NFL teams took advantage of an exceptional class of playmakers a year ago, with eight of the league's 32 first-round selections used on wide receivers and tight ends.
Expect roughly half that total in the 2025 NFL draft with Penn State tight end Tyler Warren the only prospect at either position likely to generate a top-10 pick.
A tight end being selected before the first wide receiver in the NFL Draft is a rarity in itself, having occurred only five times in the past 20 years.
But that's not to say there aren't future NFL stars from this group. In fact, I see a baker's dozen worthy of top-100 consideration, with all 13 ranked and graded below.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State (6-6, 261)
Prospect grade: Top 10
Best-case comp: Rob Gronkowski
Best team fit: New York Jets
Clearly the most gifted pass-catcher in the 2025 NFL draft, Warren was understandably the focal point of Penn State's march to the College Football Playoffs last season and projects as a Day 1 standout in the NFL, as well. Entering last year, Warren's unique combination of size, strength, agility and remarkable body control already had him earning early first-round grades from scouts.
And when his statistics exploded from 34 catches for 422 yards and seven scores in 2023 to leading the Big Ten with 104 grabs for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns this past year, Warren emerged as one of the few true blue-chip prospects of this class. There are few tight ends in today's NFL who offer Warren's all-around game, warranting comparison to a similarly-sized and talented future Hall of Famer in Gronk.
2. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri (5-11, 205)
Prospect grade: First round
Best-case comp: Deebo Samuel
Best team fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
Given that his statistics plummeted in 2024 (61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games) after a breakout sophomore campaign (86-1,212-9 in 13), it is easy to understand why praise has been slow in coming for Burden. However, the tape shows a dynamic playmaker constrained by the limitations of others at Missouri, not a one-year wonder.
Sporting a compact, almost RB-like frame, Burden possesses very good quickness, smooth acceleration to attack at all levels of the field, as well as strength, grit and vision to consistently generate yards after the catch. A former five-star recruit with the athleticism and competitiveness to fit into every NFL offense, Burden is the lone first-round "lock" of this year's wideout class.
3. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan (6-5, 245)
Prospect grade: First round
Best-case comp: Zach Ertz
Best team fit: Los Angeles Chargers
Michigan's reputation as a run-heavy offense could lead some to stereotype Loveland as a traditional all-purpose tight end. In reality, he's more of a "big receiver," who uses his height, long arms and sneaky athleticism to overwhelm defenders in the short to intermediate zones. He is more quick and creative as a route runner than refined — improvising at times — but once he develops a rapport with his quarterback, Loveland should emerge as a real force in the NFL.
A true junior who has flashed future NFL talent since stepping onto the field in Ann Arbor, Loveland caught 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns for Michigan — numbers that could have been much higher had he been the focal point of the offense.
4. Tre Harris, WR, Mississippi (6-3, 210)
Prospect grade: Top 50
Best-case comp: DK Metcalf
Best team fit: New England Patriots
Given his size and speed, Harris is arguably the most physically gifted wideout in this class. However, due to concerns about how his game (and durability) translate to the NFL, he is likely to be among the more polarizing prospects on this list. Like a lot of bigger receivers in the NFL, Harris is a long-strider who can get behind the defense on vertical routes and destroy undersized cornerbacks on short throws, bullying opponents with his size and strength. However, he lacks the clean footwork for more intricate intermediate patterns, struggling to gain instant separation on double-moves.
Harris began his college career at Louisiana Tech, setting career highs in receptions (65) and touchdown grabs (10) in 2022 before hauling in 114 passes for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns over two injury-marred years at Ole Miss. If teams are satisfied with his medical evaluation, Harris could sneak into the first round.
5. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State (6-1, 205)
Prospect grade: Top 50
Best-case comp: Jaxson Smith-Njigba
Best team fit: Kansas City Chiefs
Arguably the safest of this year's wideout prospects, Egbuka is a silky-smooth route runner who pairs light feet, body control and soft hands to be a quarterback's best friend in the short to intermediate zones. Though he may run well in workouts, on the field, Egbuka wins with efficiency and quickness, rather than explosive speed, likely keeping him in the slot, where he excelled with the Buckeyes, hauling in a combined 24 touchdowns over the past three seasons.
Ohio State's recent track record of producing high-end NFL receivers is quite literally in sure hands with Egbuka, whose athletic profile and style are reminiscent of another recent Buckeye standout and former teammate.
6. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona (6-4, 212)
Prospect grade: Top 50
Best-case comp: Tee Higgins
Best team fit: Cincinnati Bengals (as a potential Higgins replacement)
A highlight-reel hero offering a unique combination of size, smooth acceleration and savvy to haul in 26 touchdowns in just 37 career games at the college level, the Hawaiian-born McMillan appears destined to spread the aloha in the NFL. He was featured at Arizona, showing the football IQ to play inside and out at the next level, alternately gliding by unsuspecting perimeter cornerbacks with his build-up speed and boxing out undersized nickel cornerbacks from the slot with his body control and massive catch radius.
That said, McMillan isn't consistently the sum of his parts, failing to play as physically with the ball in the air as his imposing size suggests and dropping seven passes (according to PFF) in 2024, alone. While undeniably gifted, there is a passivity to McMillan's game that will make him a polarizing prospect among scouts. I like him better as a complementary threat rather than as a true No. 1.
7. Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas (5-11, 180)
Prospect grade: Second round
Best-case comp: Jaylen Waddle
Best team fit: Tennessee Titans
Bond might be the aptly-named prospect of this year's pass-catcher crop as he is a high-upside investment that could pay off massively in the NFL. The traits are undeniable with Bond likely to prove one of this year's workout wonders. He is lightning-quick and accelerates in a flash, possessing the ability to turn a simple dump-off into a highlight reel touchdown. For all of his traits, however, Bond rarely paid off in three years at the college level, catching a total of 99 passes for a total of 1,428 yards and just 10 touchdowns — easily the lowest numbers among wide receivers in this article.
After transferring from Alabama to Texas this past season, Bond was used mostly as a decoy by Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, proving nearly invisible in the postseason, catching just two passes for a total of 30 yards against Georgia, Arizona State and Ohio State, respectively. Bond could require some patience. He is currently a better athlete than nuanced receiver, but his upside warrants an early-round gamble.
8. Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford (6-2, 210)
Prospect grade: Second round
Best-case comp: Davante Adams
Best team fit: Carolina Panthers
While NFL draft fans and the media fawn over 40-yard dash times and impressive box scores, scouts realize that savvy route-running, body control and catch radius are the traits that actually translate to the pro game. In these areas, Ayomanor ranks among this year's most underrated prospects, regardless of position. The Stanford product wasn't surrounded by the supporting cast that many of the other pass-catchers on this list benefited from, resulting in somewhat pedestrian numbers (125 receptions for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns) in two seasons of action. However, the precocious redshirt sophomore shows an advanced game that is easy to project into a pro scheme.
Ayomanor plays fast for a bigger (and younger) receiver, showing the crisp footwork of an NFL veteran to create space, as well as the core flexibility to contort in space and strong hands to pluck beyond his frame. I believe he'll wind up a better, more productive NFL receiver than some of the flashier talents selected ahead of him.
9. Jack Bech, WR, TCU (6-1, 214)
Prospect grade: Second round
Best-case comp: DeAndre Hopkins
Best team fit: Seattle Seahawks
Winning MVP of the Senior Bowl earlier this month has finally given Bech (pronounced "Besh") the national recognition that his talent deserves. While many draft enthusiasts are just becoming familiar with Bech, scouts have long been fans of his pro-ready game — dating back to 2021, when he led LSU with 43 receptions as a true freshman.
With the Tigers understandably prioritizing future first-round picks Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. in 2022, Bech later transferred to TCU and reminded the nation of his talent, exploding for 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns after an injury-plagued 2023 campaign in Fort Worth. Bech lacks elite burst off the snap, but the former prep basketball star plays faster than you'd think and boxes out with the best of them, showing the balance and core strength to bully smaller corners and excellent hands to win above the rim.
10. Mason Taylor, TE, LSU (6-5, 250)
Prospect grade: Second round
Best-case comp: Noah Fant
Best team fit: Philadelphia Eagles
The NFL has grown accustomed to talented pass-catchers coming out of LSU, as some of the league's best wide receivers — like Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Brian Thomas Jr. — all hailing from the program. This year, LSU's top skill position talent is Taylor, the son of Hall of Fame edge rusher Jason Taylor. Though he plays a different position than his famous father, the younger Taylor possesses many of the attributes that are clearly NFL-caliber.
He moves with a rare grace for a man of his size, easily accelerating and changing directions. Further, he has some of the best hands of any player in this class, dropping just one pass (according to PFF) in 83 targets this past season. Moreover, he's still growing into his frame, entering the draft as a baby-faced 20-year-old. Taylor is already a quality player, but the team that invests a Day 2 selection on him is banking on his upside.
11. Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon (5-09, 156)
Prospect grade: Day 2
Best-case comp: Tutu Atwell
Best team fit: Dallas Cowboys
The creative alignments and motion utilized by today's NFL playcallers have essentially widened the NFL field, allowing smaller, quicker receivers to attack space. Relative "mighty mites" like Tank Dell (5-10, 165), Tutu Atwell (5-09, 165) and KJ Hamler (5-09, 178) have become big-play specialists for their respective NFL teams over the past five years, and Johnson offers a similar blend of agility and acceleration.
Johnson began his college career at Troy — catching 141 passes for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns — but exploded at Oregon the past two seasons, totaling 169 receptions for 2,080 yards and 20 scores in just 26 games. If surrounded by a couple of table-setters at receiver on the outside, Johnson profiles as a speedy slot target able to mop up production on quick option routes and bubble screens.
12. Savion Williams, WR, TCU (6-4, 225)
Prospect grade: Day 2
Best-case comp: Laviska Shenault
Best team fit: New Orleans Saints
Teams looking for a mid-round lottery ticket will be especially intrigued by Williams — a Swiss Army knife who combines imposing size, impressive overall athleticism and flashes of sticky hands. He played all sorts of roles over his five seasons at TCU, lining up at split end, Wildcat quarterback, running back, fullback and kick returner in 2024, alone, while putting up his best overall season with 933 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns (six receiving, six rushing).
Playing so many positions, however, has limited Williams' pro-readiness — he currently profiles as more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type whose most immediate impact might be felt on special teams. He was charged with eight drops in 2024 (more than anyone else in this article), for example. But there are catches (see both of his touchdowns against Central Florida) that suggest his best football lies ahead.
13. Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State (5-11, 210)
Prospect grade: Third round
Best-case comp: Diontae Johnson
Best team fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Royals proved with a strong week of Senior Bowl practice that he is over the foot injury that abruptly ended his 2024 season, making him a realistic candidate to earn a top-100 selection this spring. He certainly has the production to back up this projection. He led the Mountain West Conference with 15 touchdowns (on 71 grabs for 1,080 yards) in 2023 and was on pace to shatter those numbers this past season (55 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns) before going down in Week 7.
While some have questions about Royals' level of competition — perhaps overlooking that he grew up in the talent-rich state of Georgia — the tape shows a savvy route runner who pairs quickness and spatial awareness to consistently create space for quarterbacks to feed him the ball. He could prove to be a mid-round steal and Day 1 starter out of the slot.
My favorites of the rest
- Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas (6-5, 250
- Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State (6-4, 217)
- Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami (6-5, 251)
- JaCorey Brooks, WR, Louisville (6-2, 191)
- Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State (5-10, 182)
- Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon (6-5, 245)
- Ricky White III, WR, UNLV (6-1, 179)
- Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse (6-4, 247)
Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on X @RobRang.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
recommended
