With the college football regular season now over and most of the tape in the books, it’s time to revisit my summer scouting rankings and update them as we turn the calendar to 2025. Much can still change with the all-star circuit and Combine yet to go, but final tape evaluations are now complete for most of these players.
Next up, we have the wide receivers. No, your team can’t draft Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. We gotta wait two years for him, sadly. But I promise this is still a great receiver class! We’ve grown accustomed to elite talent at this position being an annual thing, and this year is no different. With some top-tier options to choose from on Day 1 and plenty of depth as well, there’s a lot to like with this group.
If you want to see how these rankings compare to how I ranked this class over the summer, check out the link below. Additionally, my updated running back rankings can be found below as well. As always, stay tuned for more 2025 draft content, as I’ll be looking to update all my position rankings before the Senior Bowl at the end of January.
Summer Scouting: Wide Receivers
Updated Position Rankings:
1: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
I had McMillan as my WR1 over the summer, and the gap between him and the field only grew this season. A 6-5, 212-pound receiver from Waimanalo, Hawaii, McMillan was a five-star high-school player and the highest-rated recruit in Arizona history. Since arriving on campus, he’s looked every bit the part of an elite talent, ringing in 702 yards as a true freshman before back-to-back 1,300+ yard seasons to close his college career.
McMillan’s game is defined by elite size and body control. The way he can contort his massive frame mid-route to adjust to passes and maximize his catch radius is just special. He caught over 50 percent of his contested catches in 2024 — whether it’s back-shoulder throws, corner fades, or congested crossers over the middle, it doesn’t matter. McMillan is bigger and more athletic than the defense, and he plays with a focus and determination at the catch point that’s simply unstoppable.
For a man of his size, he displays good burst off the line of scrimmage, gaining quick separation on short routes. Not every prototypical X-receiver is a good fit for quick-game concepts, but that’s not a concern with McMillan. Down the field, he displays nuanced route-running ability, particularly at the apex of his routes. When he reaches his breaks, he has a quickness and twitch in his movements that provides him clear separation at the top of his routes. He also has proven production across the lineup, with significant slot work in addition to his bread-and-butter on the outside.
While he has good long speed and knows how to stack defensive backs down the field, McMillan isn’t a burner by NFL standards. The only other negative note I have in his scouting report is that I’d like to see him diversify his releases a bit more. He plays so powerfully off the line that it never really mattered in college, but it’s a little too easy for cornerbacks to get their hands on him in press. If he got a little better at staggering his releases and using his long wingspan to get the first punch in, his game would get that much better.
McMillan is easily the best traditional receiver in this draft. He’ll likely be a top-five pick for a team looking to supercharge their passing offense. In a draft with a lot of talented slot receivers and secondary targets, McMillan is a true alpha in an offense and can do anything you ask of him.
2: Travis Hunter, Colorado
The 2024 Heisman winner, Hunter is coming off a truly unprecedented season in college football history. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, Hunter stands at 6-1, 185. He caught 96 passes this season for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding 35 tackles, 4 interceptions and 11 passes defensed as a cornerback.
When discussing Hunter, it’s always important to remember some context: he played a jaw-dropping 1,529 snaps in 2024 alone, by far the most for any one player in a season since at least 2014 (and it’s not close). Playing full-time on offense and defense takes a greater physical toll on the body, though to Hunter’s credit, he held up quite well, even down the stretch.
What makes Hunter such a special prospect, beyond just his versatility, is his movement skills and ball-tracking ability. I’ve never seen someone follow the ball down the field the way Hunter does, he effortlessly moves underneath deep passes and comes back for underthrown or back-shoulder throws. At the catch point, he’s an excellent hands catcher, securing the ball away from his body and drawing it in.
He moves so well in space, consistently getting clean releases off the line of scrimmage and torching corners in open space. Hunter gains separation at all three levels of the field, accelerating and decelerating with suddenness and ease in and out of his breaks. He’s effective after the catch, as well, gliding through the defense to pick up extra yards.
If there’s one critique of Hunter’s game, it’s that he needs to play with more power. When facing press coverage, he can be knocked off his spot and jammed at the line a little too easily. Though Hunter is usually too quick and skilled to allow that to happen, there will be times in the NFL when he needs to power through on a release or make a physical catch against a handsy corner and that’s an area he could stand to improve in.
I stand by the fact that I think Hunter will be a better NFL cornerback than receiver. He’s insistent he’ll play both ways, and most likely what that means is he’ll primarily play corner while having some packages on offense. Until we know more, however, I’m still evaluating him as a full-time receiver as well, and he could thrive in that role. His movement abilities and ball skills are next level. He’s the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 for a reason.
3: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
A 6-1, 205-pound receiver from Washington, Egbuka has quietly put together a monster career for the Buckeyes. Always seemingly overshadowed by a higher-profile receiver next to him in the lineup, Egbuka has over 2,500 career receiving yards across three major seasons of play. Just this year, he has 70 receptions for 896 yards and 10 touchdowns and counting, as Ohio State is set to take on Texas next week in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Egbuka is an elite route runner. With quick-twitch and lateral agility, he shoots off the line and can cut on a dime, but it’s not just physical ability with him. He knows how to set up coverage defenders in man or break down zones. When pressed, he uses his quick feet and smart hands to keep his chest clean and get down the field. He catches the ball smoothly without breaking stride, making himself a reliable target for his quarterback.
After the catch, Egbuka almost turns into a running back, using his plus vision and agility to rip off huge gains from seemingly mundane routes. He has the speed to take the top off a defense and the power to make tough contested catches seem easy. What would make a normal receiver wary barely makes Egbuka flinch — he’s a truly fearless player.
The main issue for Egbuka is that he’s likely limited to the slot in the NFL. He plays all over the formation at Ohio State, but he doesn’t have the profile to be productive out there in the pros. That said, he’s big for a slot receiver and can create a ton of mismatches from that alignment. He’s the rare prospect who can be among an offense’s top weapons despite playing primarily inside.
Egbuka offers consistent, solid production from a plus athlete. What’s not to love? Slot-only players usually struggle to go in the top 10, but as a later first-round pick, he offers everything you could want in a wide receiver. He’s been discussed for two years now and newer names are often more exciting, but there’s nothing boring or routine about how Egbuka plays the game.
4: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
A redshirt sophomore and former three-star recruit from Alberta, Ayomanor turned heads towards the end of last season when he had over 200 yards against Colorado, many of them coming when matched up against Hunter. Though the Cardinal’s offense has struggled to get Ayomanor the ball at times, he is coming off back-to-back 60-catch seasons, with 1,844 yards between them.
If you’re drafting Ayomanor, it’s because you want an outside, downfield threat who can reliably beat press coverage. At 6-2, 210, he’s got the presence for it. He gets up to top speed quickly and knows how to stack defensive backs down the field. There isn’t a better prospect in this class at beating press coverage, as his physicality and technique give him the desired releases, and his frame is ideal for this role. An elite contested catch receiver, he sets the tone at the catch point, not the defense. He boxes out his opponents and uses his strong hands to high-point the ball and bring it in.
For a player of his size, he has remarkable yards-after-catch ability. His speed is a real factor, especially at that size, as he’s just as capable of blowing past the defense as he is running through them. With good route-running chops, he can be a volume target in the short and intermediate games, and he’s excellent over the middle of the field. Unafraid of contact and with a nose for the football, Ayomanor can move the chains.
All Ayomanor’s speed and size means he can’t come to a quick stop. Once that much mass gets a lot of momentum, it’s simply difficult to slow it down. This means that he usually struggles to create underneath separation, operating in traffic and through contact instead. He’s excellent at it, but it’s much harder to thrive doing that in the NFL. He’ll need to adjust to the size and speed of the NFL maybe more than other prospects, but I think he can do it.
Ayomanor’s profile is one I’m very hesitant to believe in. But if there was ever a prospect that fit this profile I’d bet on, it’s him. He’s so competitive and has proven ability against the toughest competition the college ranks could offer. I’m not sure if he can absorb a huge workload as a top option, but he’s tough, reliable, and can make huge plays every week.
5: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Just a three-star high-school recruit, Noel made an impact early in his Iowa State career, making 38 catches as a freshman. His production grew year over year, culminating in an 80-catch, 1,194-yard senior season in which he caught eight touchdowns and was honorable mention All-Big 12. At 5-11, 201 pounds, Noel isn’t the biggest receiver, but he certainly isn’t undersized either.
When you watch Noel on the field, it’s easy to see how his game translates to the next level. His twitchy, explosive lower half allows him to create quick separation off the line of scrimmage, getting open in an instant in the short and intermediate parts of the field. He plays with choppy feet, always moving and making it difficult for defenders to get a read on him. As a route runner, he’s already playing like an NFL veteran, using head fakes, fluid hips, and rapid deceleration to come open in an instant whenever he wants. Against zones, he displays an intelligent understanding of defensive principles, capable of sitting down in soft spots in coverage quickly and making himself available to his quarterback.
After the catch he regularly extends plays, accelerating quickly and employing his smooth movement skills to make defenders miss in the open field. He’s a plus-plus catcher of the football, with soft hands and an iron grip in traffic. Noel’s draft stock will benefit from his versatility. He can play all over the formation, with experience getting off press coverage on the outside and returning kicks as well. His best work is done in the slot, however.
Noel does, unfortunately, have several limitations to his game when projecting it to the NFL. He’s got more than enough speed for the NFL game, but he won’t take the top off a defense routinely. While he’s played on the outside plenty in college, he’s likely to be mostly relegated to the slot in the professional ranks. There’s a level of physicality he needs to add to his game to be an every-down receiver in the pros, though he can certainly get there.
As far as slot receivers go, Noel is about as good as they come. He has proven production in big games against top college competition, to go with strong athletic traits and a versatile skillset that can translate immediately. At the top of the second round, Noel can have a Ladd McConkey-type of impact for a drafting team.
6: Tez Johnson, Oregon
A transfer from Troy, Johnson joined his adoptive brother Bo Nix at Oregon in 2023. Nix advocated for Johnson to be brought on board, and he responded with an 86-catch, 1,182-yard season. He had 10 touchdowns in back-to-back years at Oregon, maintaining consistency despite all the offensive changes the Ducks underwent this offseason. A small receiver, he’s listed at just 5-10, 165, but that hasn’t stopped him yet.
Speed is the name of Johnson’s game. He’s blazingly fast, with reported 40 times under 4.33 seconds. That speed changes the way a defense has to match up against him, giving him all sorts of advantages underneath. He’s grown a lot as a route runner, showcasing precision, timing, and fluidity in his routes. It’s now a major strength of his, and he can reliably get open against man or zone coverages.
Surprisingly for a player of his size, Johnson excels in contested catch situations. He has incredible flexibility and body control, often outmuscling defenders for the football or even just jumping over them. After the catch is when he’s at his most dangerous, as he plays with a running back’s vision and all the speed and agility that got him there. He has plenty of experience returning kicks, which no doubt helps.
Because he’s only 165 pounds, he lacks the frame and presence to play out wide in the NFL. He struggles against press coverage and has some durability concerns, especially with the injuries we’ve seen small receivers suffer in recent years. Other than that, though, there aren’t many holes in his game. I have no doubts about Johnson’s ability to play at the next level.
The question with Johnson really does come down to how high teams are willing to take a receiver of his size. I don’t think he’s quite as good a prospect as Texans WR Tank Dell was two years ago out of Houston, but he’s the comp everyone will make. Dell’s success in the NFL is a good sign for Johnson’s prospects, and I’d guess he goes somewhere in the third round. Whoever drafts him is getting a true baller and someone I believe will outplay their draft position.
7: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
A transfer from Eastern Kentucky, Higgins was a two-star recruit from Miami. Joining the Cyclones after his sophomore year, he’s put together monster junior and senior campaigns, with 140 catches, 2,166 yards, and 15 touchdowns between them. Higgins earned second-team All-Big 12 honors his senior season, as Iowa State made the Big 12 championship.
At 6-4, 215 pounds, Higgins is a big dude. He uses his frame well, maximizing his catch radius with his huge wingspan. In the red zone, he’s practically unstoppable, as he can box defenders out at the catch point or simply reach over them. His hands are strong and trustworthy — he almost never drops passes, securing catches quickly and reliably.
Higgins’ route running is among his best skills. He showcases an advanced understanding of how to manipulate defenders and create before he receives the ball. This is best seen in the short and intermediate parts of the field, where he creates easy separation off his routes. Quick-twitch athleticism is evident in his movements, where he can break free from a defender in an instant. Against zones, he makes himself available to the quarterback through savvy exploitation of the gaps in the defense. He has some lineup versatility, as well, with experience out wide and in the slot.
In terms of Higgins’ weaknesses, there aren’t many, but they do likely cap his ceiling in the NFL. He’s not much of a deep threat, lacking the long speed to truly threaten a defense. For all his size and route-running ability, he can struggle against physical corners when releasing, getting jammed and knocked off his route a little too often. This can lead to timing issues, especially since he’s best on quick routes.
I really like Higgins’ potential as a WR2 at the next level. He’s strong, smart, and dependable, the sorts of traits that make a receiver a quarterback’s best friend. Higgins’ athletic testing will be important; if he tests better than expected, he could move up these rankings and into the first-round conversation.
8: Jalen Royals, Utah State
A seismic riser over the last two seasons, Royals started his college career at Georgia Military College before transferring to Utah State. Though his 2024 season was cut short by injury, he still had 834 yards and six touchdowns across just seven games, and he was a thousand-yard receiver (and had a school-record 15 touchdowns) in 2023. At 6-0, 205, he has solid size and often plays bigger than his listed measurements.
The best deep threat in this draft, Royals is a threat to burn a defense on every play. He’s blazing fast, and not just on the track either. His game speed pops on film and he excels tracking the ball down the field, able to make plays away from his route when needed. In contested situations, he fights for the ball, with great body control and the ability to make catches outside of his frame.
He accelerates in an instant and has quick feet and impressive lateral agility, gaining separation at all levels of the field. Royals knows how to manipulate zone defenders, showcasing an advanced understanding of leverages and defensive responsibilities to get himself open. In terms of easy yards, he can provide his quarterback with quite a few, as he makes himself a ready target when he gets open.
It’s not that he can’t operate underneath, but Royals’ route tree is certainly underdeveloped. Early in his career, he’ll be mostly relegated to designated downfield routes and targets, until he can hone his game in other areas of the field. Physical defenders can sometimes knock him off his spot, but some refinement in his hand-fighting techniques can help with this.
Royals might be my favorite receiver in this draft, just on a personal level. I love his game. He burns defenders downfield, playing with personality and fight on every route. Coming from such unheralded beginnings, he seems to still be out to prove himself, and that’s evident from the tape alone. He’s a Day 2 prospect and an excellent complementary weapon in an NFL offense.
9: Luther Burden III, Missouri
An uber-productive receiver for the Tigers, Burden was a consensus five-star in high school who chose to stay home and play at Missouri. Measuring in at 5-11, 208, Burden kicked off his college career with six touchdowns as a freshman before absolutely exploding as a sophomore. With 86 receptions, 1,212 yards, and nine touchdowns, he was named a second-team All-American. His junior season didn’t live up to those lofty standards, but he was still productive, totaling over 600 yards and another six scores.
Burden’s athleticism is off the charts. An explosive first step gives him immediate separation off the line, breezing past underneath coverage. He has a lot of production on deep passes, tracking the ball well and making plays down the field. Elite body control makes him a nightmare matchup for defensive backs, as he can jump and twist from seemingly impossible angles to secure catches.
A powerful outside blocker, Burden elevates running games when he’s out there. He’s not afraid to stick his nose in and get physical, clearing space behind him. Burden is at his best with the ball in his hands, often utilized in screen and jet sweep actions to get him in space, where he can use his sudden acceleration and elite bend to weave through defenses. That physicality translates here, as well, where he’s not afraid to run through contact and lower his shoulder to get extra yardage.
I’m a bit lower on Burden than the consensus, and here’s why. He’s likely limited to the slot in the NFL, as he struggles against press and doesn’t have the size to win against bigger corners down the field. His offensive coordinator will need to work to get him free releases in the NFL, something easier said than done. Additionally, his speed is merely good, not great. He’s certainly fast, but he’s not going to be able to just rip the top off a defense or run away from coverage reliably. I reserve the right to change my mind based on how he runs at the Combine, but the reported 40 times I’ve seen and his performance on tape leads me to believe he’s not an elite speed threat.
Perhaps most importantly, Burden isn’t a refined route runner. He can do some things, but it’s not like he can break down a defense out of the slot or use his plus athleticism to put a corner in the dirt off a cut without the ball in his hands. He’s bordering on more of a gadget player than a true receiver, a significant red flag in a scouting report, as the hit rates for those types of players are not high. These are the same issues I noticed on tape over the summer, and it seems he’s largely still the same player.
But all that said, there’s still so much to like with Burden’s game. He’s an elite creator at the receiver position and he plays a brand of fierce, tough football. Creative offensive schemes can do a lot with him, and I hope he goes to a place that can maximize his skillset. If he does, there might not be a more fun player to come out of this entire class.
10: Kobe Hudson, Central Florida
Hudson started his career at Auburn, seeing sparse playing time as a freshman but making an impact in his sophomore season with 580 yards and four touchdowns. Playing the last three years at UCF, he’s totaled 130 catches for 2,311 yards and 19 touchdowns. The production isn’t out of this world, but when you turn on the tape you see why scouts love him.
Checking in at 6-1, 200 pounds, Hudson is best described as a big slot. He plays with savviness and nuance when running his routes, with a veteran’s understanding of how to manipulate leverage and outmaneuver a defense. I wouldn’t describe him as a twitchy athlete, but he does have fluid, smooth hips and sharp feet. He can make quick cuts and has the burst to gain separation underneath, making him ideally suited for quick-game concepts.
Unlike some players with his profile, he’s not simply a technician. Hudson is a warrior. He plays with a lot of toughness over the middle of the field, unafraid of absorbing hits and using his strong hands to secure catches through contact. He can operate in the deep game, as well, tracking the ball downfield and snagging over-the-shoulder or contested catches. After the catch, he can make people miss, as his route-running movement translates when he has the ball in his hands.
Like most players limited to the slot in the NFL, it affects his overall value to offenses. Although he has experience out wide in college, he won’t play there in the NFL, as he just doesn’t have the speed or length required to do so. He’s also not a plus blocker, which will limit his ability to be on the field in some packages, particularly for run-heavy offenses.
Hudson profiles as a prolific slot receiver in the professional ranks. He has proven ability to be an offense’s primary receiving weapon in both the SEC and Big 12 conferences, giving me confidence he can be a key cog even in a more limited role. I’m not sure his ceiling is higher than that of a WR3, but he’s as reliable as they come and consistently produces.
The next five
11: Isaiah Bond, Texas — Fastest receiver in the draft who improved as a route runner this season. Needs to play with more consistency but is a potentially game-changing receiver in the NFL.
12: Jack Bech, TCU — Reliable, savvy receiver who can play any position and consistently wins. Plus blocker and underneath separator.
13: Tai Felton, Maryland — Excellent route runner with a tall frame and quick feet. Makes a lot of big plays and is a weapon after the catch.
14: Evan Stewart, Oregon — Elite speed threat with plus ball-tracking and route-running capabilities. Lagging production despite the talent leaves questions about his ability to make it in the NFL.
15: Kyren Lacy, LSU — Elite underneath separator who has some athleticism questions. Inconsistent play is an issue, but the best reps are eye-popping.
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