“Can’t-miss” is a heavily overused phrase in modern football evaluation, especially when it comes to the wide receiver position. However, as the latest crop of college football pass catchers awaits their professional destination, our 2025 NFL Draft WR Rankings help you establish those playmakers who will be a slam dunk pick.
10) Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Elic Ayomanor has the physical tools to hypothetically thrive along the perimeter in the NFL. He has a large catch radius and impressive ball skills, and his coordination helps him track down the ball well and take optimal angles in the air. He offers good speed for his size, too, and the combination of his size and speed make him a difficult defender to bring down after the catch.
If you’re looking for a polished route-running technician, Ayomanor might not be your first choice. He’s a bit high coming into his breaks and doesn’t have the explosiveness in his lower half to consistently create separation. He’s still developing his release package, and a high center of gravity can make it easier for cornerbacks to press him near the line of scrimmage.
Ayomanor is quick but not efficient, and well-built but not as strong as you’d expect. Those issues invite uncertainty, but his big-play ability and run blocking presence emphasize his worth.
9) Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Jaylin Noel might be one of the most underrated WR prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was productive right out of the gate at Iowa State but peaked with 81 catches for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024.
Noel’s testing numbers at 5’10”, 194 pounds — a 4.39 40-yard dash, 41.5″ vertical, 11’2″ broad jump, 6.82 three-cone, and a bench press count of 23 — are elite across the board, and it’s reflective of a truly rare three-level skill set that Noel brings on tape.
Noel plays with supercharged energy in short areas, and he has the hyper-elite burst and speed to compound separation, threaten vertical, and extend short RAC passes for big gains.
A cherry on top is his catching reliability; he had just a 3.4% drop rate in 2024. If your offense needs a weapon, Noel can be that player.
8) Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Tre Harris was originally a transfer from Louisiana Tech, but proved he belonged alongside top SEC competitors with an incredibly productive two-year stretch at Ole Miss. He neared 1,000 yards in 2023, and in 2024, he eclipsed that mark in just eight games, while scoring a TD on over 10% of his catches.
At 6’2″, 205 pounds, with 32″ arms, Harris has the build of a potential X-receiver, and he also has the catch-point authority to hound defensive backs. With his body control, hand strength, and attacking IQ, he controls conversion situations, but his game is also quietly complete beyond his catching ability.
While he’s not an elite vertical threat, he’s an explosive stem artist with great size-adjusted fluidity and angle freedom on in-breakers, and he can use his bend and play strength as a RAC threat, too. Bearing some similarity to prime Allen Robinson, Harris should be in heavy demand just outside of Round 1.
7) Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Jayden Higgins is a wide receiver known for his impressive size and reliable hands. After transferring from Eastern Kentucky to Iowa State, he recorded 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in the 2024 season, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors.
Higgins excels in contested catch situations, utilizing his frame to shield defenders and secure the ball effectively. He’s also a stellar overall athlete at 6’4″, 213 pounds, with eye-catching explosiveness and seam-stretching strides.
On tape, Higgins has enough nuance and foot speed to separate on more rudimentary routes, but his lacking hip sink and flexibility does limit his route variance and consistency against press. As a movement-Z or big-slot receiver, he can make his money with strong hands, chain-moving conversion, and explosive RAC.
6) Isaiah Bond, Texas
Isaiah Bond is an explosive wide receiver with game-breaking speed and the ability to stretch the field vertically or create separation underneath. He accelerates quickly off the line and is a threat to score any time he touches the ball, especially on deep routes and screens. Bond has smooth footwork, sharp route-running instincts, and shows flashes of tracking the ball well over the shoulder.
He’s also a dangerous returner, adding special teams value. However, his route tree is still developing, and he can struggle against physical corners at the line of scrimmage. Adding strength and refining his timing will elevate his game. There are also off-field concerns that make him a wild card in terms of where could be selected.
5) Matthew Golden, Texas
- Selected by the Green Bay Packers
- 23rd overall selection
- Fourth wide receiver taken
Matthew Golden transferred to Texas in 2024 and has boosted his draft stock tremendously. The Longhorns receiver became the go-to weapon in the high-octane offense and recorded 987 yards, and his nine touchdowns led the SEC.
The 5’11”, 191-pound receiver creates separation with clean, crips route running and nuanced cuts. He has adaptable body control and developed ball tracking and anticipation to adjust to passes. While Golden’s 4.29 40-yard dash doesn’t exactly translate to the gridiron, he is a reliable option with a high floor to be an immediate WR2 on an NFL depth chart.
4) Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- Selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 19th overall selection
- Third wide receiver taken
Emeka Egbuka is a well-built movement-Z receiver who projects as an impact NFL starter. He offers good overall size for the position and has good strength and athleticism. He primarily aligned in the slot while at Ohio State, but he has the size, athleticism, and separation IQ to move across the formation.
Egbuka is an excellent route runner, who can use head and body fakes to create separation while also using his hands to keep his body clear through stems. He’s a third-down machine who consistently gets open and moves the chains. He has extremely strong hands and outstanding body control over the middle, and after the catch, he’s tough and competitive with the ball in his hands.
Egbuka will likely never be a home-run threat at the next level, as he lacks the deep speed to stress NFL-caliber corners vertically. But ultimately, he’s a valuable high-volume Swiss army knife with multi-level and blocking utility.
3) Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Selected by the Carolina Panthers
- Eighth overall selection
- Second wide receiver selected
Tetairoa McMillan is a big possession receiver who thrives in contested catch situations. At 6’4” and 219 pounds, the Arizona Wildcats’ wide receiver has a pterodactyl catch radius, allowing him to compete with physicality at the catch point.
However, McMillan is more than a jump ball specialist. The Wildcats’ weapon offers refined route running and field-stretching leg drive. However, his lack of sudden movement and long speed show up on tape, and he needs a runway to get through the gears.
2) Luther Burden III, Missouri
Luther Burden III is a slot receiver with an impressive combination of speed, power, and agility. His 2023 campaign showed that he’s more than capable of taking on a high workload. His natural playmaking skills make him dangerous in space, and he has ball skills to spare when allowed to stretch the field vertically.
As a route runner, Burden has shown progress but still needs additional development. Granted, part of that comes down to the way he was used in college, but his route salesmanship still needs some work.
Burden should end up being an instant starting wide receiver at the NFL level. He has some inside-outside versatility with the ability to thrive on jet sweeps and end-arounds, and his YAC ability is arguably the best of any wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
1) Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Second overall pick
- First wide receiver taken
Travis Hunter’s evaluation will differ from team to team. So teams will evaluate him as a combo deal of wide receiver and corner. For others it will be exclusively as one or the other.
The Colorado Buffaloes two-way player is one of the top overall players in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his unique ability to impact both sides of the ball and because of his unique athleticism.
As a wide receiver, Hunter has special ball skills. His ability to anticipate and adjust when the ball is in the air is up there with the best wide receivers in recent memory. The Heisman Trophy winner is sudden off the line of scrimmage and is a slippery route runner to generate yards after catch opportunities.
His hands are super clean, with the Colorado star being a natural catcher, and teams will want to get the ball in his hands as often as possible to maximize his crafty athletic ability.
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