There were only two wide receivers selected in the first round back in April, but it's not as if there's not some talent there. Six were drafted in the second round, which is twice as many as in any of the last three seasons. The last time six were taken in that round was 2014, and that class turned out pretty well.
Davante Adams, Allen Robinson and Jarvis Landry have all put up at least one great season since being drafted. Two are now with new teams, but a pretty good group. The other three (Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews and Paul Richardson) have all had their moments as well; could be significant fantasy performers in 2018.
It makes sense, then, to have a healthy interest in the six wideouts drafted this year. Anthony Miller and Christian Kirk could (maybe) be starters in Chicago and Arizona, respectively. Dante Pettis (San Francisco) has got some positive press. Opportunity is there -- though maybe more as down the road options -- for Courtland Sutton in Denver, D.J. Chark in Jacksonville and James Washington in Pittsburgh. Four years from now, maybe we'll be looking at them as favorably as the 2014 class.
But as far as making a rookie-year impact, you're probably just hoping that one or two of them, at most, does anything noteworthy. Including that 2014 class, there have been 42 wide receivers selected in the second round of the draft over the previous 10 years. Only seven have put up top-40 fantasy numbers in their rookie seasons. (Those players are in bold.)
2ND-ROUND ROOKIE WIDE RECEIVERS, 2008-2017 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pk | Player | No | Yds | TD | FFRk |
2017 | 37 | Zay Jones, Buff. | 27 | 316 | 2 | 89th |
2017 | 40 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 15 | 115 | 0 | 99th+ |
2017 | 62 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 58 | 917 | 8 | 15th |
2016 | 40 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | 65 | 683 | 8 | 35th |
2016 | 47 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 92 | 1137 | 9 | 8th |
2016 | 55 | Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 54 | 603 | 1 | 70th |
2015 | 37 | Devin Smith, NYJ | 9 | 115 | 1 | 99th+ |
2015 | 40 | Dorial Green-Beckham, Tenn. | 32 | 549 | 4 | 55th |
2015 | 41 | Devin Funchess, Car. | 31 | 473 | 5 | 57th |
2014 | 39 | Marqise Lee, Jac. | 37 | 422 | 1 | 93rd |
2014 | 42 | Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 67 | 872 | 8 | 25th |
2014 | 45 | Paul Richardson, Sea. | 29 | 271 | 1 | 99th+ |
2014 | 53 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 38 | 446 | 3 | 77th |
2014 | 56 | Cody Latimer, Den. | 2 | 23 | 0 | 99th+ |
2014 | 61 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 48 | 548 | 2 | 67th |
2014 | 63 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 84 | 758 | 5 | 42nd |
2013 | 34 | Justin Hunter, Tenn. | 18 | 354 | 4 | 75th |
2013 | 41 | Robert Woods, Buff. | 40 | 587 | 3 | 57th |
2013 | 59 | Aaron Dobson, N.E. | 37 | 519 | 4 | 59th |
2012 | 33 | Brian Quick, St.L. | 11 | 156 | 2 | 114th |
2012 | 43 | Stephen Hill, NYJ | 21 | 252 | 3 | 93rd |
2012 | 45 | Alshon Jeffery, Chi. | 24 | 367 | 3 | 81st |
2012 | 54 | Ryan Broyles, Det. | 22 | 310 | 2 | 95th |
2012 | 63 | Rueben Randle, NYG | 19 | 298 | 3 | 88th |
2011 | 44 | Titus Young, Det. | 48 | 607 | 6 | 44th |
2011 | 58 | Torrey Smith, Balt. | 50 | 841 | 7 | 24th |
2011 | 59 | Greg Little, Clev. | 61 | 709 | 2 | 53rd |
2011 | 64 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 25 | 375 | 1 | 79th |
2010 | 36 | Dexter McCluster, K.C. | 21 | 209 | 1 | 99th+ |
2010 | 39 | Arrelious Benn, T.B. | 25 | 395 | 2 | 90th |
2010 | 60 | Golden Tate, Sea. | 21 | 227 | 0 | 99th+ |
2009 | 36 | Brian Robiskie, Clev. | 7 | 106 | 0 | 99th+ |
2009 | 50 | Mohamed Massaquoi, Clev. | 34 | 624 | 3 | 59th |
2008 | 33 | Donnie Avery, St.L. | 53 | 674 | 3 | 42nd |
2008 | 34 | Devin Thomas, Wash. | 15 | 120 | 1 | 99th+ |
2008 | 36 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 33 | 366 | 2 | 84th |
2008 | 41 | James Hardy, Buff. | 9 | 87 | 2 | 99th+ |
2008 | 42 | Eddie Royal, Den. | 91 | 980 | 5 | 19th |
2008 | 46 | Jerome Simpson, Cin. | 1 | 2 | 0 | 99th+ |
2008 | 49 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 62 | 912 | 4 | 26th |
2008 | 51 | Malcolm Kelly, Wash. | 3 | 18 | 0 | 99th+ |
2008 | 53 | Limas Sweed, Pitt. | 6 | 64 | 0 | 99th+ |
It's early, but Miller -- likely vying with Taylor Gabriel for No. 2 snaps in Chicago -- is the best bet for a rookie year impact. But we'll see; maybe Kirk wins the job across from Larry Fitzgerald, or Chark steps up in Jacksonville. Watching these youngster will be one of the main reasons to watch the exhibition games over the next month.
—Andy Richardson