Fans have gotten used to wide receivers flying off the board during the NFL Draft in recent seasons, but the litany of first-round selections is not as apparent in 2025 as it has been in recent years.
Let’s look at which wide receivers could be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and examine the latest betting lines and odds.
How Many Wide Receivers Could Be Selected in the First Round of the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 2025 NFL Draft is unlikely to see seven wide receivers selected in the first round, like in 2024. However, historical trends suggest that several wide receivers will still be chosen on Day 1.
Over the past three drafts, an average of 5.66 wide receivers have had their names called on Thursday evening of the NFL Draft. It would be surprising if we approached that number again in 2025.
The 2025 wide receiver class is strong, but it lacks the same high-end talent fans have become accustomed to.
The over/under on the number of wide receivers picked in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is currently set at 2.5 on DraftKings. The over is the -250 favorite and, on the face of it, looks like a good bet.
Three wide receivers look like locks for the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter seems destined to be a top-five pick, while Arizona Wildcats’ Tetairoa McMillan and Texas Longhorns’ Matthew Golden also look set to have their names called on Day 1. That looks like an easy hit on the over.
But it does come with a disclaimer. Hunter isn’t listed as a wide receiver on all sportsbooks. The Heisman Trophy winner played both ways in Boulder and had 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, yet some oddsmakers are exclusively listing him as a cornerback.
Check with your bookmakers to see if they are listing Hunter as a wide receiver or cornerback—some are even taking bets on positional groups, excluding the Colorado prospect. Be cautious and ensure you check before placing your bets.
If Hunter isn’t labeled as a wide receiver, the over/under line becomes more difficult. McMillan and Golden are expected to go, but one additional receiver will need to work their way into the first round for the line to pay out.
Missouri Tigers’ Luther Burden III, Ohio State Buckeyes’ Emeka Egbuka, and Iowa State Cyclones’ Jayden Higgins all have first-round potential, but none have the clear path to a Day 1 selection the way the top names have.
Egbuka currently has the best odds to advance to the first round of this group at -200. Burden follows at +180, and Higgins is at +650.
Which Wide Receivers Could Be Selected in the 2025 NFL Draft First Round?
Excluding Hunter, our latest 3-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft had just two wide receivers land in the first round. It highlights the importance for bookmakers to either include or exclude the Colorado prospect from their lines when the over/under line is so low.
3-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft: The Browns Make Blockbuster Trade for Shedeur Sanders and Reunite Him With Travis Hunter
If a sportsbook includes Hunter, then the over seems an easy selection. The Buffaloes’ two-way player is the No. 1 prospect on CSN’s 2025 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board, with Burden, McMillan, and Egbuka also ranking in the top 32.
- Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Matthew Golden, Texas
Other Potential Names
- Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
- Luther Burden III, Missouri
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
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