2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Preview
An early look at the top receivers in next year's draft.
It seems like the wide receiver class is loaded in every NFL draft.
2025 is no different.
The top of next year’s draft class features plenty of different flavors of wide receiver. Need a dominant YAC threat in the slot? A big-bodied jump-ball specialist? A smooth speedster?
All of those roles can be filled by some of next year’s top receiver prospects. Let’s dive into the film on five players on the early watch list, followed by a few of the other guys that are on the radar heading into the 2024 college football season.
1. Luther Burden III, Missouri
(5’11”, 208 pounds)
The Missouri Tigers have suddenly become one of the most exciting stories in the SEC. Players like Luther Burden III are a big reason why.
A dynamic and shifty slot receiver, Burden averaged an absurd 3.29 yards per route run in 2023, the seventh-best mark in the FBS. Not only does he consistently get open with explosive and subtle movements, but he’s also a serious threat after the catch with excellent elusiveness and vision, averaging 8.4 YAC per reception.
Burden checks so many boxes despite primarily operating in the slot. He’s explosive, has good top-end play speed, and has the technique to maximize his separation.
Effort is the main sticking point with Burden heading into next season. He won’t always run his routes with 100% effort, especially when he needs to sell his route to get his teammate open. He also has a legitimate frame and flashes run blocking ability, but needs to keep getting after it.
Those are easily fixable things if Burden wants to be great. As long as he keeps playing at this level, he shouldn’t have any issues holding the WR1 position throughout the draft process.
Shades Of: Amon-Ra St. Brown
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2. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
(6’5”, 210 pounds)
When it comes to big-bodied receivers, there are few with the frame that Tetairoa McMillan possesses.
McMillan put up absurd numbers in 2023, catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 17 contested catches were tied for the second most in college football.
With that 6’5” frame, McMillan has outrageous body control to haul in contested catches regularly. He also has no problem extending outside of his frame to extend his catch radius. Teams that try to press him will also struggle, as he does a great job using his size and strength along with good hand usage to get free releases.
While he’s not the most explosive receiver, his long strides help him with his top-end play speed. He also struggles decelerating on certain concepts, limiting his route tree for the time being.
McMillan is also already having an off-field impact that scouts will love. Both him and quarterback Noah Fifita returned to Arizona and will divert some of their NIL money to teammates who weren’t making as much.
With continued work in the lab, there’s no reason why McMillan can’t continue to expand his route tree while still dominating in 50-50 ball situations.
Shades Of: Michael Pittman Jr.
3. Isaiah Bond, Texas
(5’11”, 180 pounds)
Despite being surrounded by wide receiver talent at Alabama, Isaiah Bond’s film still stood out in 2023.
Bond’s numbers aren’t particularly impressive. He caught 48 passes for 688 yards and four touchdowns last season. He also didn’t see an uptick in playing time until the second half of the season.
However, the film shows that Bond was Alabama’s most explosive receiver. His ability to quickly gear up to full speed off the snap is impressive. On top of that, his route running looks effortless, smoothly getting in and out of his breaks without sacrificing speed.
That being said, there appear to be some limitations to Bond’s game. He’s not the type of receiver to lean on in contested catch situations, and there are times where it looks like he struggles hauling in passes that require him to get extended outside of his frame.
However, with his explosiveness and play speed, he’s usually able to get open downfield. An expanded role with the Longhorns will play a big role in his evaluation for 2025 as scouts see whether or not he can handle a role as a top weapon for Quinn Ewers.
Shades Of: Jaylen Waddle
4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
(6’1”, 206 pounds)
Ohio State keeps churning out NFL wide receivers. While Emeka Egbuka isn’t on the same level of some recent Buckeyes receivers, he’s still been in the mix as a first-round receiver over the past few seasons.
Egbuka saw a sharp drop-off in production this past season, essentially halving his catches, yards, and touchdowns compared to 2022. The quarterback play was significantly worse after losing C.J. Stroud, but that could chance in 2024 with the arrival of Will Howard.
What makes Egbuka such an effective receiver is his smooth route-running and technical proficiency. Not only is he able to snap off routes at the stem and maximize his separation, but he’s also particularly elusive after the catch, averaging 7.1 YAC per reception over his career.
The main reason Egbuka isn’t higher on this list is his lack of top-end play speed or explosiveness. That doesn’t mean he’s incapable of playing at the NFL level, however. His technique and separation skills are coveted traits in pro-level receivers, and will allow him to quickly find a role as a rookie in 2025.
Shades Of: Adam Thielen
5. Evan Stewart, Oregon
(6’0”, 175 pounds)
As a speedster, it seems too fitting that Evan Stewart is transferring from Texas A&M to Oregon.
Stewart finished last season with 38 catches for 514 yards and four touchdowns. While that production is modest, he was hindered by a leg injury that forced him to miss multiple games.
Scouts won’t love to see that Stewart took some parting jabs at the Aggies medical staff after transferring. However, it’s understandable that Stewart was emotional about missing time.
When turning on the tape, it’s immediately evident how much faster Stewart is than his competition. He has the instant explosiveness off of the snap and top-end play speed to consistently stretch the field vertically. He’s also athletic enough to quickly decelerate and get into his breaks when selling a vertical route, leaving defensive backs in the dust.
There are some valid concerns about Stewart’s 175-pound frame. The lack of and play strength shows up at times on film. More physical defensive backs can get Stewart off balance when attacking him within five yards of the line of scrimmage, and he struggles as a run blocker as well.
Still, you can’t teach Stewart’s speed, and it’s something NFL scouts will be obsessing over once the NFL Scouting Combine comes next February.
Shades Of: Xavier Worthy
The Other Guys
Some other receivers that I haven’t been able to get to, but are on the watch list heading into 2024.
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
A prototypical receiver at 6’2” and 205 pounds. He’s had absurd production in Lane Kiffin’s offense, and finished 10th in college football with 3.17 yards per route run in 2023.
Deion Burks, Oklahoma
Burks was one of Purdue’s top playmakers last season. Now, the 5’9” wideout will have the opportunity to show what he’s made of in a more receiver-friendly offense with the Sooners.
Tez Johnson, Oregon
The adopted brother of Bo Nix, Johnson will have to face life without his brother next season. He’s only 160 pounds, but poured on the production last season with 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns on 86 receptions. Expect him to be a top target for Dillon Gabriel this season.
Moose Muhammad III, Texas A&M
Yes, this is Muhsin Muhammad’s son in case you want to feel old. He’s 6’1” and 205 pounds with NFL pedigree. Scouts will be paying close attention to him this season in hopes of a breakout 2024 campaign.
Xavier Restrepo, Miami (FL)
I’ve admittedly not watched any of Xavier Restrepo yet. However, I’ve heard good things. He broke 1,000 receiving yards last season and will likely be a top target for Cam Ward this season. He’s on the watch list for those reasons.
Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Stanford isn’t the football program it was a few years ago. However, Elic Ayomanor is a name to watch for the Cardinal. He made plenty of plays in his first college season last year, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards with six touchdowns. The 6’2”, 210-pound wideout will be on everyone’s watch list.
Tory Horton, Colorado State
Anyone that produces back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns deserves some recognition. Colorado State isn’t a powerhouse, but Tory Horton is 6’2” and 190 pounds with legitimate production. He’s hoping to be the next Michael Gallup to come out of the program.