FanPost

Which Rookie Receivers Will Break Out in 2014?

This past mock draft season, Niners Nation got pretty infatuated with the wide receiver position. And for good reason. The 2014 rookie receiver class boasted tons of talent, from hulking red zone threats to shifty burners. Also Jared Abbrederis. Our collective hivemind reached a single foregone conclusion: the Niners would draft a receiver in the first two rounds.

Then Baalke went and Baalke’d us, snagging Steve Johnson from the Bills for a tube of Pogs and a Canadian nickel. Suddenly, receiver wasn't a huge need, and it was BPA Fest 2014 for the Niners. The team went on to draft South Carolina speedster Bruce Ellington in the 4th round, and this team actually had some receivers. From Mission Street to [street in Alaska], fans rejoiced.

But what about all those receiver prospects we passed up? I mean, we could have drafted Allen Robinson at approximately pick #472. I’m pretty sure Jeff Janis is still sitting politely in his living room waiting for a call. Let’s engage in some wild speculation about some of the receivers we examined so thoroughly this summer:

Sammy Watkins (1.04 BUF): The talent is there, and it’s not like he has to compete for targets, but E.J. Manuel’s inherit E.J. Manuel-ness may hamper his upside. On the other hand, Cordarrelle Patterson managed a nice rookie year with Mr. Samantha Steele and Michael Jackson circa 1983 throwing him the ball. Screens all day make Sammy a happy boy. Volume and talent will win out in Buffalo.

Prediction: 58 receptions, 795 yards, 5 TDs.

Mike Evans (1.07 TB): My bet to lead all rookie receivers in touchdowns. He’s got the body and skill set, and Josh McCown recently graduated from the Matt Stafford Throw-It-Up-To-The-Big-Guy-And-Pray School of Quarterbacking. With Vincent Jackson pulling safeties away from his side, Evans will feast in the redzone and between the 20s.

Prediction: 48 receptions, 680 yards, 9 TDs.

Odell Beckham, Jr. (1.12 NYG): On one hand, he has a decent QB – no wait, let me finish. Eli can be pretty dumpster fire-y, but he can also put up 4,000 yards in his sleep. With the Giants likely to run a lot of three-wide, Beckham has a shot to get on the field early and often, and that 3rd receiver position in New York has been pretty profitable for guys over the years (hello, Mario Manningham!). On the other hand, Eli could Eli all over the place, and Rueben Randle looks to poach a lot of looks. Early talk of being in Coughlin's doghouse don't bode well, either.

Prediction: 35 receptions, 470 yards, 3 TDs

Brandin Cooks (1.20 NO): A major Niners Nation mancrush. Even worse than my Angel Pagan mancrush. Serious pining. My prediction is going to be modest, but it’s not an indictment on Cooks. Given the socialist regime of the Saints passing offense and the presence of Kenny Stills, I’m looking for Cooks to have a Tavon Austin-esque rookie year: a few big games followed by stretches of invisibility. As is the Saints way.

Prediction: 38 receptions, 590 yards, 5 TDs

Kelvin Benjamin (1.28 CAR): A very divisive figure among draftniks, Benjamin is the ultimate wildcard. The body is there. The volume should be there, even on a run-first team. But can he run routes? Are his hands made of stone or some sort of organic-metal hybrid that is equally poorly-suited for catching footballs? I’m expecting a lot of growing pains, and Benjamin is my bust candidate for the 2014 season.

Prediction: 27 receptions, 345 yards, 3 TDs

Marqise Lee (2.07 JAX): Poor, poor Marqise. In just over a year, he went from consensus first round pick to trying to catch footballs from Blaine Gabbert 2.0 (seriously, don’t they ever learn? LOL of course not). Due to garbage time and lack of competition outside Cecil Shorts, the volume will be there, and Lee's final stat line could be impressive, even if he’s dying inside. Count this as a bullish prediction, given the circumstances.

Prediction: 55 catches, 665 yards, 4 TDs

Jordan Matthews (2.10 PHI): Was our FUTURE! Ahem, sorry. Matthews actually landed in a decent spot in Philly, with a competent QB (we think), a fast-paced offense and nobody all that special ahead of him. The first few weeks may be quiet, but I fully expect him to be getting a starter-level snap count by October. He's my breakout rookie candidate, at least relative to draft status and overall hype level.

Prediction: 50 receptions, 690 yards, 6 TDs

Conclusion: At least one (come on, more like five or six) of these predictions will make me look quite foolish. I imagine it's slightly less dart-throwy for GMs, but not by much. For that reason, I'm happy with the Niners' approach of avoiding early round receivers in this year's draft.

There are tons more receivers to discuss, but I'm not a machine, people.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.