The 2014 NFL draft provided the greatest rookie class of wide receivers in football history. Last year’s rookies recorded 12,611 receiving yards, the most receiving yards produced by any single class year in the NFL last season. Even more incredibly, 2014 rookie receivers caught 92 touchdowns, 20 more than any other class year produced during the 2014 season. So how are these players doing as sophomores?
The Good
Arizona’s John Brown was a revelation as a rookie out of tiny Pittsburg State in Kansas, but he has been even better this year, with 497 receiving yards through six games. Jacksonville’s Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson were impressive as rookies, but have been stars this year. Each player has at least 28 catches, 460 receiving yards and four touchdowns, putting each on a pace to grab 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Placed Into Bigger Roles
Jordan Matthews (Philadelphia), Jarvis Landry (Miami) and Donte Moncrief (Indianapolis) were all good enough as rookies that their teams moved on from veteran receivers (Jeremy Maclin, Mike Wallace and Reggie Wayne) in the offseason. That placed each player into a bigger role as a sophomore in 2015. So far, each player has responded well, with better per-game numbers through six weeks.
The same cannot be said for Brandin Cooks of New Orleans; without Jimmy Graham around, the expectation was 2015 would be a breakout year for the team’s first-round pick a year ago. Cooks gained 623 yards from scrimmage in 10 games last year, but his production is slightly down — 60.5 scrimmage yards per game — in 2015. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Taylor Gabriel was a pleasant surprise as an undrafted free agent in 2014, recording 621 receiving yards in a part-time role. But he has been less effective this year, and has been leapfrogged in the passing game by the fourth-year receiver Travis Benjamin.
The Injured
Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants averaged 108.8 yards and a touchdown per game last year, but he has had less of an effect so far this year. While it was always going to be challenging to match his phenomenal pace set in 2014, Beckham has also been battling hamstring injuries, a concern after he missed the first four games of last season with a similar injury. This year, he is averaging 81.5 yards per game with four scores through six games. Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans caught 12 touchdowns in 2014, but he has yet to reach the end zone in 2015. Evans missed the first game of this season because of a hamstring injury, too, while his average yardage per game has dropped from 70.1 to 43.5.
In the first half of last season, the two best rookie wide receivers were Carolina’s Kelvin Benjamin and Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins. But a torn ACL has cost Benjamin all of his 2015 season, while Watkins has just 11 catches for the Bills in 2015. After missing a game two weeks ago with a calf injury, Watkins suffered an ankle injury in his first game back, leaving his status for this week up in the air. Green Bay’s Davante Adams has been out with an ankle injury, while Jacksonville’s Marqise Lee has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Pittsburgh’s Martavis Bryant missed the first four games of this year, but because of a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. In his first game back, he caught six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, including an 88-yard score that clinched the win for Pittsburgh over the Cardinals.
Conclusion
The historic 2014 class was highlighted by Beckham, Evans, Watkins and Benjamin. And while it has not been a great sophomore campaign for those four, the depth of the class continues to shine. Second-year receivers have gained over 5,500 receiving yards this year, over 1,000 more yards than wide receivers from any other class year so far in 2015.
