Anquan Boldin was the Arizona Cardinals’ second-round draft pick in 2003, with few expectations going into his rookie season.
After the Combine, there were concerns around his “measurables,” but he was confident in his football skills, and that is all that was going to matter going into his rookie season.
The QB of the Cardinals was Jeff Blake, who by 2003 had become a journeyman in the league.
The Cardinals did not have a lot of hope for a big campaign. They faced the Detroit Lions in the season opener, and it was there that Boldin announced himself to the world.
Boldin set a WR record against the Lions
Boldin had 10 receptions in the game against the Lions and recorded 217 receiving yards. This remains a record to date, and the only player who has come close to breaking this record since has been Hollywood Brown, who recorded 147 yards in his debut game against the Miami Dolphins.
Boldin broke a 56-year-old record set by Hugh Taylor when he recorded 217 yards as a rookie WR.
Despite that effort, the Cardinals suffered a 42-24 loss on the night.
Boldin continued putting up big numbers in his rookie season. He ended up with 101 receptions and 1,377 receiving yards, and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year honours for his work.
Bill Groman was the only player to record more receiving yards than him. However, the likes of Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson climbed their way into the list by having better rookie seasons than Boldin.
The WR still holds the best performance for a rookie WR on his debut, and it is tough to imagine anyone breaking it either.
Carnell Tate and De’Zhaun Stribling are the WRs expected to play key roles for their teams during the season.
All eyes will be on them during Gameweek 1 to see if they can break Boldin’s 23-year-old record and start their NFL careers on a bright note.
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