Four receivers went off the board consecutively in the first round of April’s NFL draft.
The last of the bunch is the favorite to lead all rookies in receiving yards in 2023.
Jordan Addison, who went to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 23 overall selection, has +225 odds to finish atop the leaderboard in receiving yardage among first-year players, according to BetMGM on May 31.
While Jaxon Smith-Njigba went to the Seahawks at No. 20, Quentin Johnston to the Chargers at 21 and Zay Flowers to the Ravens at 22, Addison has a really good setup in Minnesota between a clear path to playing time and a pocket quarterback who should get him the ball.
Even though Justin Jefferson will command the most targets for the Vikings, the departure of Adam Thielen gives Addison a shot to find immediate success with Kirk Cousins.
The other three first-round wideouts are next on the list of odds to lead rookies in receiving yardage, but at varying prices. Jonathan Mingo, a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, rounds out the top five.
- Jordan Addison +225
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba +275
- Quentin Johnston +550
- Zay Flowers +800
- Jonathan Mingo +1100
Smith-Njigba should slide in as the starting slot receiver for the Seahawks, and is line for ample playing time from the outset of the season. He does have some serious competition for targets, as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett make up one of the stronger outside receiver duos in the NFC.
Johnston has a similar hill to climb, as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are established pass-catchers in Los Angeles, while running back Austin Ekeler gobbles up plenty of targets himself.
Flowers not only has receiving competition from Odell Beckham, Jr., Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, but is on a team that is run-heavy because of Lamar Jackson’s presence. Baltimore has talked about passing the ball more this season but it would be a heavy upset for Flowers to finish with the most receiving yards among rookies.
Mingo is an intriguing candidate. Even though he wasn’t a first-round pick, Carolina could be a good landing spot. While DJ Chark, Adam Thielen and Terrace Marshall are an impediment, the Panthers surely have designs of pairing up Bryce Young and Mingo for the long haul, and getting them on the field together could be a point of emphasis.
Dalton Kincaid has the best odds among tight ends to lead rookies in receiving yardage, as the Bills first-rounder comes in at +1800 odds. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson makes the list at +4000. He will get substantial playing time but it won’t be easy to rack up the receiving yards from his position.
Here is a look at the full list of longshots available to be wagered on to lead NFL rookies in receiving yardage in 2023, per BetMGM:
- Rashee Rice +1400
- Dalton Kincaid +1800
- Jayden Reed +2000
- Jalin Hyatt +2500
- Sam LaPorta +2500
- Marvin Mims +3000
- Nathaniel Dell +3000
- Josh Downs +3000
- Jahmyr Gibbs +3500
- Bijan Robinson +4000
- Cedric Tillman +4000
- Michael Mayer +5000
- Luke Musgrave +5000
- Kayshon Boutte +6000
- Tyler Scott +6000
