By Justin Snider

This year’s class of wide receivers, much like last year’s is loaded with talent at the top of the draft. In 2020, we saw the likes of Henry Ruggs (Alabama), Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma), Jalen Reagor (TCU), Justin Jefferson (LSU), and Brandon Aiyuk (Arizona State) all drafted in the first round. History has a way of repeating itself, and the wide receivers from Alabama, and LSU sit atop my rankings for 2021. There are 3 receivers, Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), Jaylen Waddle (Alabama), and Devonta Smith (Alabama) who all stand projected as top 10 picks in the NFL draft. This class is also loaded, not only later in the first round with players like Kadarius Toney (Florida), Elijah Moore (Mississippi), and Rashod Bateman (Minnesota), but throughout the draft. This is an important year for drafting wide receivers as next years crop does not yet have the abundance of top end talent we see on the board this year. Here is my breakdown for this year’s wide receiver class.

Ja’Marr Chase – LSU

Ja’Marr Chase, 6’0 210 pounds, was the best receiver in the country in 2019 and was on LSU’s National Championship winning team. The 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner for best receiver in the country, had 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Those 20 touchdowns was an SEC record at the time. Heading into the 2020 season he was regarded as the top receiver in the nation and a potential top 10 pick. However, before the start of the 2020 season Chase opted out to prepare for the upcoming NFL draft. Besides his 2019 season, he played sparingly in 2018 as a freshman. He made 7 starts and caught 23 passes for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Teams looking to draft Chase early in the first round are doing so based on his record breaking performance during 2019. That year, Chase proved to be a vertical threat who also thrived with contested 50/50 catches. He shows good speed overall including in and out of his routes. At 210 pounds, he has a solid build which allows him to get off press coverage and he can use his body to shield away defenders, which he did at LSU allowing him to become superb at catching the aforementioned jump balls. With only one true year of experience there are parts of his game that could use coaching. This mainly includes his blocking on the outside, which in the NFL is something you have to be able to do. A team drafting Chase in the top 10 is going to get a relentless worker who looks to get better each day.   He is projected as an App-Pro caliber talent and easily a #1 wide receiver for an NFL team.

Devonta Smith – Alabama 

Another premier WR in this draft is Devonta Smith. He measures in at 6’1, 170 pounds and is the 2020 Biletnikoff, Maxwell, AND Heisman Trophy winner.. oh yeah and National Champion. Smith, the first winner of the Heisman at the wide receiver position since 1991 (Desmond Howard), had a stellar 2020 season. He caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. Those 23 touchdowns are an SEC record, a record that just the year before was set by Ja’Marr Chase with 20 touchdowns. Heading into 2020, Smith was starting for Alabama alongside another player on this list, Jaylen Waddle. But when Waddle went down with an ankle injury against Tennessee, it was Smith who stepped up and led Alabama at the wide receiver position. With 2 productive seasons already under his belt, there was little doubt that his production would wane. The game never seemed to be too big for Smith, as evidenced by his National Championship game winning touchdown against Georgia in 2018, or his 12 catches for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns against Ohio State in the CFP National Championship game. Even while routinely seeing double coverage, Smith still proved to be a force. He comes off the line with great burst, and has good overall speed. He tracks the ball vertically and uses his strong hands to bring in the ball effortlessly. He does get outmuscled at the line during press coverage due to his smaller frame, but he is still great in traffic. Offensive coordinators will use Smith in space, and allow him to be in pre snap motion to prevent him from being handled by bigger, stronger, corners.  He is a projected top 10 pick and a future Pro Bowler for years to come.

Jaylen Waddle – Alabama

Jaylen Waddle is 5’10, 183 pounds, and burst onto the college scene as a freshman in 2018. The SEC Freshman of the Year caught 45 passes for 848 yards, 7 touchdowns and also returned a punt for a touchdown. On a loaded 2019 Crimson Tide team, he still managed 33 receptions for 560 yards and 6 touchdowns. However, it was his special teams play that year, that got the most attention. The 2019 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and first team All-SEC player retuned a punt for six against LSU and a kickoff return TD against Auburn. Heading into 2020, there was a lot of excitement around Waddle and Devonta Smith after the Crimson Tide lost numerous receivers to the NFL. While the 2020 season started off great for Waddle, it quickly came to an end with an ankle injury against Tennessee. Given a year time-table for recovery, Waddle worked hard and was miraculously cleared to play in Alabama’s National Championship game. The fact he was able to return showed his ability to work hard and recover from injury quickly. Still projected to be a top 15 overall pick, Waddle offers the blazing speed to be a high end vertical threat. He is very explosive in space and can take it to the house on any given play. Waddle was used a lot in motion and on screens with Alabama, which were plays designed to get him into space. He is an elite athlete, who has top flight speed, burst, and acceleration. All of these allow him to create whatever angle he desires to get to the end zone. Waddle is a good, not great, route runner, but does offer a growing route tree. He does have a small slender frame, he also didn’t play much against press coverage, and there is the injury history. A team drafting him will be hoping to have their own version of Tyreek Hill. Waddle is a projected top 15 pick and will be a special teams demon in addition to what he brings at WR.

Kadarius Toney – Florida

Toney is 5’11, 195 pounds and struggled up until his final season with the Florida Gators. That year he broke out for 70 receptions, 984 yards, and 10 touchdowns. The Gators also used him in the running game where he had 19 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Toney’s struggles in his early seasons are more linked to Florida’s bad quarterback play than anything else. With Kyle Trask under center, Toney blossomed. He is a dynamic player who accelerates quickly, is great in open space, and creates amazing suddenness and change of pace. Despite having a smaller stature he fights through tackles and has great balance to stay on his feet. Toney will be used in the NFL as a playmaker in space. He won’t be a number 1 competing for contested balls or fades in the red zone. He will be a solid number 2 or 3, play some in the slot, and use his speed and athleticism to create mismatches. Toney has a projected draft position of late 1st rounder, to somewhere in the 2nd round.

Rashod Bateman – Minnesota

Rashod Bateman is 6’2, 210 pounds, and his college career started with a bang. He set Minnesota freshman records with 51 receptions, for 704 yards and 6 touchdowns. His sophomore season saw his progression continue with 57 receptions for 1,170 yards and 11 touchdowns. For that body of work he was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.  He fits best as an “X’ receiver in the NFL. However, during the 2020 season he played primarily out of the slot.  He doesn’t do anything exceptionally great, but seems to do everything well. He can get off press coverage, can high point the ball and make the reception, and has the ability to make things happen after the catch. For a bigger receiver, he is able to stop on a dime and change direction quickly. He is decisive with the ball in his hands and more often than not makes the first defender miss. A big 2020 season would have more than risen his draft stock, but with him opting out, then opting back in after Big Ten play was resumed, he didn’t seize the opportunity like many had hoped. Still, he is an intriguing prospect who can have a future as a #1 wide receiver in the NFL. Bateman has a similar grade range as Toney, and is projected as a late first, second round selection. 

Elijah Moore – Mississippi

Moore is 5’8, 185 pounds, and is a ready made slot receiver for the NFL. He came out strong to start the 2020 season with 10 catches for 227 yards against Florida in the season opener. He then later set or tied school records with 14 receptions for 238 and 3 touchdowns against Vanderbilt. All in all, he finished with a school record 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and 8 touchdowns in only 8 games. Those numbers would have been more inflated had Moore not opted out the Rebels final game of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. He was first team All-SEC, and like some of the players listed before him, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. As mentioned earlier, he is going to be a slot receiver in the NFL. He is physically ready for the demands the slot position in the NFL creates.  He gets open, makes tough catches, and is fearless over the middle. He gets off the line quickly, has game changing speed, and creates great separation. He will also provide production as a return specialist, as well as running reverses and screens out of the backfield. Getting off press coverage and expanding his route tree are things he will need to be coached up on at the next level. Moore has a second round grade. Moore to come!
     

Rondale Moore – Purdue

I told you there was “Moore” to come. See what I did there! Rondale Moore is 5’8 180 pounds and started off his Purdue Boilermaker career like he was shot out of a cannon. In his first game, he had 313 all-purpose yards and broke the record for the most such yards in program history. He finished his freshman season with 2,048 all-purpose yards. Despite only playing in 3 games this past season, he was still named honorable mention all-conference with 35 receptions for 270 yards. Moore can play out of the backfield, out of the slot and on the outside.  He is the ultimate chess piece. With a 40 time in the 4.2 range and a 40” vertical he is an athletic marvel. NFL teams will have to simply find ways to get the ball in his hands to maximize his talents. Whether that is him as a slot receiver, a third down back, or a return specialist. He has above average strength and shows great ability after the catch. His football character and acumen also receive high marks. While size might play a concern in the NFL, his speed should allow him to eleviate those concerns as one scout said about Moore, “You can’t hurt what you can’t catch.” Moore joins the others with a second round grade.

Terrace Marshall Jr. – LSU

Terrace Marshall Jr. is 6’3, 203 pounds and has career stats of 106 catches for 1,594 yards, and 23 touchdowns.  That equates to a touchdown for every 5 catches and he had double digit touchdowns each of the last 2 years.  Primarily playing on the outside early in his career, Marshall played mostly in the slot during the 2020 season. He took over the role for 2020 draftee Justin Jefferson. We all know what Jefferson accomplished as a rookie. While he did deal with some drops during the season, Marshall still made some tough catches and showed a large catch radius, something that will translate well at the NFL level. He is able to track the ball well in the air and has good hand/eye coordination that allows him to pluck the ball out of the air. With his big frame he is able to hold onto the ball through contact, even after big hits. While Marshall lacks a second gear, he does offer enough speed in and out of breaks to challenge receivers. He won’t be easily jammed at the line of scrimmage. Coming out of high school Marshall was ranked as the #2 overall receiver in the nation. Although he didn’t live up to the lofty exceptions that many had, he still had a quality career at LSU.  He will be a solid #2 receiver in the NFL and has a second round draft grade.

Tylan Wallace – Oklahoma State

Wallace is 6’0, 190 pounds and put himself on the map his sophomore season for the Cowboys. That year he ranked second in the nation with 1,491 yards on 86 catches and 12 touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff award.  Heading into the 2019 season with a lot of momentum (and being talked about as a potential first round pick), he picked up right where he left off. Wallace had 903 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns before he tore his ACL in a practice session. He returned from injury for the start of the 2020 season and had 59 receptions for 922 yards and 6 touchdowns. Wallace has above average speed as evidence by a 4.4 40 yard time. He has great ability to make yards after the catch, is physical enough to wane off tacklers, and is great with contested catches. He doesn’t do well getting off press coverage but makes up for this by high pointing the ball and making catches with defenders draped all over him. A low drop percentage shows that his hands are great. While he isn’t getting the first round grades he was getting after his sophomore season due to injury, he still has the potential to be a 2nd round pick and a solid #2 receiver in the NFL.

Amari Rodgers – Clemson

Rodgers is 5’10, 210 pounds and had a slow start to his Clemson career. While being buried on the depth chart behind future NFL players, Rodgers was used sparingly as a receiver and return specialist. Unfortunately, before the 2019 season, he tore his right ACL. With an expected return time of about 10 months, Rodgers was back on the field after 6. This showed a great work ethic and a determination to be great. That came to fruition in the 2020 season when Rodgers caught 77 passes for 1,020 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was a favorite of presumed future #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. In 2 games against a formidable Notre Dame Irish defense, Rodgers torched them for a combined 16 catches for 255 yards and a touchdown. Despite his ACL tear, he still has great speed with a timed 40 of 4.4. He has great stop and start ability, and has enough speed to be a downfield threat. While not being the tallest receiver, he does pack on a thick 210 pound frame which he uses to shrug off would be tacklers and has the balance to stay on his feet. He is a good route runner and is explosive coming in and out of his breaks. Despite his previous ACL tear, teams will be taking a chance on Rodgers building on his impressive 2020 season. He will be a solid receiver in the NFL and has a late second, early third round draft grade.

Stay tuned for this and many other breakdowns as we approach the draft, don’t miss our LIVE Draft Night podcast only on Twitter.