Where are the rookie receivers?
Posted: Tuesday October 20, 1998 10:28 AM
Remember all the receivers drafted high in this year's draft? Wondering why
you haven't heard their names since April? Minnesota's Randy Moss is leading the
NFL with six touchdown receptions, but his fellow rookie receivers are
falling well behind.
Of the other nine receivers taken in the first two rounds of the '98 draft,
only one -- the Colts' Jerome Pathon -- has 10 or
more catches. Those nine have been active for less than half of their
teams' games and average just five catches for 76 yards, with two touchdown
receptions -- both this week -- between them.
What this reiterates is how difficult it is for receivers to make it big in
their rookie seasons. Everyone assumes receivers will make a quick impact,
burning defenses and racking up big touchdowns as they did in college. But
it's a vast difference being a successful receiver in the NFL, for several
reasons. |
Rookies gone AWOL | Here are the 10 wide
receivers selected in the first two rounds
of the 1998 draft, with
their draft position, games played,
catches, yards and
touchdowns. | |
Player |
Team | Draft | Games |
Rec. | Yards | TDs |
Kevin Dyson
Randy Moss
Marcus
Nash
Jerome Pathon
Jacquez Green
Pat Johnson
Germane
Crowell
Tony Simmons
Joe Jurevicius
Mikhael Ricks
| Oilers
Vikings
Broncos
Colts
Bucs
Ravens
Lions
Patriots
Giants
Chargers
|
16th
21st
30th
32nd
34th
42nd
50th
52nd
55th
59th
| 3
6
2
7
2
3
6
1
1
3
| 4
27
1
17
2
7
9
0
1
4
| 82
527
30
210
26
104
141
0
22
72
| 1
6
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
| | |
First, most of these guys have never played against such sophisticated
defenses. They've never had to worry about sight adjustments -- changing
routes as a defensive back makes his first moves. This makes quarterbacks
more hesitant to throw to rookies. How many times have you seen Dan Marino walking off to the
sidelines and yelling at a receiver? I'd say nine out of 10
"miscommunication" interceptions stem from a receiver breaking the wrong
route.
One major challenge for a rookie receiver is getting past the initial jam
in the bump-and-run philosophy prevalent in the league. One of the big
concerns with Moss was that he couldn't get off a tight jam on the line --
he had never really been pressed in college. But Moss has done a great job,
getting past those first five yards and making great adjustments. Again,
he's the exception to the rule.
In the NFL, receivers must be able to block downfield -- many great college
receivers have little or no blocking skills and won't get on the field
until they can do that as well as they can run their routes.
Because of all these differences, coaches are hesitant to throw a rookie
into play until he's shown he's ready, both physically and mentally.
They'll go with veterans who have less skills rather than take that chance.
Look at Oilers receiver Kevin Dyson, the first
receiver selected in the draft. He had no catches in the Oilers' first six
games -- he only dressed for two of them -- but then injuries pressed him
into his first start Sunday, and he responded with four catches for 82
yards, with a 45-yard touchdown. Where was he? Coaches had a legitimate
concern in easing him in, but sometimes you just have to throw a guy in and
see what he has.
These rookies will see more action in the second half of the season, but
the biggest improvement you see in receivers is in their second season,
after their first full off-season with teams. You can't really judge a
rookie until he's had a year to adjust and a summer with coaches working
with him every day. Many times, you'll see dramatic improvements in a
player's second year.
Jerry Rice went from three touchdowns as a rookie to 15 his second year. Carl Pickens went from one
score to six. Herman
Moore went from 11 catches to 51, and Isaac Bruce went from 20
catches to 119.
This makes what Moss has done all the more impressive -- he's on pace to
break the NFL rookie record of 13 touchdown receptions.
So where are his classmates? Just be patient. Give promising players like
Denver's Marcus Nash
and San Diego's Mikhael
Ricks another year to adjust, and there's a good chance they'll begin
to shine as well.
Gary Horton is a former NFL scout and college coach who now heads up The
War Room, a publication offering an insider's perspective into the NFL. His
weekly column appears on Tuesdays throughout the season.
| 
