2025 NFL Draft- Top 10 Wide Receivers
It will be hard for this class to match the production of last years crop of wide receivers
By: John Toth · 2mo
Photo: Sporting News
The NFL is a pass first league and rookies are playing a bigger part of the team's offense. In 2024 tight end Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders set the NFL rookie reception record by beating out fellow rookie receiver Malik Nabers of the New York Giants 112 to 109.
Four rookies topped 1,000 yards in 2024:
Brian Thomas, Jacksonville- 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns
Malik Nabers, NY Giants, 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns
(TE) Brock Bowers, Las Vegas, 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and 5 touchdowns
Ladd McConkey, LA Chargers, 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Not to mention the top two receivers selected didn’t exactly have bad seasons either:
Marvin Harrison, Arizona- 62 receptions for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns
Rome Odunze, Chicago- 54 receptions for 734 yards and 3 touchdowns
There were 35 wide receivers selected in 2024, including seven in round one.
Complete list of every WR pick from the 2024 NFL Draft:
Round 1, Pick 4: Marvin Harrison, Ohio State - Arizona Cardinals
Round 1, Pick 6: Malik Nabers, LSU- New York Giants
Round 1, Pick 9: Rome Odunze, Washington- Chicago Bears
Round 1, Pick 23: Brian Thomas Jr., LSU- Jacksonville Jaguars
Round 1, Pick 28: Xavier Worthy, Texas- Kansas City Chiefs
Round 1, Pick 31: Ricky Pearsall, Florida- San Francisco 49ers
Round 1, Pick 32: Xavier Legette, South Carolina- Carolina Panthers
Round 2, Pick 33: Keon Coleman, Florida State- Buffalo Bills
Round 2, Pick 34: Ladd McConkey, Georgia- LA Chargers
Round 2, Pick 37: Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington- New England Patriots
Round 2, Pick 52: Adonai Mitchell, Texas- Indianapolis Colts
Round 3, Pick 65: Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky- New York Jets
Round 3, Pick 80: Jermaine Burton, Alabama- Cincinnati Bengals
Round 3, Pick 84: Roman Wilson, Michigan- Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 3, Pick 92: Jalen McMillan, Washington- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Round 3, Pick 100: Luke McCaffrey, Rice- Washington Commanders
Round 4, Pick 102: Troy Franklin, Oregon- Denver Broncos
Round 4, Pick 110: Javon Baker, UCF- New England Patriots
Round 4, Pick 113: Devontez Walker, North Carolina- Baltimore Ravens
Round 4, Pick 135: Jacob Cowing, Arizona- San Francisco 49ers
Round 5, Pick 142: Anthony Gould, Oregon State- Indianapolis Colts
Round 5, Pick 152: Ainias Smith, Texas A&M- Philadelphia Eagles
Round 5, Pick 156: James Thrash, Louisville- Cleveland Browns
Round 5, Pick 170: Bub Means, Pittsburgh- New Orleans Saints
Round 6, Pick 182: Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane- Tennessee Titans
Round 6, Pick 184: Malik Washington, Virginia- Miami Dolphins
Round 6, Pick 185: Johnny Wilson, Florida State- Philadelphia Eagles
Round 6, Pick 187: Casey Washington, Illinois- Atlanta Falcons
Round 6, Pick 191: Tejhaun Palmer, UAB- Arizona Cardinals
Round 6, Pick 213: Jordan Whittington, Texas- LA Rams
Round 6, Pick 216: Ryan Flournoy, SE Missouri State- Dallas Cowboys
Round 7, Pick 225: Brenden Rice, USC- LA Chargers
Round 7, Pick 235: DeVaughn Vele, Utah- Denver Broncos
Round 7, Pick 241: Tahj Washington, USC- Miami Dolphins
Round 7, Pick 253: Cornelius Johnson, Michigan- LA Chargers
The 2024 class could go down as one of the best wide receiver classes in recent memory. The 2025 class does not have as much high-end talent as its predecessor but should have enough depth to see 30-35 receivers selected. As of 1-7-25, here is Draft Nation’s top 10 wide receivers for 2025.
**Note we did not rank Travis Hunter of Colorado in the top 10. Most scouts including us at Draft Nation believe that Hunter will be drafted as a cornerback and “wants” to play both ways. This is going to be up to the team who selects him. Hunter is going in round one, possibly first overall. If he came out as just a wide receiver, he would be the first or second wide receiver off the board. Draft Nation will have him listed in our top 10 cornerbacks as well.
Arizona- WR- Tetairoa McMillan (6’5” 212 lbs) 2024 Stats: 84 receptions 1,319 yards 8 touchdowns
Strengths
Size
Route running
Strong Hands
Yards After Catch
Versatility in Lining Up
Tetairoa McMillan is 6-foot-5 and has an unbelievable catch radius. Quarterbacks can throw high, behind, or out in front of him and he uses his length and body control to secure the ball. He runs crisp routes with precise cutting ability and uses his head to fake where he is going and to keep the cornerbacks on their heels.
McMillan has strong hands and does an effective job of either catching the ball out front or snatching it at its high point. He excels at yards after the catch and uses his size to get some extra chunks of real estate. He is tough for a smaller cornerback to bring down on their own.
McMillan is a stud when it comes to red zone 50/50 balls and should be a weapon for a long time in the NFL.
Weaknesses
Speed
Press Coverage
Separation Ability
McMillan has just average speed and will not take the tops off of defenses, depending. More on his size more. Although he runs strong routes, he lacks the ability to separate as easily as the other prospects and fires off too upright causing him to struggle in press coverage.
Final analysis:
McMillan’s size and production should make him the first wide receiver off the board, somewhere after pick No. 10.
Projection- 1st round pick
Check out the full profile on Tetairoa McMillan here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/tetairoa-mcmillan-onnbhc
2. Missouri- WR- Luther Burden III (5’11” 205 lbs)
2024 Stats: 61 receptions, 676 yards, 6 touchdowns
Strengths
Ball Skills
Explosive off of Snap
Yards After Catch
Separation Ability
Shiftiness
Luther Burden III is a special player who can take over a game with his big play ability. He is explosive right off the snap and puts instant pressure on the back end of defenses. He gains separation quickly and is almost an impossible one-one-one matchup.
Once Burden catches the ball, he is shifty and tough to corral. He has excellent vision and can take a quick slant to pay dirt. His yards after catch are impressive and he is smooth at transitioning into a runner right away. Although he is not the biggest player on the field, Burden has strong hands, and his ball skills are as good as anybody in this class.
Weaknesses
Footwork
Size
Press Coverage
Gives up on Plays
In college Burden has been able to flat out beat defenders off the snap. He will need to work on his footwork to set up routes to keep NFL defenders from guessing where he is going. Against bigger cornerbacks he struggles to release off the line and a lot of this has to do with his lazy footwork.
He's shorter than the other top end prospects, but not enough to be a huge deterrent. The biggest issue Burden may have is his inability to extend plays when the original play does not go his way. He needs to work harder once his quarterback scrambles out of the pocket and be more creative, producing opportunities for his signal caller.
Final Analysis:
Luther Burden III came into the season as the WR-1 but did not have the same production that he had in 2023. He is capable of turning some heads at the combine and regaining the No. 1 wide receiver tag.
Projection- 1st round
Check out the full profile of Luther Burden III here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/luther-burden-iii-0rqpv4
3. Ohio State- WR- Emeka Egbuka (6’1” 206 lbs)
2024 Stats: 70 receptions, 896 yards, 10 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Route Running
Run Blocking
Competitor
Egbuka is an aggressive route runner who is very competitive when fighting for combat catches. He’s a smooth route runner with excellent cutting ability that puts pressure on defensive backs trying to cover him one-on-one. Once Egbuka makes a catch, he has the ability to break tackles and puts up excellent yards after the catch.
Egbuka has near-elite speed and was timed at 4.42 at the All-American Combine in 2019 and could end up being the fastest wide receiver in the 2025 class. He has an explosive first step and can swiftly get behind a defense to make big plays.
With his route running as effortless and as smooth as it is, Egbuka is a three-level threat on his routes. He is a willing run blocker and can really help a running game out with his competitive drive.
Weaknesses
Drop Issues
Contested Catches
Egbuka brings a lot to the table and if there is a slight downfall with his game, it is with his drops. Egbuka seems to lose concentration at times and drop the easy pass on occasion. He struggles at times on the 50/50 balls down the sideline and has put up better numbers as a slot receiver over being spread out wide.
Final Analysis:
Egbuka was overshadowed by freshman superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith in 2024, but he is a game changer in his own right. He could be this year’s version of Brian Thomas Jr.
Projection- 1st round
Check out the full profile of Emeka Egbuka here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/Emeka-Egbuka-nwk
4. Texas- WR- Isaiah Bond (5’11” 180 lbs)
2024 Stats: 33 receptions, 532 yards, 5 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Body Control
Versatility
Zone Coverage
Ball Tracking
Fluid Movement
Isaiah Bond has elite speed and will be able to take the top of off most defenses. He uses his tracking skills to explode off the ball and reaches top speed earlier than most prospects. Bond is very fluid in his movements and is a nightmare to have to cover and mirror. Not only is Bond a speedster he does a great job of contorting his body to make catches, which helps to expand his catch radius.
Bond can line up outside or inside and is physical enough to make plays over the middle. His versatility should help offensive coordinators to take advantages of mismatches. He understands zone coverages and does a solid job of being able to shut it down and find the soft spots in the defense.
Weaknesses
Route Running
Play Strength
Run Blocking
Contested Catches
Drops
Bond is on the smaller side and can be slowed down by press coverage and by the more physical cornerbacks. Getting stronger and adding some weight are two necessities for him before he gets to the NFL. He does not run the best routes and gets away with just using his speed to gain separation at this level, but this will not be so easy against bigger and faster NFL corners. He struggles hauling in contested catches and has been prone to focus drops.
Bond is a willing run blocker but is not very successful at getting himself set up to make a good solid block. He uses poor angles to set up a block and maintain it.
Final Analysis:
Bond did not put up huge numbers in 2024, but his speed will be an attractive talent to NFL scouts. He is a second-round grade, but with an electric time at the combine, he could follow in his former teammate Xavier Worthy’s path to the first round.
Projection- 2nd round
Check out the full profile of Isaiah Bond here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/isaiah-bond-1jubk9
5. Ole Miss- WR- Tre Harris III (6’2” 205 lbs)
2024 Stats: 60 receptions, 1,030 yards, 7 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Route Running
High Point Ability
Ball Tracking
Harris is a smooth route runner, who has the speed to gain separation from defensive backs. His combination of speed and size will make it hard on the back end defensive backs and he is comfortable fighting for 50/50 balls. He is precise on his route running and comes out of breaks as good as anyone. He does a good job of changing gears in his routes and is tough to mirror. On deep passes, Harris does an effective job of tracking the ball and more times than not will high point the passes. His explosion off the snap and his twitchiness makes him a handful to cover and helps him beat press coverage right away.
Weaknesses
Hands
Zone Coverage
Tackle Breaking
On the downside, Harris has issues with letting passes get into his body and does not use his hands efficiently. He makes most of his plays over his shoulder on the outside and has struggles with routes where he has to gear down to square up with the quarterback, running himself out of routes. He is another prospect who struggles with zone coverage, and is more comfortable out in space, needing to find the soft spots in defenses to be successful in the NFL. He lacks contact balance after a ball is caught and can easily be brought down with an arm tackle.
Final Analysis:
Tre Harris put up 1,030 yards in only eight games this season and has the tools to be a future No. 1 receiver. Draft Nation would not be shocked if he sneaks into the end of round one.
Projection- 2nd round
Check out the full profile on Tre Harris here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/Tre-Harris-III-qcm
6. Stanford- WR- Elic Ayomanor (6’2” 210 lbs)
2024 Stats: 63 receptions, 831 yards, 6 touchdowns
Strengths
Strong Hands
Burst
Yards After Catch
Separation Ability
Long Speed
Elic Ayomanor has elite long speed and can blow by corners and safeties. He gains separation on slants and is a weapon on quick three step drop plays. He is a 6-foot-2 physical receiver who is tough to bring down, which should lead to gaining impressive yards after the catch numbers. Ayomanor does a solid job of high pointing passes and uses his strong hands to secure the football. When running routes, he has the ability to stop and go and can get go from 0-to-fast instantly.
Weaknesses
Route Running
Zone Coverage
Injury History
Drops
Ayonmanor is on the raw side when compared to the top receivers in this class. He has run a limited route tree at Stanford, and he is less effective at knowing where to throttle down in zone coverage to leave his quarterback an effective lane to throw. He has had moments where he is susceptible to focus drops and will look to make a move before securing the ball. Ayonmanor will need to prove to NFL teams that his knee is healthy after tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus during a practice in 2022.
Final Analysis:
Ayonmanor looks like a first round talent at times, but injuries and inconsistent play has plagued him. He could slip to round three if not selected late in round two.
Projection- 2nd round or 3rd round
Check out the full profile of Elic Ayonmanor here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/elic-ayomanor-pi06s7
7- UNLV- WR- Ricky White III (6’1” 190 lbs)
2024 Stats: 79 receptions, 1,041 yards, 11 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Body control
Explosiveness
Ball Tracking
Yards After Catch
Ricky White is explosive off the snap and can threaten secondaries vertically. He combines his speed with double moves that cause instant separation from defensive backs. The Rebel receiver does an effective job of tracking the ball and has the size and physicality to high point passes while taking a hit. White has excellent body control and can catch anything thrown in his direction, even behind him. Once he secures the ball, White is a physical runner with electric speed and will always add yards after a catch.
Weaknesses
Route Running
Press Coverage
Stiff Hips
Cutting Ability
On the downside, White can have problems against a physical cornerback in press coverage and will need to improve his footwork to get a better release off the line. Although White can fly he is more of a vertical threat than a receiver who runs precise routes. He has issues coming in and out of breaks and does not do a good job of selling his change of direction. Part of White's route running problems stem from his tight hips as he runs too upright making it difficult to make his cuts while keeping his speed.
Final Analysis:
Ricky White has an explosive combination of speed and size and could be a diamond in the rough in round three. Another receiver that Draft Nation is looking forward to seeing perform at the combine.
Projection- 3rd round
Check out the full profile of Ricky White here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/ricky-white-leuytg
8- Oregon- WR- Evan Stewart (6’0” 175 lbs)
2024 Stats: 48 receptions, 613 yards, 5 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Route Running
Body Control
Versatility
Burst
Yards After Catch
Evan Stewart has elite speed and burst and was reportedly timed at 4.33 in the 40-yard-dash. What makes the speedster even harder to cover, is his excellent route running ability. Stewart does a good job of changing up the speeds to his routes and can cut in an instant. He has shown the ability to play and produce on the outside and in the slot, giving an offensive coordinator some creativity in his usage. After making the catch, Stewart is difficult to bring down and can turn a quick pass into a huge play. Stewart does not have the largest catch radius, but he can contort his body and make some difficult catches.
Weaknesses
Frame
Length
Hands
Physicality
Press Coverage
Stewart is on the smaller side and lacks the length that scouts like to see in an early draft pick. He can have problems with physicality and press coverage and will need to find better ways to get releases off the line of scrimmage. Stewart needs to add muscle and mass to his frame to withstand the physical part of the NFL game. He loses concentration from time to time, and has more double tap catches than teams like to see from an every down receiver. He competes but has issues on 50/50 balls and may project as a stronger slot receiver.
Final Analysis:
Stewart is a former five-star talent who has the speed to stretch defenses. He is on the smaller side and will need to prove that he can handle the physicality of the NFL. Stewart has first round pedigree but should go somewhere in round three.
Projection- 3rd round
Check out the full profile of Evan Stewart here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/evan-stewart-yqlmtl
9. Iowa State- WR- Jayden Higgins (6’4” 210 lbs)
2024 Stats: 87 receptions, 1,183 yards, 9 touchdowns
Strengths
Size
Frame
Route Running
Catch Radius
Red Zone Ability
Jayden Higgins is a (6'4"/215 lbs) receiver who uses his frame to create space when he goes up against smaller defensive backs. He has a large catch radius and enables the quarterback to throw the ball to an area and not have to fit passes through tight windows. His size creates an advantage in the red zone, and he has shown to be quite a weapon from inside the 20. Higgins has very strong hands and is able to pluck passes out in front of his body. What makes him difficult to cover is his precise route running and size, which opens up pure catch and pitch windows for him and his quarterback.
Weaknesses
Press Coverage
Run Blocking
Long Speed
On the downside, Higgins is not going to blow you away with his speed and he will struggle to gain straight-line separation at the next level. Higgins will need to add strength to his upper body to help him gain releases against press coverage. For a larger receiver, he is not very physical and can have trouble getting off the ball against physical corners. He is a willing blocker but does not hit and drive opponents in the run game. Instead he will try to shield defenders with his larger frame.
Final Analysis:
Higgins size, route running and redzone ability should be enough for him to hear his name late on day two. His production in 2024 has opened many eyes and his stock has risen.
Projection- 3rd or 4th round
Check out the full profile of Jayden Higgins here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/jayden-higgins-piwlsa
10. Utah State- WR- Jaylen Royals (6’0” 205 lbs)
2024 Stats: 55 receptions, 834 yards, 5 touchdowns
Strengths
Speed
Hands
Route Running
Body Control
Contested Catches
Jalen Royals has track and field background and has been timed at 4.30 in the 40-yard dash. He can take the top off of defenses with his straight-line speed and when he gets a clean release off the line he is tough to defend man to man with his shiftiness and quick cuts.
Royals possesses excellent body control which adds to his catch radius, and he can contort his body without slowing down, making numerous highlight reel catches. He is the ultimate competitor on 50/50 balls and does a solid job of using his body to shield defenders when he high point passes. When running routes, he is tough to mirror with his stop and go movements and can hit his full speed instantly.
Weaknesses
Versatility
Zone Coverage
Competition
Press Coverage
On the downside, Royals lacks the physicality to be able to beat press coverages and can easily get re-directed on short and mid-range routes by bigger cornerbacks. The level of competition that Royals has played against could be used against him when comparing him to other top prospects, and he will need to show that the 2023 season was no fluke.
At Utah State, Royals has only lined up outside and teams will want to see how and if he can produce from the slot. Although he has elite speed, he struggles with zone coverage and finding the soft spots in the defense.
Final Analysis:
Royals has blinding speed and excellent body control. He reminds Draft Nation of Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs. He has to prove that he can put up production against stiffer competition than he faced at Utah State.
Projection- 3rd or 4th round
Check out the full profile on Jalen Royals here:
https://www.draftnation.com/prospects/jalen-royals-evklgd
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