There were 33 wide receivers selected in the 2014 NFL draft. That is more than one entire round of wideouts. The rookie wide receiver that shone the brightest in the first week of the NFL season wasn’t even drafted.
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I am talking about the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns. He played his college football at Miami, and even set the Hurricanes’ single season receiving yards record as a senior (1,891). Perhaps the most amazing part about this is that Jacksonville drafted two receivers, Marquise Lee (39th overall) and Allen Robinson(61st overall), but Hurns jumped both of them on the depth chart.
Still, NFL teams thought that at least 33 others measured higher than Hurns. So far, they are wrong.
Hurns became the first player ever to catch two touchdown passes in his first NFL quarter, and just the second in history to record touchdown grabs on his first two NFL receptions. He was also just the sixth player in history with more than 100 yards receiving and two touchdown catches in his NFL debut. The last was Anquan Boldin with the Arizona Cardinals in 2003.
What do you do for an encore after that as an opening?
Quarterback Chad Henne seems to have a connection with Hurns already. Hurns led the NFL in receiving yards during the four preseason games, and picked up where he left off. So far, he is the only rookie this year to top 100 yards in the first week.
As good as his first week was, it is unlikely that he can do this every week. Veteran Cecil Shorts could be back as early as next week, and when he is, he will take a big chunk out of Hurns’ nine targets.
Still, Hurns had a very memorable NFL debut!