Wide Receivers
The were 28 WRs selected in the 2022 draft, as follows:
Round 1 - 6
Round 2 - 7
Round 3 - 4
Round 4 - 3
Round 5 - 3
Round 6 - 2
Round 7 - 3
While the 2022 WR draft class didn't match the thirty-six selections we saw in 2021, it was mighty strong. There was an early run on WRs in Round 1, causing teams to arguably reach. All six Round 1 selections were within the top eighteen selections. Round 2 was strong, as were the next couple of rounds, offering up some very good supporting talent. Rounds 5 through 7 had a few sprinkles, but ran dry as expected.
The 2023 WR draft class looks promising, but I don't see the same complement of talent in the first two rounds, nor in Rounds 3 and 4 to follow. As a point of reference, Texas Tech WR Erik Ezukanma wasn't drafted until the 125th selection (Dolphins), as fifteen WRs went before him. I don't see 2023 offering up fifteen WR prospects better than the aforementioned.
1) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 6'2 | 196 | WR | Ohio State
2021 - 80 receptions for 1,259 yards, 6 TDs
9/3 - Notre Dame - Smith-Njigba was completely shut down in this game, catching just 2 balls for 3 yards.
2) Jordan Addison | 5'11 | 175 | WR | USC
2021 - 93 receptions for 1,479 yards, 17 TDs
9/10 - Stanford - Addison had a very good game, proving that Stanford didn't have a DB that could contain him. He ended up with 7 receptions for 172 yards, 2 TDs. He ran solid routes and displayed very good play speed.
9/17 - Fresno State - Addison had a strong game, as he caught 6 balls for 69 yards, 1 TD. He went against a great CB in Lux, yet was still able to get open at times on him and anyone else.
3) Kayshon Boutte | 6'0 | 185 | WR | LSU
2021 - 38 receptions for 509 yards, 9 TDs
9/4 - Florida State - This was a very ho-hum game for Boutte, catching only 2 passes for 20 yards. He was held in check for the balance of the game.
9/17 - Mississippi State - Boutte was a non-factor for much of this game, caught just 3 balls for 31 yards, largely kept in check.
4) Quentin Johnston | 6'3 | 193 | WR | TCU
2021 - 33 receptions for 612 yards, 6 TDs
9/1 - Colorado - TCU struggled to get Johnston then ball through the air, as he amassed just 3 receptions for 22 yards. When given the opportunity, he showed his speed and athleticism. He did flash more as an athlete vs. pure WR, however.
5) Josh Downs | 5'10 | 180 | WR | North Carolina
2021 - 98 receptions for 1,273 yards, 8 TDs
6) Marvin Mims | 5'11 | 177 | WR | Oklahoma
2021 - 32 receptions for 705 yards, 5 TDs
9/17 - Nebraska - Mims was solid, but not great in this one. He had 4 receptions for 66 yards. He ran fast routes with good breaks, was able to get open with some consistency.
9/24 - Kansas State - Mims had a good night. While he only caught 4 balls, they went for 87 yards a nd 1 TD. He showed off his long speed, couple with the ability to beat coverage over the top.
7) Rashee Rice | 6'2 | 203 | WR | SMU
2021 - 64 receptions for 670 yards, 9 TDs
9/17 - Maryland - Rice had a great game, completely carved up Maryland's secondary. He showed off good speed, was able to get open throughout the balance of the game. He had 11 receptions for 193, simply couldn't be contained.
8) Cedric Tillman | 6'3 | 215 | WR | Tennessee
2021 - 64 receptions for 1,080 yards, 12 TDs
9/10 - Pittsburgh - Tillman had a very impressive game, showed off why he's one of the more dangerous WRs in the nation. He posted 9 receptions for 162 yards, 1 TD. His blend of size, speed, strength and overall athleticism was on display all game. Aside from a couple of concentration issues, he was very good.
9) Rakim Jarrett | 6'0 | 190 | WR | Maryland
2021 - 62 receptions for 829 yards, 5 TDs
9/17 - SMU - Jarret looked good, but was limited to just 2 catches for 65 yards, 1 TD. Maryland ran the ball often, which cut into his production.
9/24 - Michigan - Jarret had a very meh game, caught just 4 balls for 12 yards. While he did draw good coverage, he simply didn't stand out as a consummate threat.
10) Charlie Jones | 6'0 | 188 | WR | Purdue
2021 - 21 receptions for 323 yards, 3 TDs
9/1 - Penn State - Jones had a fantastic game. He caught 12 balls for 153 yards, 1 TD. He showed off very good speed, coupled with sharp route-running. He was deadly on slant patterns, getting the best of future NFL CB Joey Porter on a few occasions. Jones was targeted all night, and looks to be the focal point of Purdue's passing game.
9/17 - Syracuse - Jones was nothing shy of superb tonight. Garret Williams covered him all night, and Jones got the better of him several times. Jones finished with 11 receptions for 188 yards, 1 TD. His speed was simply too much for Williams.
11) Ainias Smith | 5'10 | 190 | WR | Texas A&M
2021 - 47 receptions for 509 yards, 6 TDs
9/10 - Appalachian State - Smith had a very average game. While he got zero help from his QB, he caught just 4 balls for 21 yards. He ran fast routes, but didn't always look real nuanced doing so.
9/17 - Miami - Smith didn't get great QB help, but he still caught 4 balls for 74 yards. He showed off his long speed and the ability to get chunk yards after the catch.
12) Parker Washington | 5'10 | 203 | WR | Penn State
2021 - 64 receptions for 820 yards, 4 TDs
9/1 - Purdue - Washington was held in check throughout the game, accumulating just 2 receptions for 30 yards. However, it was very clear that he has very good athleticism and needs to be featured more in this offense. This game belied his abilities.
9/17 - Auburn - Washington was solid with 4 catches for 58 yards, flashing his talents a couple times. While solid, he wasn't consistently dynamic in any regard.
13) Zay Flowers | 5'11 | 178 | WR | Boston College
2021 - 44 receptions for 746 yards, 5 TDs
9/24 - Florida State - Amid shoddy O-line and QB play, Flowers still flashed. he caught 7 balls for 45 yards, showed off his underneath receiving skills and overall speed.
14) Nathaniel Dell | 5'10 | 160 | WR | Houston
2021 - 90 receptions for 1,329 yards, 12 TDs
9/10 - Texas Tech - Dell had a great game, consistently used his speed to get open, and get chunk yards. He caught 7 balls for 120 yards, was a fun watch.
15) Jacob Cowing | 5'11 | 170 | WR | Arizona
2021 - 67 receptions for 1,330 yards, 7 TDs
9/10 - Mississippi State - Cowing had a solid night, posted 8 catches for 46 yards, 1 TD. He showed off good functional speed, was able to get open often.
16) A.T. Perry | 6'3 | 206 | WR | Wake Forest
2021 - 71 receptions for 1,293 yards, 15 TDs
17) Jermaine Burton | 6'0 | 200 | WR | Alabama
2021 - 26 receptions for 497 yards, 5 TDs
9/10 - Texas - Burton underwhelmed with just 2 receptions for 10 yards. He did nothing of consequence to help his team out.
18) Cornelius Johnson | 6'3 | 211 | WR | Michigan
2021 - 40 receptions for 627 yards, 3 TDs
9/1 - Colorado State - Johnson had a very quiet game, catching just 2 balls for 19 yards. While the run game was the focus, Johnson showed some ability, but nothing dynamic in this one.
9/24 - Maryland - Johnson caught just 3 balls for 27 yards. He looked very average in this one.
19) Dontayvion Wicks | 6'1 | 206 | WR | Virginia
2021 - 57 receptions for 1,203 yards, 9 TDs
9/23 - Syracuse - Wicks had a very average game. He caught 5 balls for 42 yards, wasn't able to get open downfield with any consistency. He also had a bad drop on a perfectly thrown ball.
20) Xavier Hutchinson | 6'3 | 210 | WR | Iowa State
2021 - 83 receptions for 987 yards, 5 TDs
21) Jordon Whittington | 6'1 | 209 | WR | Texas
2021 - 26 receptions for 377 yards, 3 TDs
9/10 - Alabama - Whittington had a great game. He caught 7 balls for 64 yards, consistently used his size and speed to wall of coverage and get open.
22) Ronnie Bell | 6'0 | 192 | WR | Michigan
2021 - 1 receptions for 76 yards, 1 TD
9/1 - Colorado State - Bell had a rather meh outing. While the run game was featured as per usual, Bell wasn't crisp and had at least one bad drop that I took note of. He finished with just 1 catch for 9 yards.
9/24 - Maryland - Bell had very solid game. His 3 receptions for 72 yards showed some good ability, but his perimeter blocking is what earns him the most praise today.
23) Jalen Cropper | 6'0 | 173 | WR | Fresno State
2021 - 85 receptions for 899 yards, 11 TDs
9/17 - USC - Cropper had a good game, really flashed. He caught 8 balls for 62 yards, showed off very good run after the catch skills, overall speed. He was generally reliable in securing the ball cleanly.
24) Chris Autman-Bell | 6'1 | 215 | WR | Minnesota (Out for Season)
2021 - 36 receptions for 506 yards, 6 TDs
25) Mitchell Tinsley | 6'1 | 205 | WR | Penn State
2021 - 87 receptions for 1,402 yards, 14 TDs
9/1 - Purdue - Tinsley had a very respectable game, notching 7 receptions for 84 yards, 1 TD. He ran good, fluid routes, showed off some nice play speed to match.
9/17 - Auburn - Tinsley started off hot, but fizzled out pretty quickly thereafter. He had just 3 catches, amassed 47 yards. His talent was evident, but he wasn't a factor for the majority of the contest overall.
26) Jadon Haselwood | 6'2 | 208 | WR | Arkansas
2021 - 39 receptions for 399 yards, 6 TDs
9/1 - Cincinnati - Haselwood had a relatively quiet game, catching just 3 balls for 19 yards. He did make a great TD grab, however.
9/10 - South Carolina - Haselwood was active as a short-mid field target. He caught 5 balls for 30 yards, showed he can get open underneath.
27) Jayden Reed | 6'0 | 185 | WR | Michigan State
2021 - 59 receptions for 1,026 yards, 10 TDs
28) Dontay Demus | 6'3 | 215 | WR | Maryland
2021 - 28 receptions for 507 yards, 3 TDs
9/17 - SMU - Demus wasn't a factor today, caught just 1 ball for 5 yards.
9/24 - Michigan - Demus was meh yet again, caught just 2 balls for 12 yards.
29) Corey Gammage | 6'3 | 220 | WR | Marshall
2021 - 78 receptions for 878 yards, 2 TDs
30) Julian Fleming | 6'2 | 205 | WR | Ohio State
2021 - 12 receptions for 86 yards, 1 TD
9/24 - Wisconsin - It was good to see Fleming involved in the offense tonight. When given the chance, he flashed well. He displayed a good blend of size and speed, was able to get open often. He caught 4 balls for 67 yards, 1 TD.
31) Keytaon Thompson | 6'4 | 217 | WR | Virginia
2021 - 78 receptions for 990 yards, 2 TDs
9/23 - Syracuse - Thompson had a decent game. He did catch 8 balls for 55 yards, but really couldn't get much separation in the long game. All the work he did was in the short to intermediate realm.
32) Bryce Ford- Weaton | 6'1 | 220 | WR | West Virginia
2021 - 42 receptions for 574 yards, 3 TDs
9/1 - Pittsburgh - Ford-Weaton had a very good game, was the hottest WR on the filed in this one. He had 9 receptions for 97 yards, good for 2 TDs. While he did have a drop, he was otherwise reliable, targeted often. His ability to shield off defenders and grab the ball at its highest point was noticeable.
33) Jadan Blue | 6'0 | 185 | WR | Virginia Tech
2021 - 30 receptions for 185 yards, 1 TD
34) Jaden Walley | 6'0 | 185 | WR | Mississippi State
2021 - 55 receptions for 628 yards, 6 TDs
9/3 - Memphis - Walley had a solid night. He had 3 receptions for 30 yards, 1 TD. He ran smooth routes and was able to get open often.
9/10 - Arizona - Walley was relatively quiet, had just 2 catches for 12 yards. He didn't look bad, but others were targeted far more often.
9/17 - LSU - Walley had just 2 receptions for 16 yards.
35) Sam Pinckney | 6'4 | 210 | WR | Coastal Carolina
2021 - 27 receptions for 311 yards, 1 TD
36) Mycah Pittman | 5'11 | 201 | WR | Florida State
2021 - 12 receptions for 197 yards, 0 TDs
9/4 - LSU - Pittman was decent with 3 receptions for 45 yards. He did have one drop, but it was a questionable pass.
9/16 - Louisville - Pittman was a non-factor, had just 1 catch for 7 yards.
9/24 - Boston College - Pittman was decent with 4 receptions for 45 yards, continues to look like a middle of the road contributor.
37) Isaiah Neyor | 6'3 | 218 | WR | Texas
2021 - 44 receptions for 878 yards, 12 TDs
38) Joseph Ngata | 6'3 | 220 | WR | Clemson
2021 - 23 receptions for 438 yards, 1 TD
39) Malik Knowles | 6'3 | 195 | WR | Kansas State
2021 - 29 receptions for 441 yards, 4 TDs
9/24 - Oklahoma - Knowles was a formidable option in this one, catching 4 balls for 52 yards, 1 TD. He showed off good athleticism, was arguably a guy who should've been targeted more.
40) Jonathan Mingo | 6'2 | 225 | WR | Ole Miss
2021 - 22 receptions for 346 yards, 3 TDs
41) Tyrone Tracy | 6'1 | 205 | WR | Purdue
2021 - 15 receptions for 106 yards, 1 TD
9/1 - Penn State - Tracy had a very quiet night, caught just 1 ball for 8 yards.
9/17 - Syracuse - Tracy had a good night, showed off RB/WR versatility. He had 1 carry for 13 yards, also caught 5 balls for 24 yards.