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Rookie receiver watch: Allen Robinson surges

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Here is the latest look at what could turn out to be a banner crop of rookie receivers.

They are listed in order of targets, which is a true measure of how much a receiver is utilized. We’re using the qualifier of having a minimum of four targets per game.

Here’s the list of the top-targeted rookie receivers (16 targets needed to qualify):

Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina (36 targets): After catching five passes for 76 yards and a TD he has 21 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns.

Sammy Watkins, Buffalo (32): He caught four passes last weekend but one was for a touchdown and he now has 17 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

Brandin Cooks, New Orleans (28): A five-catch game in the rout by the Dallas Cowboys has him at 23 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown.

Allen Robinson, Jacksonville (26): He caught five passes against San Diego and has 17 catches for 192 yards. He’s the only receiver on the list without a TD catch, but he has 23 targets over the past three games.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay (25): He finally caught his first TD pass and now has 17 catches for 203 yards and one TD. But Evans suffered a groin injury in the Bucs' upset over Pittsburgh and is expected to miss two to four weeks, which could push him off the list.

Allen Hurns, Jacksonville (23): He had five catches against the Chargers, including a 44-yarder that would have gone for a touchdown had he not bobbled it and tripped. He has 12 catches for 254 yards and three TDs. Hurns leads all of the rookies and is second in the league in average yards per catch (21.2).

Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia (23): He has 15 catches for 141 yards and two TDs after a relatively quiet game against San Francisco.