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Mike Fanelli breaks down the top five wide receiver prospects for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Which WRs stand out and have a good chance of being selected early?
Last year’s wide receiver rookie draft class was one of the best in recent memory. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were top-10 picks. Meanwhile, seven wide receivers were first-round picks, with Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette coming off the board before the end of Day 1.
Unfortunately, many of the first-round wide receivers had poor rookie seasons. Odunze, Pearsall, and Legette struggled to make a consistent impact. However, Nabers and Thomas were superstars as rookies, while Harrison and Worthy flashed a massive upside throughout the year.
While the 2025 wide receiver draft class lacks a big-name prospect and the superstar upside that the 2024 group offered, this year’s class is far from lackluster, especially at the top. Let’s dive into my top five wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
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5) Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Last year, Iowa State had two of the top wide receivers in college football. Jaylin Noel and Higgins both finished in the top four in receiving yards last season. Higgins had a breakout year, totaling 87 receptions for 1,183 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and touchdowns. More importantly, the Iowa State star improved from 2023 to 2024.
Higgins had 34 more receptions, 200 more receiving yards, and three more touchdowns from his junior to senior year. Scouts love his high football IQ, believing he can play all over the field. Some have compared him to Nico Collins coming out of Michigan a few years ago -- a comparison I agree with.
Higgins has a massive wingspan, allowing him to make impressive catches downfield. Yet, he deserves more credit than he has been given during the predraft process. He was one of the top wide receivers in college football last season despite being asked to run a somewhat limited route tree with poor quarterback production. Higgins should be a significantly better pro than a college player.
If you want to buy low-ish on a receiver prospect that was way less productive in college than he will be in the NFL with pro-caliber QB play, here's a nutty Jayden Higgins stat.
29%(!) of his targets were on go routes last year. They threw 42 of them at him, but only 16 were…
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 11, 2025
4) Luther Burden III, Missouri
Many NFL Draft evaluators have Burden as their No. 2 wide receiver. Others have the Missouri star as their top pass-catcher. However, I’m lower on the wide receiver than the consensus. Burden struggled last year compared to the 2023 season. He finished last year with 61 receptions for 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and scores.
Some scouts believe Burden can have the biggest immediate impact among the wide receiver class as a rookie because of his dual-threat abilities. The Missouri star had 34 rushing attempts for 234 yards and four touchdowns in college, including nine for 115 and two last season, leading to many calling Burden the NFL’s next Deebo Samuel Sr. Yet, he can do much more than that.
Burden has been labeled a screen merchant because of his run-after-the-catch abilities. However, he can do more than catch screens. He has had success winning on the outside in one-on-one matchups, showing the ability to track the ball and adjust for it in the air.
Luther Burden perimeter work pic.twitter.com/EdA22DzU4n
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) March 17, 2025
3) Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
While Jeremiah Smith was the star of Ohio State’s passing attack despite being a freshman, Egbuka had a massive role last season. The veteran wide receiver had 81 receptions for 1,011 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes in receptions while ranking second in yards and scores behind Smith. Furthermore, he ended his college career as one of Ohio State’s top pass-catchers.
Great to see Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka back healthy.
Takes a screen for a 68-yard TD. pic.twitter.com/muenq8WWpS
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 21, 2024
Egbuka ranks first in Ohio State history in career receptions (205) and receiving yards (2,868) while finishing seventh in receiving touchdowns (24). More importantly, he was someone Will Howard could trust in the critical moments of a game. The Ohio State star is an impressive route runner who can track and adjust to off-target throws.
Some scouts have compared Egbuka to his former teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Egbuka does an excellent job of influencing defenses with the timing and tempo of his route running. Don’t be surprised if he is the next wide receiver to come out of Ohio State and dominate in the NFL.
2) Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
While the 2025 wide receiver class lacks an elite guy like last year’s group, many consider McMillan the closest thing to a top-tier prospect. However, the Arizona star is the No. 2 wide receiver in my rankings. There are conflicting reports about how fast he ran the 40-yard dash at Arizona’s pro day. Yet, the question about his speed isn’t a massive concern for me.
McMillan had an outstanding college career. He finished his career with back-to-back superior seasons. The Arizona star had 90 receptions for 1,402 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games in 2023. Last year, he had 84 receptions for 1,319 receiving yards and eight scores in 12 games.
WOWWW!!
Huge TD for @ArizonaFball 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/z49jPt9EUP
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 16, 2024
Many scouts have compared him to Mike Evans or Drake London for his size and ability to win 50-50 balls. Yet, McMillan also does an excellent job of working his way back to the quarterback during scramble drills. He will likely be the first wide receiver drafted in April.
1) Matthew Golden, Texas
Golden was a mid-round prospect heading into the 2024 season after spending his first two college seasons at Houston. He had 76 receptions for 988 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 20 games during his two years with the Cougars, totaling fewer than 40 receptions and 590 yards in both seasons. However, Golden became a star for the Longhorns.
Texas needed Golden to step up when Isaiah Bond missed time with an injury. Not only did he live up to expectations, but Golden outplayed Bond as the Longhorns’ No. 1 wide receiver. He quickly became a reliable target for Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. Golden had 58 receptions for 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, leading the SEC in scores.
Furthermore, he led the Longhorns in receiving yards and touchdowns while ranking second in receptions behind Gunnar Helm. Golden made play after play for Texas during its College Football Playoff run. His draft stock has been heading in the right direction since the end of the college season, especially after running a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the second fastest overall and first among wide receivers.
Matthew Golden is a highlight machine.
His draft stock has exploded, averaging 95 yards per game in the last 6 games.
He displays awesome burst, speed, and body control as a route runner and pass catcher. Creates easy separation.
He will likely be a day 2 pick in April. pic.twitter.com/ISsWAxtkJE
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 13, 2025
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