The rookie receivers didn’t light up the boxscores in the preseason, but that’s OK. That’s just how it goes nowadays. And if form holds, probably a couple of these first-year receivers are going to be very good.
I’ve trotted out the numbers a few times. In the last 10 seasons, 26 rookie receivers have finished with top-30 numbers. (That’s using PPR scoring). There’s been at least three in each of the last three seasons. These guys are coming in ready to play.
Gone, however, are the days of preseason games being an integral tool in getting ready for the regular seasons. Most coaches nowadays prefer to rely more on controlled work at practices. The old model of the first-unit offense playing some in the first two preseason games, then playing into the third quarter of the third game, has been retired.
In the last three years, 11 wide receivers finished with top-30 numbers in their rookie year. None of those guys, remarkably, had 30 receiving yards in the preseason, and none of them caught a touchdown.
So best, I’m thinking, to not get too worried about the modest debuts of those six receivers taken in the first round (and I’ve got them all listed below). I expect we’ll see some good games out of those guys (and some of the later-round guys as well).
Pictured: Jahan Dotson, Washington.
| PRESEASON STATS FOR BEST ROOKIE RECEIVERS (last 10 yrs) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | TD | Real Games |
| 2021 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 5 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 81-1455-13 |
| 2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 4 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 104-1015-7 |
| 2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 10 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 90-912-6 |
| 2021 | DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 4 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 64-916-5 |
| 2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | -- | -- | -- | -- | 88-1400-7 |
| 2020 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | -- | -- | -- | -- | 74-935-7 |
| 2020 | Chase Claypool, Pitt. | -- | -- | -- | -- | 62-873-11 |
| 2020 | Tee Higgins, Cin. | -- | -- | -- | -- | 67-908-6 |
| 2019 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 52-1051-9 |
| 2019 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 58-900-7 |
| 2019 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58-919-7 |
| 2018 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 11 | 5 | 59 | 1 | 64-821-10 |
| 2017 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 6 | 4 | 35 | 0 | 58-917-8 |
| 2017 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 10 | 8 | 105 | 1 | 62-869-5 |
| 2016 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 10 | 4 | 52 | 0 | 92-1137-9 |
| 2016 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 12 | 4 | 90 | 0 | 61-593-12 |
| 2015 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 15 | 8 | 124 | 0 | 72-1070-6 |
| 2014 | Odell Beckham, NYG | -- | -- | -- | -- | 91-1305-12 |
| 2014 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 7 | 5 | 96 | 1 | 68-1051-12 |
| 2014 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 19 | 12 | 193 | 1 | 73-1008-9 |
| 2014 | Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 19 | 15 | 134 | 0 | 67-872-8 |
| 2014 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 8 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 65-982-6 |
| 2014 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 8 | 7 | 73 | 0 | 84-758-5 |
| 2013 | Keenan Allen, S.D. | 10 | 6 | 48 | 0 | 71-1046-8 |
| 2012 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 14 | 9 | 116 | 1 | 50-861-8 |
| 2012 | Justin Blackmon, Jac. | 16 | 10 | 136 | 1 | 64-865-5 |
| 2022 | Drake London, Atl. | 1 | 1 | 24 | 0 | ? |
| 2022 | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 8 | 6 | 52 | 0 | ? |
| 2022 | Chris Olave, N.O. | 5 | 4 | 51 | 1 | ? |
| 2022 | Jameson Williams, Det. | -- | -- | -- | -- | ? |
| 2022 | Jahan Dotson, Was. | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | ? |
| 2022 | Treylon Burks, Ten. | 7 | 4 | 37 | 1 | ? |
—Ian Allan
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