Welcome back to NFLTR’s underrated and overrated draft prospect series. Today we’re taking a look at four underrated wide receiver prospects, guys who might be flying under the radar a bit but should really be getting more attention in the lead-up to the draft.
This year, there’s a “Big Three” when it comes to receivers. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze have separated themselves from the pack. All are considered near-locks for the top ten, and all three would be the WR1 most years.
The rest of the picture at receiver is a lot more muddy, however. Aside from those three aforementioned prospects, no wide receiver is guaranteed to go on Day 1 — and there’s as many as 20 receivers all in contention to be selected by the end of Round 3 on Friday night of draft week.
With as many unique prospects as there are this year, it’s helpful to take a step back and examine some of the players more closely. In preparation for draft weekend, here are four underrated wide receiver prospects to pay attention to, as well as the rest of our overrated/underrated series:
Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
Mitchell is an odd player to evaluate at times. He’s one of the best athletes in this draft, putting up excellent performances against the best competition he faced. At the same time, he can be inconsistent in his play and his play-to-play effort will be heavily scrutinized by NFL teams in the lead-up to the draft.
If teams feel comfortable this is a correctable issue, Mitchell’s explosiveness, shiftiness and ball skills will be extremely coveted. A borderline first-round player by most evaluators, I believe Mitchell is worthy of a top-15 selection.
A two-year starter at Georgia, Mitchell transferred to Texas for his junior year after battling through injuries in 2022. He was productive, totaling 845 receiving yards on 55 receptions with 11 touchdowns in his lone season in Austin. He played the 1B to WR Xavier Worthy’s 1A role in a loaded cast of Longhorns skill position players. Most of Mitchell’s targets came down the sideline or over the middle of the field, while Worthy collected underneath and screen targets to go with his usual allotment of deep shots.
Mitchell is an elite athlete, measuring in at 6’2”, 205 lbs. and running a 4.34 40-yard dash at the Combine. He posted excellent marks in the explosive drills, as well. His athleticism is a big part of his game — he tested as the best athlete at wide receiver who worked out at the Combine — and he’s capable of “out-athleting” just about anyone.
On tape, Mitchell’s strengths are apparent. His releases are quick, and he plays with good burst off the line of scrimmage. Despite his size, he doesn’t make it easy for cornerbacks to get their hands on him. His stop-and-start ability is impressive. He can blow past a corner and leave them in the dust with his long speed or turn on a dime and leave them scrambling to recover. He’s tall, long, fast, agile, and strong. He’s a prototypical NFL receiver.
That’s not to say he’s raw or purely a physical presence. There’s a lot of nuance in Mitchell’s game. He’s very crafty on his routes, knowing how to wall defenders off and how to play off leverage. His timing is nearly flawless, whether that’s in his releases, cuts, or jumps. He’s longer than most defensive backs and knows how to use that to his advantage.
The downsides for Mitchell are almost all effort-related. He’s a capable blocker, imposing even, but he takes too many plays off. He routinely gets beaten to the spot by corners and safeties, leading to negative plays too often. Many times, his missed or blown assignment leads to a busted screen or stuffed run. His downfield blocking is better, but you’d like to see him play with that level of intensity more consistently.
He also gets caught going through the motions on routes. Seemingly, if he knows he’s not one of the first reads on a play, he runs the routes at half-speed. His cuts aren’t as sharp, he’s not moving as quickly, and defenders are better able to stay with him. The thing is, he’s so good that even half-effort is enough for him to get open sometimes and he’ll pick up targets on these lackluster routes. If he played with more effort, it would lead to bigger plays.
That’s a pretty big asterisk to put on a player, which is why he’s not talked about in the conversation to go top ten. Even so, outside of the big three, Mitchell is the best wide receiver in this class. He’s my WR4 with a firm first-round grade, though it’s unclear just how high he’ll be selected. He’s got a pretty wide range; he might go in the middle of the first round or fall somewhere to the middle of the second. His athleticism, savvy, and ability at the catch point is just too good.
Wherever he’s taken, he’s got the goods to be an immediate impact player for any team. He has WR1 potential if he manages to put it all together.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson
A smooth athlete with rare top speed, Wilson flew under the radar in a conservative Michigan offense. He dominated the Senior Bowl and hit his expected numbers at the Combine, pushing himself up draft boards in the process. Wilson has inside-outside versatility and a tenaciousness straight after former HC Jim Harbaugh’s own heart. He made himself a lot of money through this pre-draft cycle.
Checking in at 5’11” and 185, Wilson is on the smaller side, but boy is he fast. He clocked an official 4.39 40-yard dash with a 1.52 10-yard split — and even that might be selling him short. He is difficult to keep up with in the open field and can take the top off a defense in an instant.
Wilson isn’t just fast, he’s quick. He can blow past defenders with lightning-like acceleration and good footwork. He catches passes confidently and with natural ease, not wasting time and motion unnecessarily. Wilson is difficult to press due to his quick releases and clean footwork; his release package is excellent. He aggressively secures catches over and around defenders when needed, as well.
Despite the typical strengths of players with this type of profile, Wilson isn’t a super clean route runner. He has quick hips and good footwork, but he doesn’t gain as much separation as consistently as he really should. Given his physical tools, this is likely something that can be improved with good coaching, though it is worth noting.
As previously mentioned, he didn’t produce a ton in college, but it’s easy to see this was due to Michigan’s slow, run-oriented offense and is not an indictment on Wilson as a player. 2023 was his best season with 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. That led the Wolverines offense.
Wilson is my WR7 with an early second-round grade. He’ll often get tagged as a slot-only prospect, but he has more versatility than that. His size could be a hindrance, and he needs to get more comfortable facing zone defenses. But his speed, shiftiness, and competitiveness will translate right away, and Wilson is ready to take the NFL by storm.
Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk
While Odunze has rightfully been picking up most of the wide receiver headlines out of Washington, Polk quietly put together a impressive season. Polk will go somewhere on Day 2 and has the tools to be a productive WR2 in the NFL.
A bigger, stronger receiver, Polk makes his living snagging tough catches all over the field. At 6’1” and 203, Polk has ideal size for the position. He started for two years at Washington after transferring from Texas Tech and taking a redshirt year due to injury. He grabbed 69 catches for 1,159 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2023, providing a huge spark for Washington’s passing attack.
He’s not the fastest player but it usually doesn’t matter, as he routinely wins at the catch point and his toughness is unmatched. Polk is a true downfield threat; he averaged 16.8 yards per reception in his final year of college football.
Polk is a bruiser in the receiving game. He’s absolutely fearless. He runs crisp, clean routes and knows how to stack on top of corners in his vertical routes. He’s a bully in contested catch situations, winning jump balls with regularity. He catches everything over the middle of the field, putting his body on the line to secure reception after reception. He plays through physicality as well as anyone and is a difficult player to bump off his routes.
His limitations are pretty straightforward. Polk doesn’t have great long speed. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash — not slow, but he’s not going to run away from anyone either. His lateral agility is fine, but he struggles to create consistent separation on his routes. He has good feel against zone defenses and isn’t bothered by physicality at the catch point, so it may not hinder him too much in the NFL.
Polk is my WR8, and this just goes to show how deep and talented this class of wide receivers is. I’ve given him a second-round grade as a strong target for teams looking to upgrade their downfield passing game with a more moderate asset. Polk is suited for the modern NFL game in a way that should give him an advantage in the league. He’s a mismatch over the middle of the field.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall
Pearsall is a late riser in this class, bursting onto the scene at the Senior Bowl, then again with impressive Combine numbers. Once thought of as another mid-round slot receiver, Pearsall has entered his name into the early Day 2 conversation. He’s an incredibly smart player who has a firm grasp of the fundamentals of the position — and he’s quite athletic, to boot.
Despite middling college production, Pearsall consistently impacted the game. He never had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver, though his final season at Florida did come close with 965. He came to the Combine and wowed with a 4.41 40-yard dash and eye-opening numbers in the explosive drills. That alone will be enough to get the attention of NFL teams.
Quick feet and sharp cuts highlight Pearsall’s tape. He knows how to play in space and utilize leverage to his advantage. He sets defenders up brilliantly, always able to cut inside them or turn on a dime to open up passing windows. He’s one of the best route runners in this class. He has soft hands and a quick twitch. He’s even scored on some jet sweeps that take advantage of his elusiveness in the open field.
There are a few disadvantages Pearsall will face in the NFL. He’s likely a slot-only receiver, which limits his value to drafting teams. He’s not great at winning in contested catch situations, and he can be overwhelmed by physicality along his routes and at the catch point.
Pearsall is my WR10. His lack of high-end college production is concerning, though this can be at least somewhat explained by the middling offenses he played in. Pearsall has the athleticism, craftiness and touch to succeed in the NFL. He should be able to make an impact as a slot receiver as early as his rookie season.
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