NFL Draft Prospects: Wide Receivers The top Wide Receiver prospects available for the NFL Draft. For the NFL, Thomas is a potential slot receiver, and he made it on NFL teams' preseason watch list.
Very nuanced in his route running, very crisp. WWE wrestlers offered emotional goodbyes over social media after the company unceremoniously fired them in response to coronavirus. Erratic quarterback play at Michigan allowed him to showcase his ability to make adjustments to off-target throws and snatch the football securely outside of his frame. Read more:.{/INSERTKEYS}{/PARAGRAPH} Routinely plucks the football outside of his frame. Natural ball tracking skills. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama. Justin Jefferson, LSU. Can play inside, can play outside. Over the past 10 years, six receivers have been taken in the first round of the draft just one time. While the set up will be different this year, the stakes remain the same, with all 32 teams in the league hoping to find their next generation of stars. KJ Hamler, Penn State. He's played all three receiver spots and can be moved around to match up against cornerbacks. An explosive wide out with very good acceleration off the snap and once he gets the ball in his hands, Aiyuk brought an enticing dynamic of speed to Arizona State's offense in He's a shifty ball-carrier who can change direction easily and has plenty of spring in his step. Michael Pittman Jr. Doesn't drop anything and he can adjust to the football in all directions. Further down the draft board, teams will still be looking for receivers, whether as a late-round value or a future superstar in need of some development. Laviska Shenault Jr. Skill set demands volume touches in space. The Crimson Tide star is a crisp route runner who uses RC-car acceleration off the line to eat up cushion or force defenders to open their hips, creating early separation. The transition to NFL press corners will be an early challenge that could take some time to solve, but he's an instinctive ball-winner whose traits should win out and make him a very good NFL starter. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Tyler Johnson, Minnesota. Snapchat icon A ghost. Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty. The NFL Draft class is stacked with talent at wide receiver. Key expert quote : From Danny Kelly at The Ringer : "Jeudy is a big-play creator with a long, slim frame and exceptional suddenness in all his movements. Straight line speed should lead to vertical separation. Oklahoma struggled to get Lamb as many targets in with Jalen Hurts at quarterback, but Lamb didn't complain and was a good teammate. Jalen Reagor, TCU. Everybody that I've talked to at South Carolina, and I've talked to a bunch of their coaches about him, just say this kid is a pro. Love his ability to play through contact, bring the fight and compete like an alpha. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State. This year, there could be as many as seven WRs taken on Thursday night, and plenty more will follow in the early rounds of the draft. Key expert quote : From Danny Kelly at The Ringer : "Mims lines up all over the formation; he glides off the line of scrimmage, varies his route tempo to lull defenders to sleep, and is dangerous on double-moves, selling fakes with stutter steps and head and shoulder fakes. Key expert quote : From Walter Football : "Gandy-Golden notched 79 receptions for 1, yards and 10 touchdowns in Team sources say they really like him, but speed concerns weigh down his drat stock. There is an absurd amount of talent at wide receiver in this year's draft class, with as many as seven receivers projected to go in the first round, and even more in rounds two and three. The 6-foot-1, pound playmaker is tough to corral after the catch, capable of changing direction on a dime and exploding past would-be tacklers with signature dead-leg-style cuts and rocker-step moves that leave defenders grasping at clouds of dust. He'll need to refine his route running at the next level, but has the athletic tools to do just that. Hamler's blazing speed is used solo and in route combinations to stress secondaries and create big plays. Take a look below at the 19 wide receivers to watch heading into the NFL draft, from future game-breakers to a few devilish slot receivers ready to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. As a year-old sophomore, Johnson recorded an elite Utilized both inside and out, Johnson is decently slippery against press coverage and is a sudden, make-you-miss running back once the ball is in his hands. Van Jefferson, Florida. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma. He needs to prove he can deal with NFL size and strength banging on him at the catch point. He also made the most of his opportunities, showing excellent route-running, good hands, size, strength, and superb run-after-the-catch skills. Lamb is not a burner, but he is quick enough to be a potential No. Below we've ranked the 19 most intriguing wide receiver prospects of the NFL draft class. He is no stranger to climbing the latter to high point the ball. Even in a stacked receiver class like this one, Ruggs belongs firmly in first-round conversation. Stocky, dense frame that makes him difficult to bring down after the catch with his naturally low center of gravity. {PARAGRAPH}{INSERTKEYS}Subscriber Account active since. Claypool doesn't have shake to get much separation underneath, but he's physical inside the route and is adept at making contested catches when needed. Devin Duvernay, Texas. The junior pass catcher made Bruce Feldman's preseason "Freaks List" thanks to his incredible weight-room prowess, including a pound squat, a pound bench, and a pound clean. For context, Saquon Barkley and his tree-trunk quads squat pounds. A guy who you can count on to be in his spot when the quarterback is ready to throw the ball. He runs with good vision when he gets into the open field, presenting opportunities for him to exploit a defense for a big gain. He handles himself like a pro. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. What separates him from other wide receivers is his ability to have good body control when off the ground. Chase Claypool, Notre Dame. Insider logo The word "Insider". Very reliable hands as well. Mims has a well-rounded skill set that combines top-tier body control, concentration, leaping ability, and a natural feel for boxing out defenders. The dynamic playmaker is an athletic mismatch for just about any cornerback, and he has shown he has more tools in his skill set than the average speedy receiver. His size and "above the rim" talent make him a uniquely dangerous playmaker deep and in the red zone. He trains like a pro. Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. He's been that way since he got there. Team sources say Gandy-Golden played well at the Senior Bowl and helped himself. You watch the 'Bama game and what he does on a reverse in that game to a corner should be illegal. Jefferson has average size and won't run away from quality man coverage, but he will separate from it with premium route-running and unique looks and angles that keep cornerbacks on their heels. Can scoop out the low throw but also work back across his momentum to pluck the football. Hill, Ohio State. The top 11 quarterbacks in the NFL draft class, ranked. Improving release quickness against press will be an early focal point in an NFL camp, but his frame and physicality should create work space underneath even with close coverage. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina. Tyler Lauletta. He's also a good blocker in the run game. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Higgins is leggy getting off of the press, but those same leggy strides are weapons of separation that help create big plays. Tee Higgins, Clemson. Denzel Mims, Baylor. Catching outside his frame won't be an issue. He had an alarming number of drops in and the routes are ragged, but his athleticism and separation burst on all three levels helps mitigate those concerns. Gandy-Golden is a size mismatch weapon for the NFL. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan. Key expert quote : From Jacob Infante at Draft Wire : "If you're looking for a receiver with athletic tools in this class, Aiyuk is one of the best prospects you can find. He should be a productive plug-and-play talent at WR2 early in his career. He's a physical ball carrier that can make people miss in space to create post-catch. He lacks the speed and separation quickness teams covet from WR1 candidates, but he comes from NFL bloodlines and plays with a pro demeanor. Didn't have huge numbers for the Buckeyes but did his job and did it well. If he ran fast at the combine, he could have been a riser, but he put up a slow 40 time.