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Joey's 2025 NFL predictions for wide receivers. His first-time 1,000-yard receivers and breakout candidates, including Marvin Harrison Jr. and more.
Crossing the 1,000-yard threshold has been a major achievement for many wide receivers across the NFL. Last year, 21 wide receivers totaled over 1,000 receiving yards, and many of them hit that milestone for the first time in their career. Brian Thomas Jr., Drake London, Jerry Jeudy, Malik Nabers, and Ladd McConkey were among the first-time 1,000-yard wide receivers in 2024.
With the 2025-26 NFL season shortly approaching, now is a good time to look at which wide receivers will join this club this year. This list will feature one rookie, two second-year playmakers, and two more players who could be in store for breakout seasons.
So, which wide receivers will hit the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in 2025? Let's dive in and find out.
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Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Many believed that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. would hit the 1,000-yard mark in his rookie campaign last year. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and didn't face much competition for targets in that Arizona offense.
Unfortunately, Harrison was somewhat of a disappointment last year. He only caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns across 17 games in his first season. However, a Year 2 breakout is certainly possible for the Ohio State product. He was highly regarded as a generational prospect coming out of college, and not much has changed in Arizona since 2024.
Harrison will continue to operate as the WR1 in this offense while likely seeing upward of 130 targets in 2025. The second year is when some wide receivers take off after learning a lot as a rookie. With the 22-year-old adding muscle this offseason, he should post better all-around numbers on the outside this season.
"Marvin Harrison Jr. is too talented for you to not make him the focal point of your passing game."
@FieldYates predicts a breakout year for the second-year wideout 👀 pic.twitter.com/YAAS0tYigP
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 20, 2025
Therefore, there's a good chance that Harrison will total over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career in 2025. He showed some nice things as a rookie and could put it all together in his sophomore campaign. That makes the Cardinals wide receiver a nice pick in the third or fourth round of fantasy drafts. A breakout season could surely be in store for him.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
If Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice hadn't suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4, he would have certainly hit 1,000 receiving yards last season. He totaled 288 receiving yards in his first three games and tallied 100 receiving yards in two of those three contests.
Even though Rice is coming off a gruesome knee injury, it's hard to imagine him not reaching this achievement in 2025. He will remain the top pass-catcher in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense and should be a full-go for training camp this month. That means the 25-year-old will likely be ready to go for Week 1.
Now, the only thing that could potentially hold Rice back from reaching the 1,000 receiving yards is a possible suspension. The Chiefs wide receiver was involved in a hit-and-run car crash during the 2024 offseason.
As a result, Rice has a fantastic chance to hit 1,000 receiving yards this year. He'll operate in the slot once again for the Chiefs and appears to be on track for Week 1. There might be some risk in taking the 25-year-old in fantasy this season, especially since he is coming back from a season-ending knee injury. His ceiling, though, in this Kansas City offense makes him a strong WR2 fantasy option this year.
Update - Rice is expected to have his hearing with the NFL on September 30. As a result, Rice will now likely be able to play in the first four games of the season before any potential suspension is given.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
Last season, three rookie pass-catchers totaled over 1,000 receiving yards (Thomas, Nabers, and Brock Bowers). If any rookie were to reach that total in 2025, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has the best chance. He was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and faces very little competition for targets.
McMillan joins a Carolina wide receiver room that features 34-year-old Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and David Moore. Therefore, the rookie should lead this group in his first year. He totaled over 1,300 receiving yards in his final two college seasons at Arizona, and Bryce Young balled out to end the 2024 season.
Young threw for 1,583 yards, 11 touchdowns, and three interceptions in the final seven weeks last year. If the Panthers quarterback continues to grow as a passer, McMillan would be the biggest beneficiary in the receiving game.
Good lord almighty. pic.twitter.com/Ba61N43KpA
— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) June 16, 2025
He has the tools to contribute right away in the NFL, and the lack of receiving options in Carolina makes him a prime candidate to total 1,000 yards as a rookie. The volume and target share should both be there for the Arizona product in Year 1. This favorable landing spot could also make McMillan a solid WR2 option throughout the 2025 fantasy season.
Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
No one knows what to expect from the Chicago Bears offense in 2025. Will Caleb Williams improve in his second season? Who will emerge as the top option in this offense with Ben Johnson now calling the plays? Does the arrival of rookies Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland make every pass-catcher hard to trust?
While there are plenty of uncertainties surrounding this offense entering the season, this unit should be much better than it was a season ago. Williams showed massive improvements down the stretch in his rookie campaign, and Johnson is truly a fantastic play-caller. With that in mind, Rome Odunze could surprise us all this season.
He should operate as the WR2 in what could be a pass-friendly Chicago offense in 2025. Don't forget Odunze was the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So, there's no doubt the talent is there for the 23-year-old to succeed in his second NFL season.
We should expect this Bears offense to be much better this year, and Odunze totaled a respectable 734 yards in his rookie campaign. Given that he ranked second in unrealized air yards (934) and 10th in red-zone targets (18) among all wide receivers last season, the potential is there for Odunze to pass that 1,000-yard threshold in 2025.
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings was very close to topping the 1,000-yard mark in 2024. He totaled 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns en route to a breakout campaign. The 49ers needed Jennings to step up last season in place of the injured Brandon Aiyuk, and he did exactly that.
With Deebo Samuel Sr. leaving in the offseason and Aiyuk expected to miss the first few weeks of this season, Jennings has every opportunity to post even better numbers. He became a reliable target for quarterback Brock Purdy during the 2024 campaign and will likely start 2025 as the 49ers' WR1.
Jennings saw at least eight targets in six of the final nine weeks of the 2024 season, including four double-digit-target games during that span. He also totaled at least 50 receiving yards in 10 of his 15 games last year. If he hadn't missed two contests due to a hip injury, the 27-year-old would have easily finished with over 1,000 receiving yards.
Never forget when Jauan Jennings single-handedly won Week 3 for fantasy managers:
📈 11 catches
💨 175 yards
🔥 3 TDs
💰 41 fantasy pointsCan’t wait to ride this lottery ticket in my flex every week this season 🎰💪 pic.twitter.com/UKoSpYPzbe
— Jacob Dunne (@AintDunneYet) June 25, 2025
However, look for him to reach that mark in 2025. It might take Aiyuk a full year to get back to full speed on the field, and Jennings should remain involved in San Francisco's offense throughout the season. With a current 97.2 ADP on Sleeper, he's looking like a prime-value pick in the middle round of drafts.
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