2022 NFL Rookie Receiver Rankings: Week 5

Last season we did our weekly rookie quarterback tracker, but with only one taken in the first round of 2022, we’ve moved onto another highly-coveted position: Receiver. For 2022 we’ll keep track of all six first-round wide receivers and their progress throughout the year. Some of our first-round rookies are already off to the races and contributing heavily to their teams.

Let’s check out this year’s group of rookie first-rounders.

Although Williams can officially practice with the team now, he hasn’t been cleared yet. Lions head coach Dan Campbell says Williams is improving but is still “several weeks away” from participation in practice. The No. 12 overall pick is running again, but still has a ways to go before debuting. So, hang in there, Lions fans.

Tennessee announced Saturday that they were placing rookie Treylon Burks on injured reserve. Burks left the Titans’ Week 4 victory against the Colts in the fourth quarter after suffering a foot injury. He didn’t practice all week, and thus the team decided to shut him down. Placing Burks on IR means he’ll be unavailable for at least the next four weeks.

Jahan Dotson was inactive (hamstring injury) for Week 5, missing the first game of his young NFL career. Through four games, he’d already become one of Carson Wentz’s favorite targets catching four TDs in those games, which tied him for the league lead entering Week 5.

Hamstring injuries can be difficult to gauge, so we’ll keep a close eye on how long this keeps him out of the lineup. Dotson proved early on that he’s a player that just knows how to find the end zone. Washington will surely miss his presence in that offense if he misses significant time.

Jets wide receivers had a quiet afternoon for a team that scored 40 points on Sunday. The good news is that Wilson led the Jets with three receptions on four targets from Zach Wilson. The bad part is he accumulated just 27 yards on those three catches. Usually, in a game where a team scores 40 points, you can expect to see one or two receivers go off for big games. But that’s not how the Jets operate, as they scored five rushing touchdowns. But hey, a win is a win, especially if you’re the Jets.

After a hot start, rookie wideout Drake London has cooled off over the last three games. In Weeks 1 & 2, London caught 13 passes for 160 yards and a TD. Since then, the former USC Trojan has nine catches, 106 yards, and a TD. This week against Tampa Bay, London caught four balls for 35 yards. His production has clearly slipped over the past few weeks. Even with such a dismal output, London did lead the Falcons in receptions in the loss.

Chris Olave had a decent outing in this high-scoring affair, which the Saints won 39-32 on the back of three Taysom Hill rushing TDs and one through the air. Olave contributed to the win by hauling in four catches and a TD for 54 yards. Not a breakout game by any means, but Olave grabbing his second career TD reception must have been special.