When teams select quarterbacks high in the draft, they are looking for a new face of the franchise who can make an immediate impact on the field. A talented leader who will come in, get the most out of his weapons and lead his club to victory. We have seen this numerous times, whether it was Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 or C.J. Stroud in 2023.
Who were the wide receivers who most benefitted from their rookie quarterbacks? Below, we will break down the top 10 seasons for a receiver catching passes from a first-year quarterback.
Evans’ statline: 74 receptions, 1,206 yards, 3 TDs
The Buccaneers selected Winston No. 1 overall in 2015, and he broke numerous franchise rookie passing records. In fact, he was even selected to his lone Pro Bowl as an alternate that first season. Winston walked into Tampa Bay with an established No. 1 wideout in Evans, who caught 68 passes for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns in his rookie campaign. In his second season, with Winston as his quarterback, Evans caught 74 passes for 1,206 yards and three touchdowns in just 15 games played. Despite the low touchdown number, Evans’ 1,206 receiving yards rank fourth-best in his 10 NFL seasons. Evans has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in all 10 seasons. That’s the second-longest streak ever behind Jerry Rice’s 11. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers never made the playoffs with Winston as quarterback. But lucky for Evans, some guy named Tom Brady moved to Tampa in 2020.
4. Nico Collins with C.J. Stroud (2023)
Collins’ statline: 80 receptions, 1,297 yards, 8 TDs
It took a new quarterback to unlock the big-bodied Collins, as he put up career numbers across the board with 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 receptions. Previously, Collins hadn’t crossed 500 yards in a single season, or caught more than two touchdowns.
Collins became the third player in Houston Texans history to record 1,200 receiving yards in a season and…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-top-10-seasons-by-a-wr-with-rookie-qb-under-center-these-wideouts-thrived-with-their-new-passers/
Author : Jordan Dajani
Publish date : 2024-06-14 23:42:50
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