Florio's NFL/Fantasy Football Scouting Report: Kyle Williams, Isaiah Bond, Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and More

April 23, 2025

Michael F. Florio offers his scouting report for the deeper options at WR in the 2025 NFL Draft, including Kyle Williams, Isaiah Bond, Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and many more.

This wide receiver class may not have the high-end talent like in past years, but it sports a lot of depth. Several receivers who should go in Rounds 2/3 could be immediate fantasy contributors. These players, though, are more landing-spot-dependent than the high-end talent.

With many of these receivers, I look for one big thing: can you create consistent separation? I also look for receivers who can win in several different ways, such as getting open downfield and winning after the catch. If a receiver can do so, they are more likely to succeed at the next level.

The deeper the names get, the more likely they are to be more NFL than fantasy contributors. Still, it is nice to know all the options before rookie drafts begin.

2025 NFL Draft Deeper Wide Receiver Prospects

Kyle Williams has a quick burst and speed for days. That immediately jumps off the screen. So does the fact that he can win both after the catch and downfield. He is a home run hitter who can track the deep ball well, catch in traffic, and has good hands. He is a smooth route runner who can change directions quickly. What I especially love, though, is that he is just as big of a threat to score on a short, quick pass as he is on a deep target.

His tape showed a lot of quick/short passes, such as screens, and a lot of deep ones. I think he is a short or deep winner. He is not an X, and I would not expect him to dominate in the intermediate portion of the field. He is more of a flanker or slot option. Still, there is a lot of upside here, and a strong-arm QB could have fun with him. I wrote down three names that he reminded me of while watching him: Jayden Reed, Zay Flowers, and Marvin Mims Jr.

Washington State WR Kyle Williams might be the most underrated player in this draft 📈

▪️Dynamic play speed
▪️Competitive at the catch point
▪️Super slippery YAC threat
▪️Precise/refined footwork

🎥: Here’s 2 minutes of sick highlights from this past season 👇 pic.twitter.com/CyVBFZv0uw

— The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) April 8, 2025

Isaiah Bond may not have run the 40 as fast as he indicated he would, but when you watch his college tape, he plays very fast. He is a smooth runner both while running routes and with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can also use his speed to outrun secondaries and get open downfield. He has strong hands and can go up and get the ball when he has to. He is also not afraid to catch the ball, knowing he is going to get popped afterward.

I saw a player who has explosive speed, is twitchy, and can get open at all three levels. He can win both inside and out. He is a home run hitter who is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the ball. Speed is a game-changing trait, and Bond certainly has more than enough. He reminds me a bit of inverted Jameson Williams. Williams excels as a deep threat but can also win after the catch. Bond will likely excel after the catch, but be a quality deep threat as well at the NFL level.

WR Isaiah Bond, Texas

Dynamic receiver with elite speed (4.39) - Big-play weapon - Explosive vertical stretch ability - Upper tier ball tracking - Leverages track pedigree to thrive short and deep - RAC ability - Set up man for teammates - Confident and sudden route running -… pic.twitter.com/zMNCQHjV0Q

— The Film Room (@Cover1FilmRoom) March 27, 2025

Jaylin Noel is my favorite of the Iowa State receivers. He can line up inside and out, but is best suited from the slot. He can win in the intermediate and deep portions of the field from the slot, which, to me, is what separates average slot receivers from great ones. He is also strong with the ball in his hands after the catch. Noel has good short-area quickness, so he can get open in a hurry.

Noel has good hands and can catch the ball in traffic. He can adjust to balls that are not perfectly placed as well. Just do not expect him to be a contested catch receiver at the next level. He may struggle against press coverage. He reminded me of Khalil Shakir while watching him.

Jaylin Noel 2025 #ReceptionPerception Prospect Profile 🔥

Some highlights:
- 74.1% success rate vs. man coverage (84th percentile)
- 81.8% success rate vs. zone coverage
- 80% contested catch rate in the sample

Guy is a baller, and I can easily see how he's going to help an NFL… pic.twitter.com/An5TFWU53c

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 9, 2025

Tre Harris is a big-bodied receiver who can create separation. He was an X in college, and while he was a smooth route runner, Ole Miss simply did not ask him to showcase that. He ran primarily comebacks, slants, and curls. That could mean he is a limited receiver heading into the NFL, or it could mean there is untapped potential there. He also had a lot of short targets, and I would have preferred to see him used downfield more.

Still, Harris has good vertical speed, and he can win after the catch. He is a one-cut type of runner after the catch, but his size makes him tough to tackle. He can go up and get the ball when needed to, and can win in traffic. He led this class in yards per route run (4.91). One name I thought of while watching him was Michael Thomas. I believe he can thrive if used the way the Saints used Thomas. There is a wide range of outcomes, though, depending on how he is used at the next level.

Jayden Higgins is a big-bodied, contested catch monster who will likely be an X at the NFL level. His red- and end-zone ability immediately jumped out to me. He is the type of receiver who you throw it in his vicinity, and he will likely go up and get it. He has good hands and made a lot of difficult catches, which is why I think he pops on tape to many folks. He had a lot of downfield usage in college as well. He stood out to me on verticals, curls, and slants, and is simply an old-school style NFL receiver.

As a runner, he is a one-juke-and-go runner. He did run a limited route tree, and I believe he was a bit stiff as a route runner. My biggest concern, and the reason I am lower on him than most, is that he struggled as a separator. He often had to make contested catches because he does not create a ton of space. That is concerning because not only do you need a strong-armed QB who can make those tight-window throws, but you need a QB who is comfortable doing so. This is a lot of what I was saying about Keon Coleman at this time last year.

Like Coleman, I believe he can operate as a big slot, but will likely be typecast as an outside X. I think his ceiling is Rome Odunze, but Rashod Bateman and Michael Gallup were two other players who came to mind while watching him play.

Jayden Higgins is incredibly smooth for someone whose 6’4, 215lbs.

Slot twitch in an X frame. https://t.co/mECTNuhibw pic.twitter.com/Oxsw16mmQK

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) April 2, 2025

Jack Bech is a versatile receiver who can line up in the slot or as the lone receiver on a side. He has speed to get behind a secondary, and often won after the catch. I wouldn’t call him a YAC specialist, as he is more of a one-cut instead of out-run defenders type. I do question if he will have as much success doing so at the NFL level. He has good hands, but is not a magnet-type receiver.

He is the type of receiver who can catch in traffic. Although I do not think he excels as a contested catch type. He also does not have elite speed, nor is he an elite athlete. While watching him, I wrote that his play style reminds me of Puka Nacua. He reminds me a bit of Michael Pittman Jr. as well.

Jalen Royals is getting a lot of hype from the fantasy community. He can play in the slot or outside and has some twitchiness to his game after the catch. Still, I think he is a good, not great option after the catch. He showed that he can go up and win contested catches at times in college. He has nice hands and can adjust to the ball in the air if he has to. I also believe he will fare much better against zone than man coverage at the NFL level.

He did not create consistent separation, though, and that was a red flag for me. He had a lot of short and intermediate targets in college, but do not expect him to be a field stretcher at the next level, as he lacks explosiveness. He reminded me of Wan'Dale Robinson.

Tai Felton is a good route runner who can win inside or out and at all three levels. He is a smooth route runner with the ball in his hands after the catch. He has the rare combination of being able to make defenders miss, or just run right through them and break tackles. I think he is best as a runner after the catch, as he is explosive, has wiggle, and was able to consistently put up chunk plays this way. He does track the deep ball over his shoulder nicely.

He was also used a ton in the red zone and end zone in college. I think he needs to be more consistent, though. He did not create separation or win contested catches at an elite level in college. I also worry if he could struggle vs. press coverage at the NFL level. Still, there is a lot to like here with the Maryland receiver.

Elic Ayomanor is getting hype, but I must admit I did not see it on tape. There are positives, such as he runs really nice comeback routes. He has solid hands and can go up and snag the ball out of the air. He is able to adjust to underthrown balls, which he had to do because the QB play at Stanford did him no favors. He has size and should be able to beat press coverage. He also performed well against zone coverage.

A huge red flag was that he struggled to create separation. He had a lot of contested catches because he simply could not create space. He was often overthrown on deep passes, which is not his fault, but even on those, a defender was usually in his hip pocket. He is not shifty after the catch or a tackle breaker, which makes his lack of separation even more glaring to me. I compared him to Darius Slayton and Justin Watson.

Savion Williams is an extremely physical receiver. He had a ton of quick/short targets, with a bunch being behind the line of scrimmage. That was due to his catch-and-run capabilities, as he is extremely tough to tackle. Williams lined up in the backfield, slot, and outside in college. He was often used in motion or detached from the line of scrimmage.

He is the type of receiver a smart offensive play-caller can have a lot of fun with, as he is a Swiss Army type. Williams is the type of player you design touches for, as I would call him a weapon just as much as a receiver. He can excel in space and across the middle of the field.

He showed that he can win downfield at times, as well as having the ability to go up and get the ball when needed. Drops were an issue for him at times in college. Teams will love his physical traits, but he is very landing-spot-dependent. Regardless of where he goes, I think he will be better for real life than a fantasy-type receiver. He is of the Deebo Samuel Sr./Cordarrelle Patterson/Laviska Shenault Jr. archetype, with those being his ceiling, median, and floor outcomes.

Tez Johnson is extremely quick and explosive. He creates consistent separation and is a shifty runner with the ball in his hands, who is a threat for a chunk play every time he touches the ball. He has good hands and can catch the ball even with a defender all over him. In college, he did not have a ton of downfield targets, but that has been because of the QB play. Still, he is very small for an NFL receiver. That does not mean he cannot play at the next level, but he could get typecast into a limited role. He reminded me of Tutu Atwell.

Xavier Restrepo excels from the slot. He is a very technically sound receiver. He runs crisp routes, creates separation, has strong hands that the ball just seems to stick to, can catch through contact, and has great concentration. He is a good cutter, is smooth with the ball in his hands, and excels against zone coverage. He is the quarterback's best friend type of receiver.

I have concerns about whether he will struggle against man coverage at the NFL level. In college, he was able to win downfield from the slot and had just enough speed to outrun college secondaries. I do wonder if that will translate to the NFL, though. I think he is a better real-life option than a fantasy option. Hunter Renfrow was the name repeatedly ringing in my head while watching his tape.

Ricky White III is a smooth route runner with good hands. He often won on slants and comebacks and is best suited in the intermediate portion of the field. He was able to create separation in college and was often used in the red zone. I would not say he is a YAC option, though. He also struggled downfield separation-wise as he is not explosive and takes a bit to hit his top speed.

Antwane Wells Jr. is a physical receiver who can line up out wide. He is a contested catch type who can be utilized in the red zone. Still, he is not the best at separating, especially downfield. He had inconsistent hands and was a clunky route runner in college. He is probably more of an NFL contributor than much of a fantasy asset.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.

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