Is Chase Claypool the best rookie wide receiver in NFL history?

Through his first 10 games, Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Chase Claypool has already made history as a rookie.

With eight receiving scores, and two rushing, Claypool’s 10 total touchdowns through as many games tie a mark accomplished by only three other rookies. What makes Claypool different is he’s the only first-year receiver to hit that milestone in the Super Bowl era.

Claypool’s performance has not only put him in the running for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but pushed him into the best rookie receivers of all-time discussion.

Minnesota Vikings pass-catcher Justin Jefferson may have something to say about that, but until Jefferson and Claypool finish out the regular season, their place in history is still up for debate.

For now, there are at least five players who outrank Jefferson and Claypool. Below we count down those five, as we look at the best rookie seasons by a receiver in NFL history.

5. Billy Howton, Green Bay Packers (1952)

In his first season in Green Bay, Billy Howton got off to a fast start with a one-touchdown, 72-yard outing against Chicago in his first game. That production was just a glimpse of what was to come, as Howton went on to record six 100-yard receiving games, including one in which he racked up 200 yards on six catches.

Howton finished his rookie season with 1,231 yards, the most in the league in 1952, and a 23.23 yards-per-catch average through only 12 games. His 13 touchdowns are tied for the second most by a rookie receiver.

4. Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals (2003)

When Anquan Boldin was drafted in 2003, his 4.7 40-yard dash time caused him to drop to the second round, where he was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals.

His speed ended up not being an issue, however, as Boldin quickly demonstrated in his first professional game. Against the Detroit Lions, Boldin caught 10 passes for 217 yards, the most ever by a rookie in his first game. The future Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion also scored twice in his debut.

From there, he went on to post four more 100-yard receiving games and set the all-time record for receptions by a rookie, with 101.

By the end of the 2003 season, Boldin had accumulated 1,377 yards and eight scores through 16 games. His mind-blowing stats earned him his first Pro Bowl nomination (he was the only rookie chosen that season) and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.   

3. Bill Groman, Houston Oilers (1960)

Four-time AFL champion Bill Groman may not be a household name today, but he certainly left a significant impact on the NFL in the 1960s.

As a rookie, Groman helped the Houston Oilers to a 10-4 record, and topped the AFL in receiving yards (1,473 through 14 games), a mark no rookie has bested.

Groman also scored 12 touchdowns, tied for the third most by a first-year receiver. He and Odell Beckham Jr. are the only rookies with over 700 receiving yards in a six-game span.

Groman’s best game came in Week 11, when he caught three passes for 182 yards and two scores. He broke the 100-yard threshold in every game but four.

His second year in Houston, he again won the AFL Championship, and set the record for most touchdown receptions through a player’s first two seasons, with 29.

2. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants (2014)

In a draft class that featured Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr. was the third receiver selected, at No. 12 overall, in 2014.

OBJ didn’t see his first game action until Week 5, because of injury, and put up a modest 44 yards and one touchdown on four receptions for the New York Giants. Three games later, he exploded for 156 yards on eight catches, and never had fewer than 90 yards in a game through the remainder of the season.

Beckham registered 1,305 yards (including seven 100-yard receiving games) on 91 receptions, the third most catches by a rookie. He is the only player in NFL history to record at least 1,300 receiving yards while playing in 12 or fewer games in a season, and his 108.8 yards per game is a rookie record.

OBJ also set the rookie record for most games (4) with at least 10 receptions, and most games (6) with at least 125 receiving yards.

In addition to his impressive numbers, Beckham’s famous one-handed touchdown reception, considered one of the greatest catches of all time, occurred during his first year in the league.

1. Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings (1998)

One of the greatest wide receivers of all time hit the ground running as a rookie in Minnesota.

A first-round draft pick out of Marshall, Randy Moss joined veteran receiver Cris Carter on the Vikings and created one of the most lethal receiving tandems in NFL history.

That year, Moss piled up 1,313 receiving yards, and his 17 touchdown receptions both led the NFL and set a rookie record that will likely never be broken.  

Along with Carter (1,011 yards and 12 TDs) in 1998, Moss helped the 15-1 Vikings hit another milestone: the single-season record for scoring. The New England Patriots later broke the record the year Moss joined the team in 2007.

Moss had four 100-yard receiving games, two three-touchdown performances, and averaged 19.03 yards per reception across 16 games. He also hauled in a touchdown in both of Minnesota’s playoff contests.

At the end of the 1998 season, Moss earned his first of six Pro Bowl selections, first of four All-Pro honors, took home Offensive Rookie of the Year, and put the NFL on notice for what was to come in his remarkable career.