | 20 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 53 | 550 | 4 |
2001 | 9 | Koren Robinson, Sea. | 39 | 536 | 1 |
2002 | 19 | Ashley Lelie, Den. | 35 | 525 | 2 |
2005 | 3 | Braylon Edwards, Clev. | 32 | 512 | 3 |
2015 | 14 | DeVante Parker, Mia. | 26 | 494 | 3 |
2005 | 22 | Mark Clayton, Balt. | 44 | 471 | 3 |
2013 | 29 | Cordarrelle Patterson, Minn. | 45 | 469 | 9 |
2005 | 27 | Roddy White, Atl. | 29 | 446 | 3 |
2003 | 17 | Bryant Johnson, Ariz. | 35 | 438 | 1 |
2005 | 21 | Matt Jones, Jac. | 36 | 432 | 5 |
2007 | 9 | Ted Ginn Jr., Mia. | 34 | 420 | 3 |
2013 | 8 | Tavon Austin, St.L. | 40 | 418 | 6 |
2001 | 8 | David Terrell, Chi. | 34 | 415 | 4 |
2016 | 15 | Corey Coleman, Clev. | 33 | 413 | 3 |
2017 | 5 | Corey Davis, Tenn. | 34 | 375 | 0 |
2005 | 7 | Troy Williamson, Minn. | 24 | 372 | 2 |
2005 | 10 | Mike Williams, Det. | 29 | 350 | 1 |
2001 | 30 | Reggie Wayne, Ind. | 27 | 345 | 0 |
2002 | 20 | Javon Walker, G.B. | 23 | 319 | 1 |
2015 | 20 | Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 23 | 283 | 1 |
2010 | 22 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 22 | 283 | 2 |
2001 | 25 | Freddie Mitchell, Phil. | 21 | 283 | 1 |
2000 | 10 | Travis Taylor, Balt. | 28 | 276 | 3 |
2000 | 8 | Plaxico Burress, Pitt. | 22 | 273 | 0 |
2004 | 9 | Reggie Williams, Jac. | 27 | 268 | 1 |
2011 | 26 | Jon Baldwin, K.C. | 21 | 254 | 1 |
2003 | 2 | Charles Rogers, Det. | 22 | 243 | 3 |
2015 | 29 | Phillip Dorsett, Ind. | 18 | 225 | 1 |
2007 | 30 | Craig Davis, S.D. | 20 | 188 | 1 |
2004 | 31 | Rashaun Woods, S.F. | 7 | 160 | 1 |
2000 | 29 | R. Jay Soward, Jac. | 14 | 154 | 1 |
2009 | 7 | Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak. | 9 | 124 | 1 |
2004 | 29 | Michael Jenkins, Atl. | 7 | 119 | 0 |
2017 | 7 | Mike Williams, LAC | 11 | 95 | 0 |
2016 | 22 | Josh Doctson, Wash. | 2 | 66 | 0 |
2001 | 16 | Santana Moss, NYJ | 2 | 40 | 0 |
2016 | 23 | Laquon Treadwell, Minn. | 1 | 15 | 0 |
2017 | 9 | John Ross, Cin. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | 7 | Kevin White, Chi. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | 26 | Breshad Perriman, Balt. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | 30 | A.J. Jenkins, S.F. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | 27 | Robert Meachem, N.O. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bryant himself, of course, shows up a little way down this list, catching 45 passes for 561 yards and 8 TDs as a rookie.
All but one of the 1,000-yard wideouts were selected with a top-15 pick. Many of them (A.J. Green, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans) were a lot more highly regarded than anyone in this year's class. Dallas may have their choice of them when picking 19th next week, so there's that. But that player won't necessarily put up good numbers.
--Andy Richardson