Early 2025 NFL Draft Rankings - Top 10 Wide Receiver Prospects

January 28, 2025

Justin Carter of RotoBaller takes a look at the top 10 wide receiver prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft. Where do Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Travis Hunter rank?

The Super Bowl still awaits, but for 30 NFL teams, the offseason is here and there's nowhere to look but forward. A number of those teams will be looking for wide receiver help this offseason.

Some of that help will come from a relatively strong rookie wide receiver class, led by a transcendent two-way star — assuming, of course, that he plays wide receiver at the next level.

Below are the top 10 wide receiver prospects heading into the 2025 NFL Combine, as well as the draft.

10. Jalen Royals - Utah State

If it hadn't been for a foot injury that ended his final season at Utah State early, Jalen Royals might have a lot more hype heading into draft season.

In just seven games, Royals caught 55 passes for 834 yards and six touchdowns. He's a dynamic speedster who can play inside or outside, but he'll need to prove he can win against the physicality of NFL corners.

9. Elic Ayomanor - Stanford

In two seasons at Stanford, Elic Ayomanor caught 12 touchdowns, hauling in 125 total passes for 1,844 yards. That came while playing on an offense that simply wasn't good. In 2024, the Cardinal were 106th in points per game and averaged 191.3 passing yards per contest.

Every year some players gain value at the Senior Bowl and momentum heading into the NFL Draft.

This year, Elic Ayomanor of Stanford is going to be one of those players.

6-2,210 with a track background. Hit 21.5 MPH. The highlight reel is 🔥

pic.twitter.com/hdJJjEuQBB

— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) January 22, 2025

Ayomanor needs to work on his consistency in the NFL, but he has the height and speed you want in a high-end wideout. He's a bit of a project, but on the right team, Ayomanor could develop into a great receiver.

8. Savion Williams - TCU

There could be some concerns about the fact Savion Williams spent five seasons at TCU and still has drop issues after all that time, but he's an explosive player who can make big plays in space.

There's a lot to love here, from his size to his long-run speed to his versatility. There's also more reason to worry about him being a bust in the NFL than there is for most of the other top receivers, so keep that in mind.

7. Isaiah Bond - Texas

Remember last season when we had two Texas receivers with hype in the draft class? Well, we have that again in 2025, though the hype is a little lower for these two than it was for Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy.

Let's start with Isaiah Bond, a 5-foot-11 speedster who can stretch the field. There's been some chatter that he could be even faster than Worthy, who just last year posted the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history.

But like with Worthy, there are concerns about whether he can evolve past being an uber-fast gadget player in the NFL. Will he be able to win downfield against physical defenders? Or will that not matter, because his speed and agility will help him consistently find open space?

6. Matthew Golden - Texas

Bond's teammate at Texas, Matthew Goldens, earns the No. 6 spot in the rookie rankings. Like Bond (and last year's Horns duo), Golden has great speed. While he's not as fast as Bond, he comes in ahead of him because he has more ideal NFL size and should be able to win more against press coverage.

#Texas WR Matthew Golden is one of my favorite players in the 2025 Draft:

Explosive athlete, has an innate ability to find the ball in air, Great separation ability, has amazing breakaway speed and pushes defenses vertically with ease.

🌟1st Round Grade, a top WR in the class. pic.twitter.com/KNNfRV2btC

— Andy 🏈 (@CUandyy) January 24, 2025

He'll need to improve as a blocker if he wants to be on the field every down, but overall Golden profiles as a great option for a team as its No. 2 receiver. Put him across from an elite WR1 and he'll be taking the top off the defense against single coverage all day long.

5. Tre Harris - Ole Miss

We've talked a lot about guys with elite speed. Tre Harris isn't one of those guys, but his ability to keep the chains moving as a consistent possession receiver should make him one of the most appealing receivers in this class.

The former two-star recruit has consistently improved throughout his college career, first at Louisiana Tech and then with the Rebels, where he caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Harris might not be able to take the top off of a defense, but he has the size and hands to make difficult catches. He'll be a huge threat in the red zone.

4. Luther Burden III - Missouri

Luther Burden III is another undersized receiver like Isaiah Bond, but Burden just feels like a little more consistent of a player who can produce against more physical opponents, hence the No. 4 ranking.

We may be down on this year’s WR class, but I’ll say Luther Burden III is my WR2, and he’s closer to being my WR1 than he is my WR3…

Recency bias can work both ways.

Don’t sleep on Burden just because of an overall disappointing 2024.

pic.twitter.com/6KGXlMhpWE

— Matt FF Dynasty 🏈 (@MattFFDynasty) January 16, 2025

The biggest knock on Burden is that we don't know exactly how he'll play if he has to be out wide instead of in the slot. He excelled as a slot option at Missouri, but does he have the versatility to play everywhere in the NFL?

Or does it matter? Burden could be one of the NFL's best slot receivers the moment he hits the field. Maybe that's enough.

3. Emeka Egbuka - Ohio State

Emeka Egbuka had a pair of 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown seasons at Ohio State, though an injury-plagued 2023 season bifurcated those two campaigns.

Egbuka might be the most polished receiver in this draft class. He might not be able to beat more physical corners down the field, but his route-running ability will make him a consistent threat in the short passing game.

Expect to see Egbuka playing out of the slot most of the time, but he should also have the ability to slide out wide and make plays there.

2. Tetairoa McMillan - Arizona

If we're talking purely about the ability to play wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan is the top prospect in this class.

Tetairoa McMillan posted 2.80+ yards per route run in back-to-back seasons.

He posted 8+ touchdowns in every season.

He also posted 1,300+ yards in back-to-back seasons.

Assuming top 10-12 draft capital, he’s a top 14-15 dynasty WR right away.pic.twitter.com/QqnHztG2MO

— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) January 13, 2025

The 6-foot-5 receiver out of Arizona fits the traditional build of an elite outside receiver, someone who can use his size to make contested catches and win in the red zone.

But McMillan is more than just a big body to catch jump balls. He possesses impressive speed for a player of his height, which should allow him to make plays in the open field. Whoever drafts McMillan is getting a future star.

1. Travis Hunter - Colorado

Travis Hunter is No. 1 on this list but with a huge caveat. Hunter, the 2024 Heiman Trophy winner, plays both wide receiver and defensive back. That versatility will make him the first wide receiver off the board in April, but it doesn't mean he'll be a full-time receiver.

He could play receiver. He could play corner. He could play some combination of the two. Looking at him purely as a wide receiver, Hunter was one of the nation's most productive wideouts in 2024. He's a very athletic player who can make things happen in space and can make big plays in the deep passing game.

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