There have been some great wide receivers who’ve come out of LSU: Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Odell Beckham. Malik Nabers is off to a better start to is career than any of them.
Averaging 13 targets per game, Nabers has caught 35 passes for 386 yards and 3 TDs in his first three games. For leagues using PPR scoring, that’s the 2nd-best start to a wide receiver career ever, behind only Puka Nacua.
On this front, I thought it might be interesting to merge fast-start data with how careers actually played out. That is, when a player puts up big numbers in his first four games, how many of those guys go on to becoming reliable superstar receivers?
On the chart below, you’re looking the at the 30 wide receivers who put up the best numbers all-time in their first four games. (Looking at just receiving production on this one – no credit for rushing stats.) I pulled up these numbers using the search engine at Pro-Football-Reference, and I used not Weeks 1-4, but the first four games of the player’s career (Beckham, as an example, was injured heading into his first season.)
The right two columns on the chart show the best receiving numbers of each player’s career, along with where he ranked in that season using PPR scoring.
There were a few more guys than I expected who had some big games early but didn’t become “great” players. Five of these receivers, in fact, never had a top-20 season using PPR scoring (I’ve got those guys tagged with double dots). Another eight never had a top-10 season (single dots).
Nonetheless, I think we all like the long-term look of Nabers. Not sure what quarterback and coach he’ll be working with next year, but I think we’ll be seeing a lot of top-10 seasons.
FAST-STARTING WIDE RECEIVERS | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Best Yr | Rk |
2023 | Puka Nacua, LAR | 39 | 501 | 1 | 105-1486-6 | 4th |
2024 | Malik Nabers, NYG | 35 | 386 | 3 | ?-?-? | ? |
2003 | Anquan Boldin, Ari. | 30 | 464 | 2 | 101-1377-8 | 3rd |
1979 | • Jerry Butler, Buff. | 21 | 417 | 4 | 55-842-8 | 17th |
2014 | •• Martavis Bryant, Pitt. | 14 | 310 | 6 | 50-765-6 | 39th |
1984 | Louis Lipps, Pitt. | 18 | 380 | 4 | 59-1134-12 | 1st |
2015 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 25 | 419 | 2 | 127-1535-8 | 3rd |
2018 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 15 | 264 | 6 | 90-1374-9 | 5th |
1982 | Charlie Brown, Was. | 14 | 311 | 5 | 32-690-8 | 3rd |
1984 | •• Bobby Johnson, NYG | 17 | 335 | 4 | 48-795-7 | 23rd |
2004 | Roy Williams, Det. | 20 | 295 | 4 | 82-1310-7 | 9th |
2003 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 26 | 346 | 2 | 115-1575-8 | 1st |
2014 | • Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 21 | 329 | 3 | 73-1008-9 | 16th |
2006 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 20 | 336 | 3 | 98-1202-11 | 8th |
2002 | •• Deion Branch, N.E. | 28 | 309 | 2 | 78-998-5 | 22th |
2021 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 17 | 297 | 4 | 81-1455-13 | 5th |
2015 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 24 | 339 | 2 | 79-1189-8 | 10th |
2008 | • Eddie Royal, Den. | 27 | 298 | 2 | 91-980-5 | 14th |
1998 | Randy Moss, Min. | 17 | 273 | 4 | 111-1632-17 | 1st |
2019 | • Terry McLaurin, Was. | 19 | 308 | 3 | 77-1191-5 | 16th |
1983 | • Willie Gault, Chi. | 12 | 308 | 4 | 40-836-8 | 18th |
1986 | • Hassan Jones, Min. | 14 | 287 | 4 | 51-810-7 | 20th |
2007 | Dwayne Bowe, K.C. | 18 | 299 | 3 | 72-1162-15 | 4th |
2020 | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 21 | 309 | 2 | 135-1749-12 | 1st |
2016 | •• Will Fuller, Hou. | 19 | 323 | 2 | 53-879-8 | 32nd |
2020 | •• Chase Claypool, Pitt. | 13 | 261 | 4 | 62-873-9 | 23rd |
2014 | Odell Beckham, NYG | 18 | 262 | 3 | 101-1367-10 | 4th |
2011 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 19 | 312 | 2 | 97-1350-11 | 4th |
1996 | • Terry Glenn, N.E. | 23 | 319 | 1 | 90-1132-6 | 12th |
2010 | • Mike Williams, T.B. | 19 | 238 | 3 | 65-964-11 | 16th |
—Ian Allan