RADIO
Michael F. Florio offers his scouting report for the top WRs in the 2025 NFL Draft, including Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden III, Matthew Golden, and Emeka Egbuka.
My favorite position to watch each NFL Draft season is wide receiver. First, it is just the most fun position, in my opinion. However, they also control their own fate and fantasy value more than running backs.
A receiver needs an opportunity to see the field, but if they do their job and get open, they should earn targets. It is why the biggest trait I always look for is whether a receiver can consistently separate. If they can’t, I am going to be lower than the consensus.
However, when looking for top talent, you are looking not just for guys who can get open, but who can create for themselves. Can they win downfield? After the catch? The more ways a receiver can win, the better they will be at the NFL level. These receivers are the ones who I think can win in several ways and expect big results at the NFL level.
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High-End NFL Draft Wide Receiver Prospects
Travis Hunter is a cornerback to some, but he is the best receiver in this class. The first thing that jumped out to me was his speed. He can use it to get behind defenders downfield and to win after the catch. One thing I wrote while watching him was that he just looks faster than everyone else on the field. He can also get open quickly. I like his release at the line of scrimmage and think he uses his hands well. He excels across the middle of the field.
Hunter has wiggle after the catch and can break tackles when he has to. He is simply an elite athlete and will win after the catch often. He can also win downfield, as he tracks the deep ball well. He has excellent hands and can haul in catches with defenders all over him. While he did not do so often, he can go up and win contested catches when he has to. He also has elite body control and can contort in the air to adjust to balls that are off target (TD catch against ND State is an example).
My only concern is that, at times, he can be pushed off his routes. I wonder if he will have issues with press coverage at the next level. Still, I believe he is the only elite receiver in this class and the only one who would have been with the Big Three in last year's draft class. I compared him to Garrett Wilson in a DeVonta Smith-like frame. I believe he can be a great fantasy option and finish top 20 as a rookie, depending on how many chances he gets. Usage and if he can hold up to playing both sides are my only concerns.
Stats to know: Hunter led this class in targets, receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and YAC from out wide. He was PFF's highest-rated outside receiver and ranked second in missed tackles forced and third in explosive plays while lined up there. He was the fourth-highest-rated WR by PFF on deep targets and in general.
My player comparison for Travis Hunter as a WR is, and has been since I first began his #ReceptionPerception charting, prime Odell Beckham Jr. pic.twitter.com/WPPkImGaV8
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 16, 2025
Tetairoa McMillan is a wide receiver I like a lot, but I think will be miscast by many. TMac is a big-bodied receiver who has a big catch radius and is a smooth runner with long strides who can outrun secondaries. He has more wiggle than you would expect from a receiver his size. He is hard to tackle after the catch and constantly fights for extra yards. He has good hands and can line up all over the field. While I think he excels after the catch, he can work the sideline and win downfield.
So, why will he be miscast? Usually, when people see a receiver of his size, they think of a traditional X who can win jump balls and contested catches. He is not that type of receiver, though. He can catch in traffic, but struggled when he had to go up and get it over a defender. I was saying similar things about Quentin Johnston a couple of years ago. McMillian can be what I hoped Johnston could be at the NFL level.
I see why he gets compared to Drake London often, but that is the ceiling. He reminded me of DJ Moore at times as well. He could be a No. 1 in the NFL, but would excel as a No. 2. I expect him to land on a team that has targets available for him. He has the upside to finish as a top-24 receiver in Year 1 in the right situation.
Stats to know: He led the draft class in missed tackles forced and was fourth in explosive plays while lined up out wide.
.@TMAC96795 has been doing his thing all season long for @ArizonaFBall 🫡
📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ctRNYMbBPa— NFL (@NFL) April 11, 2025
Luther Burden III is a bit of a polarizing prospect, but I am high on him because I believe he can win in several ways. Burden is a smooth runner with the ball in his hands who can pick up yards in chunks after the catch. He is tough to tackle and has good bounce. He can make defenders miss, and Mizzou generated a bunch of touches for him. Due to that, I think he is going to get labeled as a YAC receiver who you want to generate touches for.
However, I believe he is more than that. Burden showed that he can consistently separate, both quickly on short routes and downfield. He was often open downfield, but the QB play held him back, as there were a lot of overthrows. That is not Burden’s fault, though, and he was doing his job of getting open downfield. I think he is very good at tracking the deep ball. Plus, he has good hands and showed the ability to go up and get the ball on contested catches. While he can line up all over the field, I do think he is better in the slot.
Burden could be an excellent No. 2 receiver in the NFL. Two names I kept thinking of while watching him are a slot version of Chris Olave, but even more so, Percy Harvin. He is that electric of a playmaker. Although he does need to play more under control, as he had too many unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in college. There is a lot of upside here.
Stats to know: Burden led the class with 32 missed tackles forced despite having just 66 catches. He was second in missed tackles forced from the slot, with 20. He was third in yards per route run and had the fifth-highest PFF grade from the slot.
This year’s Brian Thomas Jr is Luther Burden
His limited route tree might make him a boom or bust prospect, but he has all the natural talent to expand his role in the NFL and be a STAR, like BTJ
There’s a right side of history to be on with these SEC WRs that produce early pic.twitter.com/UTZw29aikq
— Nico (@elitetakes_) April 15, 2025
Matthew Golden is a very good receiver who was not always utilized in the best ways in college. Not that he was misused, but there were a lot of screens in his game and not the best QB play on deep throws, which I think held him back a bit. Golden can win both inside and out, he can get open at all three levels, which cannot be said about many receivers in this class, and can win both after the catch and downfield. He also excels in the red zone, and his usage there jumped off the screen.
Golden lit up the 40, but he did not play as fast as he ran. He is not the best on contested catches. He also, at times, tracks the ball by almost running backward. These are nitpicky concerns, though. I think Golden is a good receiver, but he does not have any elite traits. I think he will be a very good No. 2 option in the NFL.
Golden is very tough to tackle, and I think he should put up a ton of YAC at the next level. I think his ceiling is Jaylen Waddle. Another player who came to mind was Marvin Mims Jr.
Matthew Golden running routes, and adjusting to weird passes pic.twitter.com/ZG4KF4IwC4
— Voch Lombardi (@VochLombardi) April 15, 2025
Stats to know: Last season, 39 percent of Golden’s slot targets were deep, the second-highest rate in this class. He tied for the lead in this class with seven contested catches on deep targets.
Emeka Egbuka continues the trend of extremely talented receivers coming out of Ohio State. Like the others, Egbuka is a good route runner and a technically sound receiver. He has good hands and clear after-the-catch capabilities. While he can win downfield, he is best suited running with the ball in his hands. That is why he had a lot of short/quick catch-and-run targets. It is why he can be used on end arounds and sweeps.
He can smoothly change directions without any wasted motion. He has stop-and-go ability and can adjust to the ball in the air. While he can play in the slot or out wide, I believe he is best suited in the slot, where he can win deep from. I do wonder if he will be much of a touchdown scorer at the next level. If he does, it will be with route running, as he is not a physical type receiver.
I see why he was often compared to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ladd McConkey. Another name that often came to mind when watching him was Jarvis Landry. All are receivers who were or will be fantasy-relevant for years. Egbuka should be as well, he just needs targets.
Stats to know: Egbuka was second in yards per route run from the slot in this draft class. He was also third in YAC, explosive plays, and fourth in yards from the slot.
Emeka Egbuka is primed to be the next @ohiostatefb wideout making waves at the next level 🌰
📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/joxrJBEh8x— NFL (@NFL) April 13, 2025
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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