2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Prospects: NFL Rookies Resembling Veteran Fantasy Football Stars

While pro comparisons are difficult to make accurately, as we don't know how a prospect's career will go and how much they'll develop their skills at the next level, it can help frame more accurately what a player's ceiling and floor are in the NFL. Not every career path is linear in the NFL, and up-and-down seasons are a regular occurrence for some players.

When this year's prospects have had a few seasons in the big leagues under their belts, perhaps the comparisons made here will make a bit more sense. They're not complete shots in the dark right now, but there are significant unknowns, and coaching and situations will make a big difference.

Still, analyzing the traits of this year's rookie wide receivers and finding the most closely matched pro player can help Dynasty fantasy managers get an idea of how their strengths and weaknesses will translate to the next level.

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Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
Davante Adams, WR, New York Jets

This will be one of my most controversial takes.

This is not to say that former Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver will become the elite player that New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams has been. But the two share a lot of similarities. Both don't have elite top-end speed, yet both win with subtle nuances in their elite route-running, are excellent at making contested catches, and exhibit excellent body control.

This route by Davante Adams … my goodness 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ljyg3j4hBR

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) September 5, 2024

This Tre Harris film was giving me Devontez Walker war flashbacks for a minute there, but this is more like it.

This is 1 of now 3 examples I've seen of him running this route beautifully. Excellent pacing really sells the post. pic.twitter.com/EmQaQ4jgIS

— AJ Cola (@AJ_FFball) November 6, 2024

Adams' route is modified version of Harris', with a little more subtlety, but there were no other receivers in college football last season who could pull off that move that No. 9 made. Putting on tape routes reminiscent of one of the NFL's greats is highly impressive.

Davante Adams’ slant is undefeated.. pic.twitter.com/mYN8I7YfR9

— Jake (@SeedsofJake) November 11, 2018

Tre Harris (WR #OleMiss) is going to be a problem in the NFL.

Prototype frame and he knows how to use it. Surprising and impressive ability to sink, wiggle, and create separation on tape.

I’m going to be high on him during the draft process. Welcoming comparisons.. pic.twitter.com/8Tmnj7Kgfk

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) December 16, 2024

These routes aren't quite as similar, but both are able to cut on a dime on their slant routes without having to overly sell them. This is an underrated route-running skill, especially for taller receivers (Harris is two inches taller than Adams). It allows them to get quick separation and use their body to box out defenders.

Harris had the skills to get open consistently and be a target hog at the next level. Just like Adams, he'll have the chance to refine his route-running skills and add to his suite of separation tools as time goes on. And Tae didn't crack 1,000 yards receiving until his age-25 season.

The intangibles are there, too. They simply both found ways to win no matter the coverage and were highly efficient. It took Adams' game some time to develop in the pros, though, and Harris is a more polished prospect out of college.

Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Nico Collins, WR, Houston

Former Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and Houston Texans star wideout Nico Collins (6-foot-4, 216 pounds) are both excellent athletes and were both underrated route-runners coming out of college. The edge Collins has is with pure speed and slightly more explosiveness off the line, but the comparison isn't that far off otherwise.

Keep in mind that Collins' first two years in the NFL were much more pedestrian than his last two with quarterback C.J. Stroud, though part of that was the poor QB situation. Higgins will benefit from an extra year polishing his routes and separation skills, but that's not a big concern.

Jayden Higgins

2024:
2.66 YPRR
90.5 PFF receiving grade
55.6% contested catch rate

Moves well as an X receiver who can win across the middle, vertically w/ good body control + body leverage, arrogant/strong hands (2.2% drop rate)

Comp: college Nico Collins w/ less YAC pic.twitter.com/fooThiOJgL

— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) January 30, 2025

Not that any of you will believe me, but I came up with my comp before I saw the above X post. That being said, Jeff Mueller is an excellent football analyst. Higgins is severely underrated, like Collins was coming out of college. The presence of the one-inch taller Tetairoa McMillan, who is an inferior route-runner and separator and has more consistency issues, has pushed down Higgins' stock.

Yet there's not much to dislike about the Iowa State product's game, and he could blossom into a Nico-lite player at the next level.

Jayden Higgins.

For someone at 6’4/215lbs, this is an absolutely vicious release. pic.twitter.com/mKd4KWd6HY

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 8, 2025

Nico Collins
Slant

Single at the DB's leverage
-DB is where we want him, don't need exaggerated movement on the single

Set vertical stem
Pressure step & go score pic.twitter.com/FMWk51hyxR

— Mike Vannucci (@WRCoachVannucci) January 14, 2025

Both players have unnaturally quick and sudden releases where they take huge strides and bound away from opposing defenders at a frightening pace. It's extremely tough to defend their combinations of size, strength, and short-area quickness, because bigger corners tend to be slower movers and smaller corners can't compete with their strength.

Jayden Higgins

- So silky for a 6'4 215 guy. pic.twitter.com/1EsXPQXY6I

— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) January 31, 2025

And they're both very explosive after their breaks. This is an area many receivers fail in, like McMillan, and lacking this burst would allow NFL defenders to catch up and turn nice separation into another contested catch. Not that Higgins isn't fantastic with those, but the fewer contested targets, the better.

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Kadarius Toney, WR, FA

No matter how many times good athletes that primarily succeed after the catch yet are poor route-runners come out of college, they'll always be overrated. Basically one of them has worked out to great success (San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.), yet scouts hold out hope that he'll just transform into a great route artist. Very unlikely.

#Florida WR/RB/QB Kadarius Toney will be labeled as a gadget guy but his athleticism and ability to create separation when he has the ball will prove to be a valuable asset to NFL teams and put him in line for some really nice production this season #devy pic.twitter.com/ZNqvsk54RF

— Jason DiRienzo (@allpurposescout) April 16, 2019

Pull every highlight from Burden's tape and you can find something far more impressive from Toney's. He was faster, more elusive, had more burst and explosiveness, and was arguably a better tackle-breaker than Burden. And against tougher competition as well.

Kadarius Toney made ‘em look SILLY 😳

6️⃣6️⃣ yards to the house

(via @SECNetwork)pic.twitter.com/H1pHYJ2gGh

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) August 24, 2019

He's extremely overrated, and you should avoid him in all drafts.

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