Before the start of the regular season, NFL fans had no idea who Puka Nacua was, what position he played, or what team he played for. Now just three weeks into the season, Nacua is not only a household name, but he’s one of the leading receivers in the league and is already making NFL history with his play.
Through three games, Nacua – who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 177 overall pick (5th round) in the 2023 NFL Draft – already has 30 receptions (42 targets) and 338 yards. He might not have a touchdown, but he has emerged as the top target for Matthew Stafford – so it’ll come eventually.
I mean, we’re talking about a wide receiver who had 10 catches (15 targets) for 119 yards in Week 1 vs. the Seahawks and a whopping 15 catches (20 targets) for 147 yards in Week 2 vs. the 49ers. He took a step back with just 5 catches (7 targets) for 72 yards in Week 3 vs. the Bengals, but he was due for that.
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Best Rookie Wide Receiver Seasons in NFL History
If Puka Nacua were to maintain this level of play throughout an entire season, he would be on the verge of having one of the greatest rookie seasons by a WR in NFL history. It’s a small sample size, but he’s on pace to have 170 catches (would be NFL record) and 1,916 yards (would be 49 yards shy of NFL record).
He has already made NFL history on numerous fronts. His 15 catches in Week 2 were the most by a rookie in a game in NFL history and his 25 catches through two weeks are the most by a rookie in the first two games of their career. He has been targeted a lot, but has made the most out of each opportunity.
Not only that, but his 338 receiving yards are the second-most by a rookie wide receiver through the first three games of their career since 1970 – only behind Anquan Boldin, who had 378 yards through three weeks. Puka Nacua has been one of the greatest storylines of the 2023 season, but will it stay that way?
We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime – let’s take a look at some of the greatest rookie seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history.
15. Sammy White – 1976 Minnesota Vikings
Sammy White was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2nd round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie season with 51 catches for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games played. He was selected to the 1976 Pro Bowl and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
White had 9 catches for 139 yards and 1 touchdown in Week 2 vs. the Rams, 7 catches for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 9 vs. the Lions, and 9 catches for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns in Week 14 vs. the Dolphins. He also had 9 catches for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns in three playoff games that season.
14. Cris Collinsworth – 1981 Cincinnati Bengals
Cris Collinsworth was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2nd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie season with 67 catches for 1,009 yards and 8 touchdowns in 16 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Collinsworth had 10 catches for 111 yards and 1 touchdown in Week 4 vs. the Bills, 5 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 13 vs. the Browns, and 5 catches for 128 yards and 1 touchdown in Week 16 vs. the Falcons. He also had 9 catches for 159 yards and 1 touchdown in three playoff games that year.
13. Keenan Allen – 2013 San Diego Chargers
Keenan Allen was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the No. 76 overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 71 catches (105 targets) for 1,046 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games played. He came in second place in voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Allen had 6 catches for 115 yards and 1 TD in Week 5 vs. the Raiders, 9 catches for 107 yards and 1 TD in Week 6 vs. the Colts, 8 catches for 128 yards and 1 TD in Week 9 vs. the Redskins, 9 catches for 124 yards in Week 13 vs. the Bengals, and 8 catches for 106 yards in Week 14 vs. the Giants. He also had 8 catches for 163 yards and 2 TDs in the playoffs.
12. Michael Thomas – 2016 New Orleans Saints
Michael Thomas was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 92 receptions (121 targets) for 1,137 yards, 62 first downs, 75.8 yards per game, and 9 touchdowns in 15 games played (12 starts) at 23 years old.
Thomas had two games with at least 10 receptions, three games with at least 100 yards, and two games with multiple touchdowns. He had a touchdown in three consecutive games between Week 3 and Week 6 and ended the season on a good note with 10 catches (14 targets), 156 yards, and 1 TD in Week 17.
11. Harlon Hill – 1954 Chicago Bears
Harlon Hill was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the No. 174 overall pick in the 15th round of the 1954 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 45 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games played at 22 years old. He was named UPI Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Hill had at least 100 yards in 7 of his 12 games played and scored a touchdown in 10 of his 12 games. He had 100+ yards and 1 touchdown in each of his first three games and had one of the best games for a WR in NFL history with his 7 receptions for 214 yards and 4 touchdowns in Week 6 against the 49ers.
10. Mike Evans – 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 7 overall pick in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 68 receptions (122 targets) for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games played. He came in third place in voting for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Evans had an impressive three-week stretch between Week 9 and Week 11 – where he had 7 catches for 124 yards and 2 TDs in Week 9, 7 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD in Week 10, and 7 catches for 209 yards and 2 TDs in Week 11. He totaled 21 catches for 458 yards and 5 TDs during that 3-game stretch.
9. John Jefferson – 1978 San Diego Chargers
John Jefferson was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the No. 14 overall pick in the 1st round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 56 receptions, 1,001 yards and 13 TDs in 14 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Jefferson had five multi-TD games – including 3 catches for 45 yards and 2 TDs in Week 1, 3 catches for 74 yards and 2 TDs in Week 5, 7 catches for 130 yards and 2 TDs in Week 11, 5 catches for 82 yards and 2 TDs in Week 15, and 6 catches for 149 yards and 2 TDs in Week 16 – ending the year on a good note.
8. Bob Hayes – 1965 Dallas Cowboys
Bob Hayes was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 88 overall pick in the 7th round of the 1964 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign (in 1965) with 46 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 TDs in 13 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and came in fourth in voting for UPI Rookie of the Year.
Hayes had three games with at least 100 yards and three games with multiple touchdowns – including 8 catches for 177 yards and 2 TDs vs. the Eagles in Week 4, 4 catches for 108 yards and 2 TDs vs. the 49ers in Week 8, and a combined 6 catches for 197 yards and 3 TDs in the final two games of the year.
7. Justin Jefferson – 2020 Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 22 overall pick in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie season with 88 receptions (125 targets) for 1,400 yards and 7 TDs in 16 games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Jefferson had seven games with at least 100 yards and two multi-TD games as a rookie – including 9 catches for 166 yards and 2 TDs in Week 6 and 7 catches for 70 yards and 2 TDs in Week 12. He also had 7 catches for 175 yards and 1 TD in Week 3 and 9 catches for 121 yards and 1 TD in Week 13.
6. Billy Howton – 1952 Green Bay Packers
Billy Howton was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2nd round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 53 receptions for 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro Second Team.
He had at least 100 yards in 6 of his 12 games played – including in each of the final three games of the season – and had three multi-TD games. He had 21 catches for 443 yards and 6 TDs in the first five games of his career and had 21 catches for 485 yards and 5 TDs in the final three games of the season.
5. Anquan Boldin – 2003 Arizona Cardinals
Anquan Boldin was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 101 receptions (165 targets) for 1,377 yards and 8 touchdowns in 16 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and won Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Boldin had 10+ receptions in two games, 100+ yards in five games, and two multi-TD games. He started the year with 10 catches for 217 yards and 2 TDs in Week 1, 6 catches for 123 yards and 2 TDs in Week 12, 9 catches for 123 yards and 1 TD in Week 14, and 10 catches for 122 yards and 1 TD in Week 16.
4. Odell Beckham Jr. – 2014 New York Giants
Odell Beckham Jr. was drafted by the New York Giants with the No. 12 overall pick in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 91 catches (130 targets) for 1,305 yards and 12 TDs in 12 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Beckham Jr. missed the first four games of the season, but was dominant as the season went on. He had six games with at least 100 yards, four games with at least 10 receptions, and four multi-TD games. He had an impressive 43 catches for 606 yards and 7 touchdowns in the final four games of the season.
3. Bill Groman – 1960 Houston Oilers
Bill Groman went undrafted in the 1960 NFL Draft, but was signed by the Houston Oilers two years after leaving college to teach 8th graders. He finished his rookie campaign with 72 receptions for 1,473 yards and 12 TDs in 14 games played. He led the NFL in yards, yards per reception, and yards per game.
Groman had at least 100 yards in 9 of his 14 games played and had three multi-TD games in a four-week span. He had 10 catches for 140 yards and 1 TD in Week 6, 5 catches for 102 yards and 3 TDs in Week 7, 7 catches for 155 yards and 2 TDs in Week 9, and 3 catches for 182 yards and 2 TDs in Week 11.
2. Ja’Marr Chase – 2021 Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 81 receptions (128 targets) for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns in 17 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and won Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Chase had one game with double-digit receptions, five games with 100+ yards (including two games with 200+ yards), and three multi-TD games. He had 4 catches for 65 yards and 2 TDs in Week 3, 8 catches for 201 yards and 1 TD in Week 7, and an impressive 11 catches for 266 yards and 3 TDs in Week 17.
1. Randy Moss – 1998 Minnesota Vikings
Randy Moss was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 21 overall pick in the 1st round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 69 receptions (124 targets) for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns in 16 games played. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and won Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Moss also came third in MVP voting, third in Offensive Player of the Year voting, and was named to the All-Pro First Team. He had 4 catches for 95 yards and 2 TDs in his debut, 5 catches for 190 yards and 2 TDs in Week 5, and 19 catches for 422 yards and 7 TDs in a 3-week span between Weeks 12 and 14.
Which Player Had the Best Rookie Season in NFL History?
Randy Moss’ rookie season is hard to beat and Ja’Marr Chase had a rookie season for the ages, but how do they rank if we include all the other positions? They’re certainly near the top, but we’ve seen some players enter the league with ferocity over the years and there are certainly a few players that stand out.
For example, Lawrence Taylor recorded an unofficial 9.5 sacks in 1981 and walked away as the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Let’s also not forget about Eric Dickerson and his 1,808 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns as a rookie in 1983.
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I also think we should throw Devin Hester into this conversation – he returned two kickoffs and three punts for touchdowns as a rookie in 2006. Dick Lane led the NFL with 14 interceptions and two INT return TDs in 1952, while Gale Sayers had 1,374 yards from scrimmage and 20 total TDs as a rookie in 1965.
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