It’s just one week, but those were nice debuts for Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua. They’re rookie receivers, but they combined to see 25 targets in their first games.
Nacua caught 10 passes for 119 yards, with the Rams sending 15 passes in his direction. He’s looking like he’ll be their leading receiver while Cooper Kupp is sidelined. In the last 20 years, only wide receiver has seen more targets in his first pro game (Julian Edelman).
In a less dynamic offense, Flowers saw 10 targets, and he caught all but one of them, catching more passes than Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman combined.
In the 32-team era, 20 other wide receivers have seen at least 10 targets in their first pro game. We can then cross-check the numbers to see how many went on to have notable seasons and careers.
Of those other 20 receivers starting with 10 targets, only four finished with top-30 numbers in their first season (using PPR scoring). None of those four, oddly, were first-round draft picks (Anquan Boldin, DeSean Jackson, Michael Clayton and Eddie Royal, and I’ve got them tagged with black dots).
Only half of the 20, in fact, ever had a top-30 season in their career. The last number in each column shows the best PPR rank of the player’s career. Seven of these players never ranked in the top 60 statistically in a season.
| RECEIVERS WITH 10 TARGETS IN FIRST GAME | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | First G | Rookie Yr | Rk | Best |
| 2002 | Antonio Bryant, Dall. | 4-47-0 | 44-733-6 | 45 | 9 |
| 2003 | • Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 10-217-2 | 101-1377-8 | 3 | 3 |
| 2003 | Shaun McDonald, St.L. | 6-46-0 | 10-62-0 | 129 | 21 |
| 2004 | • Michael Clayton, T.B. | 7-53-0 | 80-1193-7 | 14 | 14 |
| 2008 | • DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 6-106-0 | 62-912-4 | 30 | 10 |
| 2008 | • Eddie Royal, Den. | 9-146-1 | 91-980-5 | 14 | 14 |
| 2009 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 8-98-0 | 37-359-1 | 83 | 7 |
| 2010 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 8-56-0 | 45-561-8 | 42 | 3 |
| 2012 | Rod Streater, Oak. | 4-27-1 | 39-584-3 | 64 | 33 |
| 2013 | Aaron Dobson, N.E. | 3-56-1 | 37-519-4 | 61 | 61 |
| 2013 | Kenbrell Thompkins, N.E. | 4-42-0 | 32-466-4 | 68 | 68 |
| 2014 | Marqise Lee, Jac. | 6-62-0 | 37-422-1 | 88 | 40 |
| 2015 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 6-87-0 | 52-720-4 | 47 | 3 |
| 2015 | Rashad Greene, Jac. | 7-28-1 | 19-93-3 | 113 | 113 |
| 2016 | Will Fuller, Hou. | 5-107-1 | 47-635-3 | 61 | 32 |
| 2016 | Tajae Sharpe, Ten. | 7-76-0 | 41-522-2 | 73 | 73 |
| 2017 | Corey Davis, Ten. | 6-69-0 | 34-375-0 | 85 | 29 |
| 2018 | Keke Coutee, Hou. | 11-109-0 | 28-287-1 | 101 | 86 |
| 2019 | KeeSean Johnson, Ariz. | 5-46-0 | 21-187-1 | 112 | 112 |
| 2020 | Quintez Cephus, Det. | 3-43-0 | 20-349-2 | 103 | 103 |
| 2023 | Puka Nacua, LAR | 10-119-0 | ?-?-? | ? | ? |
| 2023 | Zay Flowers, Balt. | 9-78-0 | ?-?-? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan