I see in these final OTA workouts that Jermaine Burton and Devontez Walker are looking a lot better now than they did as rookies. It reminds me that some receivers are able to rebound after underwhelming first seasons.
Antonio Brown, as a prominent example, caught only 16 passes as a rookie before putting together a string of seasons about as good as any in league history. K.J. Osborn didn’t catch any passes as a rookie.
With our current guys, Walker didn’t get on the field much for the Ravens, catching only 1 pass all year. But he’s still the same guy they picked in the fourth round. He’s reportedly been getting a lot of reps with the first- and second-string units. I’m not suggesting Walker should be rostered in any fantasy format I can think of right now, but conceivable that he could turn things around. Possible that DeAndre Hopkins is simply cooked.
With Burton, he’s a talent. If not for off-field issues, he probably would have been drafted in the second round. And he had 47- and 41-yard catches in limited playing time as a rookie. But he also annoyed the team enough last year to be suspended twice. He was a no-show for a Saturday walkthrough, he was evicted in December and he was accused of assaulting a woman in early January. In college, he hit a fan on the field after a game.
Reports suggest Burton is ready to stop being a jackass. If that’s the case, he’ll probably emerge as Cincinnati’s third receiver. He’s a lot more talented than Andrei Iosivas. And if Tee Higgins were to miss time (like he always does)? That looks like a plausible route to relevance.
While a crappy rookie season is less than ideal, others have managed to turn things around. In the last 10 years, 13 wide receivers haven’t put up top-80 numbers in their first season (using PPR scoring) but have then moved up into the top 50 at their position.
2ND-YEAR RECEIVERS MAKING BIG JUMPS (last 10 yrs) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rd | No | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk | Previous |
2021 | K.J. Osborn, Min. | 5 | 50 | 655 | 7 | 158.5 | 40 | 0-0-0 |
2021 | Marquez Callaway, N.O. | FA | 46 | 698 | 6 | 151.8 | 43 | 21-213-0 |
2021 | Van Jefferson, LAR | 2 | 50 | 802 | 6 | 168.2 | 36 | 19-220-1 |
2019 | DJ Chark, Jac. | 2 | 73 | 1008 | 8 | 225.8 | 18 | 14-174-0 |
2018 | Mike Williams, LAC | 1 | 43 | 664 | 11 | 180.2 | 33 | 11-95-0 |
2018 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 2 | 39 | 494 | 7 | 138.8 | 47 | 15-115-0 |
2018 | Dede Westbrook, Jac. | 4 | 66 | 717 | 6 | 183.5 | 30 | 27-339-1 |
2018 | Zay Jones, Buff. | 2 | 56 | 652 | 7 | 165.2 | 35 | 27-316-2 |
2018 | Corey Davis, Ten. | 1 | 65 | 891 | 4 | 183.6 | 29 | 34-375-0 |
2016 | Tyrell Williams, S.D. | FA | 69 | 1059 | 7 | 216.9 | 19 | 2-90-1 |
2016 | Cameron Meredith, Chi. | FA | 66 | 888 | 4 | 183.5 | 38 | 11-120-0 |
2016 | Quincy Enunwa, NYJ | 6 | 58 | 857 | 4 | 168.9 | 45 | 22-315-0 |
2015 | Willie Snead, N.O. | FA | 69 | 984 | 3 | 185.4 | 32 | 0-0-0 |
Previously in the 32-team era, I see 23 other wide receivers who didn’t put up top-80 receivers in their first season but moved up into the top 50 in their second year. (Again, PPR scoring, and looking at the 2002-14 seasons).
2ND-YEAR RECEIVERS MAKING BIG JUMPS (2002-14) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rd | No | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk | Previous |
2013 | Marvin Jones, Cin. | 5 | 51 | 712 | 10 | 188.7 | 29 | 18-201-1 |
2013 | Alshon Jeffery, Chi. | 2 | 89 | 1421 | 7 | 285.6 | 8 | 24-367-3 |
2012 | Cecil Shorts, Jac. | 4 | 55 | 979 | 7 | 194.5 | 26 | 2-30-1 |
2012 | Jeremy Kerley, NYJ | 5 | 56 | 827 | 3 | 159.6 | 42 | 29-314-1 |
2012 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 2 | 80 | 954 | 9 | 242.6 | 16 | 25-375-3 |
2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | FA | 82 | 1536 | 9 | 289.9 | 3 | 0-0-0 |
2011 | Eric Decker, Den. | 3 | 44 | 612 | 9 | 159.3 | 37 | 6-106-1 |
2011 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 6 | 69 | 1108 | 3 | 201.9 | 23 | 16-167-1 |
2011 | David Nelson, Buff. | FA | 61 | 658 | 5 | 156.8 | 39 | 31-353-3 |
2010 | Danny Amendola, St.L. | FA | 85 | 689 | 3 | 180.0 | 30 | 43-326-1 |
2009 | Earl Bennett, Chi. | 3 | 54 | 717 | 3 | 145.7 | 42 | 0-0-0 |
2009 | Mario Manningham, NYG | 3 | 57 | 822 | 5 | 169.2 | 30 | 4-26-0 |
2009 | Pierre Garcon, Ind. | 6 | 47 | 765 | 4 | 148.5 | 39 | 4-23-0 |
2008 | Steve Breaston, Ari. | 5 | 77 | 1006 | 3 | 196.4 | 25 | 8-92-1 |
2008 | Greg Camarillo, Mia. | FA | 55 | 613 | 2 | 128.4 | 50 | 8-160-2 |
2007 | Brandon Marshall, Den. | 4 | 102 | 1325 | 7 | 282.2 | 9 | 20-309-2 |
2005 | Antonio Chatman, G.B. | FA | 49 | 549 | 5 | 137.3 | 43 | 22-246-1 |
2005 | Ernest Wilford, Jac. | 4 | 41 | 681 | 7 | 151.1 | 40 | 19-271-2 |
2004 | Ronald Curry, Oak. | 7 | 50 | 679 | 6 | 153.6 | 42 | 5-31-0 |
2004 | Brandon Lloyd, S.F. | 4 | 43 | 565 | 6 | 137.5 | 46 | 14-212-2 |
2003 | Javon Walker, G.B. | 1 | 41 | 716 | 9 | 166.7 | 27 | 23-319-1 |
2002 | Derrius Thompson, Was. | FA | 53 | 773 | 4 | 162.0 | 42 | 3-52-1 |
2002 | Steve Smith, Car. | 3 | 54 | 872 | 5 | 170.8 | 38 | 10-154-3 |
—Ian Allan