Traditionally, tight ends in the NFL take a while to develop.
Back before the merger, Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka accomplished this feat in 1961 when he had 1,076 receiving yards for the Chicago Bears in only 14 games.
Since the merger in 1970, no rookie tight end has eclipsed even 900 yards. In that stretch, Jeremy Shockey leads the way with 894 receiving yards in his rookie season after leaving the Miami Hurricanes. Only two others, like Shockey, have also eclipsed the 800-receiving-yard mark since the merger.
Fellow former Bear and Hurricanes tight end Greg Olsen did not have a rookie season like the aforementioned Ditka and Shockey.