Wide Receivers
The 2020 WR draft class was straight silly with talent. Thirty-seven WRs were drafted in total, seventeen of which went in the first 3 rounds alone. Despite as much, the 2021 class is loaded at the top as well and could produce quite a few 1st-Rounders too. There is no shortage of talent here...
1) Ja'Marr Chase | 6'0 | 200 | WR | LSU -
Scouts and talent evaluators alike are cautioned to not fall in love with stat lines. It's hard not to fall prey to as much when looking at Chase. In 2019, he hauled in 84 balls for an astonishing 1,780 yards, good for 20 TDs. He went for over 220 yards in three separate contests, his most impressive being his 221-yard beating he handed Clemson in the National Championship. He's an excellent outside X who knows how to get separation from even the best of CBs. With one false step of the defender, he has the speed to stack him up and track the ball. He also does a fine job of drifting into the defender as the ball's in the air, only to drift away right before the ball comes to create space for the catch.
2) Jaylen Waddle | 5'10 | 185 | WR | Alabama -
Waddle has been surrounded by insane talent over the past two years, yet he's never looked out of place and has proven to be a threat in his own right. He's lacks size, but this kid is insanely fast. With Ruggs and Jeudy having moved on, he'll get far more opportunities to showcase his talents. He's may be at his best on crossing routes, using his ability to pull away from defenders and get YAC.
3) Rondale Moore | 5'9 | 180 | WR | Purdue -
Moore's 2019 season was cut short, which really sucks considering just how dynamic he was a Freshman in 2018. He's undersized, but it doesn't matter. He plays with blistering speed and needs very little green to completely decimate a secondary. He's a match up nightmare, especially when he can operate out of the slot against slower defenders, or gets steam behind him when motioning as a "Z".
4) Rashod Bateman | 6'1 | 210 | WR | Minnesota -
Bateman really looked good in 2018, and he did nothing but capitalize on that in 2019. He caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards, scoring 11 TDs. He has an ideal blend of size and speed, coupled with very good route-running. He contributes in the long game by stretching the defense, also operate well as a possession target. He's a bear to defend, as he simply understand his position quite well and plays to what's needed from him.
5) DeVonta Smith | 6'0 | 180 | WR | Alabama -
Smith is another WR who doesn't have great size or overall girth, but plays with so much speed that he's hard to contain. While he plays fast, he runs smooth routes and can change direction without losing much speed at all. The stat lines against Ole Miss and LSU were gaudy, but in each contest he was completely in the zone. as neither team had an answer toward defending him.
6) Amon-Ra St. Brown | 6'1 | 195 | WR | USC -
St. Brown has all the stats to impress, but when watching his game tape it's clear that he has as good of an understanding on how to execute his position as any WR in this draft. While the kid has the speed to outpace many a defender, and does so, he's very nuanced in doing so. His ability to set up defenders and play to his strengths and/or their weaknesses is impressive.
7) Tamorrion Terry | 6'3 | 205 | WR | Florida State -
Terry is often a man against boys, as he uses his physical dominance to best defenders. In 2019, he caught 60 balls for 1,188 yards, good for 9 TDs. He has the athletic ability to operate at all levels, proving to be at threat whether he lines up outside the hashes or more in a slot capacity. He's certainly one of the alpha male WRs of the class in 2020.
8) Sage Surratt | 6'2 | 215 | WR | Wake Forest -
Surratt has excellent size and is deceptively fast, possessing the ability to get atop of coverage and haul in the deep ball. Despite missing time at the end of 2019 with a shoulder injury, he still posted 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 TDs. He's incredibly reliable, a guy that operates at all levels and is always good for 5+ receptions in each contest.
9) Terrace Marshall | 6'3 | 200 | WR | LSU -
While 2019 was all about Chase and Jefferson, Marshall still flashed a number of times, finishing the season with 46 catches for 671 yards and a remarkable 13 TDs. He uses his length well to cut off and box out smaller defenders, and is a very fluid route runner. He can operate as an outside "X" or from the slot.
10) Seth Williams | 6'2 | 224 | WR | Auburn -
Williams is built like a smallish TE yet still has good game speed. He has some long receptions, but he's more of a mid-level, possession guy. That isn't a knock on him, as he's a challenge to defend within the hashes. He's not as much of a consummate production machine as other WRs, but has a higher ceiling than most when in the zone. When he's consistently fed the ball, he goes nuts. His games against Miss. State and Georgia evidences as much.
11) Tyler Vaughns | 6'1 | 195 | WR | USC -
Smooth. That might be the best word to describe Vaughns. If not, consistent would certainly work as well. He is a smooth route runner who's produced each year over the past three seasons. He has very good speed and looks effortless going in and out of his breaks at times. He's a lock for 4+ catches a game, could certainly be a 1,000+ WR if fed more frequently. He's a monster on go-routes from the "X", but is more than adept to handle slot and/or flanker duties.
12) Tylan Wallace | 6'0 | 190 | WR | OK State -
After posting 86 receptions for 1,891 yards and 12 TDs in 2018, big things were expected of him in 2019. He didn't disappoint. While his stat line was marred by a torn ACL late in October '19, he still amassed 53 catches for 903 yards and 8 TDs. Speed is this kid's game, as he's always a threat to hit the home run ball deep. While fast, he's not one-dimensional, able to thrive at all levels.
13) Chris Olave | 6'0 | 185 | WR | Ohio State -
Olave is a bit non-assuming, as he doesn't have great size and his play speed seems to be on par but not special. In 2019, he had 49 receptions for 849 yards, scored 12 TDs. He wasn't an overlooked target, simply had to share touches amid great surrounding talent. He operated well from the slot then, but may have to do more from the outside to boost his stock.
14) Tutu Atwell | 5'9 | 170 | WR | Louisville -
He's undersized, dare I say small. But when operating out of the slot as he predominantly does, he has that inherent cushion that allows him to dart past CBs unscathed. In 2019, he led the nation not only in yards from the slot with 4.37, but in YAC with a whopping 752. He can't play on the outside consistently, so he won't be a sought after prospect for every team. That said, he's a dangerous weapon to have at one's disposal.
15) Justyn Ross | 6'3 | 205 | WR | Clemson - Out for Season...spinal injury and surgery. (Injury reflected in ranking)
For two years in a row now, Ross has looked the part of next-level WR. In that time, he's amassed 110 receptions for 1,865 yards with 17 TDs. He's blessed with excellent size and uses it quite well to box out defenders. Whether lining up as an "X" or a "Z", he's shown that he can run good routes and find ways to get open. While he may not have the elite functional speed of other WRs in this group, he's certainly not slow and always seems to have a long reception waiting in his bag. His ability to high-point balls is impressive.
16) Reggie Roberson Jr. | 5'11 | 202 | WR | SMU
17) Ihmir Smith-Marsette | 6'2 | 186 | WR | Iowa
18) Johnny Johnson III | 6'0 | 198 | WR | Oregon
19) Rico Busey Jr. | 6'1 | 193 | WR | Hawaii
20) Amari Rodgers | 5'10 | 210 | WR | Clemson
21) Whop Philyor | 5'10 | 180 | WR | Indiana
22) Nico Collins | 6'3 | 222 | WR | Michigan
23) Kadarius Toney | 5'11 | 190 | WR | Florida
24) Damonte Coxie | 6'2 | 197 | WR | Memphis
25) Emeka Emezie | 6'2 | 208 | WR | NC State
26) Randall St. Felix | 6'1 | 205 | WR | South Florida
27) Anthony Schwartz | 6'0 | 180 | WR | Auburn
28) Warren Jackson | 6'5 | 220 | WR | Colorado State
29) Tre Walker | 5'11 | 180 | WR | San Jose State
30) Tarik Black | 6'2 | 215 | WR | Michigan
31) T.J. Vasher | 6'5 | 190 | WR | Texas Tech
32) JD Spielman | 5'9 | 195 | WR | TCU
33) Dazz Newsome | 5'10 | 185 | WR | North Carolina
34) Dez Fitzpatrick | 6'1 | 202 | WR | Louisville
35) Eli Stove | 6'0 | 190 | WR | Auburn
36) Jadan Blue | 6'0 | 185 | WR | Temple
37) Jhamon Ausbon | 6'2 | 218 | WR | Texas A&M
38) Elijah Moore | 5'19 | 184 | WR | Ole Miss
39) Shi Smith | 5'10 | 190 | WR | South Carolina
40) Corey Sutton | 6'2 | 200 | WR | App. State
41) Braydon Johnson | 6'1 | 184 | WR | OK State
42) Samori Toure | 6'3 | 193 | WR | Montana