2023 NFL Draft: Wide Receiver Class

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Lets go back to Offense:

TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Quentin Johnston, TCU - 6'4, 215 pounds
2. Jordan Addison, USC - 6'0, 175 pounds
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State - 6'1, 200 pounds
4. Zay Flowers, Boston College - 5'10, 172 pounds
5. Josh Downs, North Carolina - 5'10, 175 pounds
6. Kayshon Bouttee, LSU - 6'0, 205 pounds
7. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee - 6'0, 185 pounds, Biletnikoff Award winner
8. Rashee Rice, SMU - 6'2, 203 pounds
9. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma - 5'11, 184 pounds

All nine made both CBS Sports and ESPN's top 100 list. Johnston, Addison, and Smith-Njigba are all expected to go in the first round. Flowers and Downs are potential late first rounders. Please let us know about any dark horse WRs, we should be know about.

 

[Clayton]

Rashee Rice measured in at 6'0 so I suspect he'll drop to rd3-4.

Johnson and Hyatt are prototypical X and Y prospects but both really raw. Hyatt hasn't shown skills against press or special teams skills so he should be seen as a rd2 prospect but he is easily the best deep threat in the class so someone will roll the dice.

Bouttee should be able to play on the outside. If he has a good combine he should rise to rd1.

Addison and JSN will both be solid. I've seen Santonio Holmes and Tyler Boyd comps for those two and that sounds about right.

Flowers and Downs both seem firmly in rd2 imo in gadget roles. Flowers is getting a lot of buzz, though

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Interesting. Wiki and CBS Sports has Rice at 6'2. Hyatt will be drafted purely because he's your go-to deep ball guy. Definitely a receiver my team the Bills would want.

 

[Clayton]

Interesting. Wiki and CBS Sports has Rice at 6'2. Hyatt will be drafted purely because he's your go-to deep ball guy. Definitely a receiver my team the Bills would want.

At the Senior bowl he measured 6004 or 6 foot 0.4 inches. It's not a huge deal but in a class where there is very little height it'll keep him from rising in the draft.

If I was mocking the Bills right now, I'd have them drafting Hyatt. Bills draft high upside guys even if they're raw.

 

[Southieinnc]

Lets go back to Offense:

TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Quentin Johnston, TCU - 6'4, 215 pounds
2. Jordan Addison, USC - 6'0, 175 pounds
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State - 6'1, 200 pounds
4. Zay Flowers, Boston College - 5'10, 172 pounds
5. Josh Downs, North Carolina - 5'10, 175 pounds
6. Kayshon Bouttee, LSU - 6'0, 205 pounds
7. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee - 6'0, 185 pounds, Biletnikoff Award winner
8. Rashee Rice, SMU - 6'2, 203 pounds
9. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma - 5'11, 184 pounds

All nine made both CBS Sports and ESPN's top 100 list. Johnston, Addison, and Smith-Njigba are all expected to go in the first round. Flowers and Downs are potential late first rounders. Please let us know about any dark horse WRs, we should be know about.

You "forgot" Tyler Scott.

He will be top 5 WR.....

 

[Southieinnc]

https://www.si.com/college/cincinnati/football/chris-johnson-on-40-yard-dash-record-tyler-scott-has-a-chance-to-break-it-at-2023-nfl-combine

 

[Clayton]

You "forgot" Tyler Scott.

He will be top 5 WR.....

I didnt realize his stock was that high. I figured he was a late 2nd-early 3rd round pick.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Lets go back to Offense:

TOP WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Quentin Johnston, TCU - 6'4, 215 pounds
2. Jordan Addison, USC - 6'0, 175 pounds
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State - 6'1, 200 pounds
4. Zay Flowers, Boston College - 5'10, 172 pounds
5. Josh Downs, North Carolina - 5'10, 175 pounds
6. Kayshon Bouttee, LSU - 6'0, 205 pounds
7. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee - 6'0, 185 pounds, Biletnikoff Award winner
8. Rashee Rice, SMU - 6'2, 203 pounds
9. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma - 5'11, 184 pounds

All nine made both CBS Sports and ESPN's top 100 list. Johnston, Addison, and Smith-Njigba are all expected to go in the first round. Flowers and Downs are potential late first rounders. Please let us know about any dark horse WRs, we should be know about.

Rashee Rice measured in at 6'0 so I suspect he'll drop to rd3-4.

As a Bears fan of a team whose offense lacks a top go-to WR, suffice to say this year's crop will be closely monitored, especially during the combines and pro days. Right at this moment there is no receiver in the draft to me that screams top 10 pick, altho it's inevitable that one will likely climb up into that level. I do think tho that while there may not be an obvious blue chipper, the group itself is overall fairly deep to the point there should be some serious talent remaining on the boards well into the mid-late rounds.

Easy prediction: the WR in the top 10-20 or so who tests the fastest 40 time will likely rise to at worst the 2nd or 3rd one grabbed in the draft, regardless if he's otherwise worth it or not. Happens all the time. Right now the talk is Hyatt as the fastest wideout in this group. If that holds true in the combine, watch how he flies up the boards.

I'd be shocked if Rice fell to the 3rd-4th rounds simply due to the height differential. I don't think he'll fall that far, but if so, he'd be a steal.

Sleepers/dark horses not listed in the original thread:

Tank Dell, Houston - a bit smurfish in size, but he's posted some incredible numbers during his collegiate career.
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa St - Good size and strength, runs solid routes, often wins those contested passes. GMs love this type of receiver.
Jayden Reed, Michigan St - No blow-way numbers during his his time at Mich St, but he impressed NFL scouts during Senior Bowl week.

 

[Clayton]

As a Bears fan of a team whose offense lacks a top go-to WR, suffice to say this year's crop will be closely monitored, especially during the combines and pro days. Right at this moment there is no receiver in the draft to me that screams top 10 pick, altho it's inevitable that one will likely climb up into that level. I do think tho that while there may not be an obvious blue chipper, the group itself is overall fairly deep to the point there should be some serious talent remaining on the boards well into the mid-late rounds.

Easy prediction: the WR in the top 10-20 or so who tests the fastest 40 time will likely rise to at worst the 2nd or 3rd one grabbed in the draft, regardless if he's otherwise worth it or not. Happens all the time. Right now the talk is Hyatt as the fastest wideout in this group. If that holds true in the combine, watch how he flies up the boards.

I'd be shocked if Rice fell to the 3rd-4th rounds simply due to the height differential. I don't think he'll fall that far, but if so, he'd be a steal.

Sleepers/dark horses not listed in the original thread:

Tank Dell, Houston - a bit smurfish in size, but he's posted some incredible numbers during his collegiate career.
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa St - Good size and strength, runs solid routes, often wins those contested passes. GMs love this type of receiver.
Jayden Reed, Michigan St - No blow-way numbers during his his time at Mich St, but he impressed NFL scouts during Senior Bowl week.

NFL's draft comparison for Tank Dell is Darnell Mooney. It seems like nobody was able to cover him in the drills he was at recently. The problem is that he is smaller than Mooney. Kind of the same issue with Josh Downs playing a bit like Kadarius Toney but is smaller so wont go as high in the draft.

Quenton Johnston's tape looks a lot like Chase Claypool right now. I get that Johnston is 3 years young and should develop to be much better but if you're a team like the Bears then maybe you just have to try and develop the guy on your team. Kinda the same deal with Toney on the Chiefs.

I'd say the two sleepers are Michael Wilson out of Stanford and Cedric Tillman out of Tennessee. Both dealt with injuries and might be pretty good. Chuck Sizzle out of Purdue and AT Perry out of Wake Forest have potential, too.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Johnston


Is he going to be a top 10 pick? I hear he excels more with the deep balls than the short passing game.

 

[PDay8810]

Johnston


Is he going to be a top 10 pick? I hear he excels more with the deep balls than the short passing game.

stud if upright in college

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Jordan Addison

 

[Shanemansj13]

I didnt realize his stock was that high. I figured he was a late 2nd-early 3rd round pick.

Right now he is a Day 2 guy. He's a guy I want the Browns to target. He's a freak. 4.29 speed

 

[Clayton]

Right now he is a Day 2 guy. He's a guy I want the Browns to target. He's a freak. 4.29 speed

Yeah, he was on my radar for late rd2 Chiefs picks. The knock on him (and Flowers) is that they have some really bad drops and you'll need an accurate QB to get these guys the ball. That said...yeah...day 2. Maybe rd2.

Daniel Jeremiah compares Zay Flowers to TY Hilton.

Sam Monson on Addison 'Lots of people are saying there isnt a Jamarr Chase in this class and thats fine but if you're sitting at pick 12 and Addison is on the board then that shouldnt stop you from taking a guy who does everything right'.

Kiper has JSN as WR #1 right now and going to New England at 14. Addison, Flowers, Johnston also rd1 in that order.

 

[Edonidd]

Olave and Wilson both looked like studs this year in the NFL. Last year JSN was the best WR on that team. And then as the only guy in the bowl game he absolutely took over. I get that he didn't do anything this year, but I still think he's going to be a bonafide superstar in the league.

 

[ducky]

Olave and Wilson both looked like studs this year in the NFL. Last year JSN was the best WR on that team. And then as the only guy in the bowl game he absolutely took over. I get that he didn't do anything this year, but I still think he's going to be a bonafide superstar in the league.

Yeah if you were asking to rank the Ohio State WR's exactly 1 year ago today, everyone would have said JSN. Hell part of the reason that I was down on Olave and Wilson coming into the draft last season is that they werent the best WR on their own college team (and no college team other than Alabama ever has 3 legit NFL studs at a single position).

It really does tell you how mercurial draft rankings can be. Good reminder when looking at the draft that we are projecting NFL futures and not trying to point out who had the best fantasy season last year in college.

 

[Clayton]

Yeah if you were asking to rank the Ohio State WR's exactly 1 year ago today, everyone would have said JSN. Hell part of the reason that I was down on Olave and Wilson coming into the draft last season is that they werent the best WR on their own college team (and no college team other than Alabama ever has 3 legit NFL studs at a single position).

It really does tell you how mercurial draft rankings can be. Good reminder when looking at the draft that we are projecting NFL futures and not trying to point out who had the best fantasy season last year in college.

At the end of the day, slot receivers have less value than outside receivers. I remember thinking the Bucs should've taken Amon Ra St Brown at the end of rd1 because he was the perfect Tom Brady receiver and was pro ready. He went 4th round because 'slot receiver'

I do wonder if JSN can run a 4.4. He might be able to. Just because he wasnt as fast as Olave and Wilson doesnt necessarily mean he isnt fast.

 

[Cincyfan78]

At the end of the day, slot receivers have less value than outside receivers. I remember thinking the Bucs should've taken Amon Ra St Brown at the end of rd1 because he was the perfect Tom Brady receiver and was pro ready. He went 4th round because 'slot receiver'

I do wonder if JSN can run a 4.4. He might be able to. Just because he wasnt as fast as Olave and Wilson doesnt necessarily mean he isnt fast.

I think it depends, though. I'd take a really solid slot guy in 2-3, but that's pairing them up with Higgins and Chase...I think there is value there.

If you were drafting a guy to be a top option, then I agree, but if you taking a guy that is going to add a dimension to an offense that is already pretty much set...I think that could increase the value, at least for that team, a little bit.

 

[Clayton]

I think it depends, though. I'd take a really solid slot guy in 2-3, but that's pairing them up with Higgins and Chase...I think there is value there.

If you were drafting a guy to be a top option, then I agree, but if you taking a guy that is going to add a dimension to an offense that is already pretty much set...I think that could increase the value, at least for that team, a little bit.

Wan'dale and Metchie went pick 43 and pick 44 last year. JSN as a prospect is definitely better than them so I do think he is somewhere between pick 20 and pick 40 without seeing combine numbers. Amon Ra had a sub 7.0 3 cone and a 38.5" Vert. JSN's calling card is his quick acceleration and his ability to work the slot without being undersized like Downs. Downs actually looks more elusive and appears to have better hands (best contested catch rate in the class, IIRC). Parker Washington is also a slot guy in this draft known for great hands. But again, a circus catch for someone 5'10" is a semi-routine catch for someone 6'1".

Personally, I'm not paying too close attention to JSN because he likely isnt even on the Chiefs radar. Or he shouldn't be. So hopefully someone drafts him early. I have seen Zay Flowers mocked to the Chiefs but the consensus seems to be that he actually is more than a slot receiver.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Jaxon