Jerry Rice is the G.O.A.T. It is improbable — impossible? — any receiver will approach the stats the Hall of Famer produced in his NFL career. That said, Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints is off to an incredible start after being selected as the 47th pick out of Ohio State in the 2016 NFL Draft. How does Keyshawn Johnson’s nephew compare to the incomparable Rice at this point of their careers?
Rookie season
Jerry Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers out of Misssissippi Valley State as the 16th player taken in the 1985 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he started 4 of 16 games and caught 49 passes for 927 yards and a trio of TDs. The Saints grabbed Michael Thomas out of Columbus in the second round of the 2016 draft. Thomas started 12 of 15 games, had 92 receptions for 1,137 yards and 9 TDs.