As great as he was, 6-5 Plaxico Burress caught 22 passes in his rookie season for 273 yards. On a Steelers team that included veterans Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward, and a still-explosive Kordell Stewart. After being chosen eighth overall by Pittsburgh.
Terrell Owens, 6-4, caught 35 passes his rookie year for 520 yards. His quarterback was Hall of Famer Steve Young. The team’s other wideout was Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
Harold Carmichael, the tallest receiver to play the game, caught 20 passes in each of his first two seasons with the Eagles. John Stallworth’s breakout season came four seasons into his career, when he was 25.