Who are the wide receivers who’ll matter in the 2021 NFL Draft, and what’s the college perspective on all of the top prospects?
2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings
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You want a wasteland position for top draft picks?
Quarterback is traditionally bad, but wide receiver is right up there …
But not this year (hopefully).
Jerry Jeudy should be fine, and Henry Ruggs will have his moments, but did they light it up in their respective rookie years? Sort of, but not really.
Justin Jefferson was fantastic, CeeDee Lamb appears to be a keeper, and Chase Claypool was outstanding for stretches, but historically you’re just as likely to get an ultra-productive receiver later on than you are in the first 15 picks.
Two words: John Ross.
However, last year’s class of receivers really was solid, and this one appears to be even stronger. From the college perspective, the top wide receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft are …
15. Marquez Stevenson, Houston
Size: 5-10, 182
The Good: The speed is there and the production on the deep plays will follow. He might not do everything you’d want at the next level, but he’s got the 4.4 wheels, he’s great after the catch, and he can be used as a return man, too. When he was healthy he was devastating, but …
The Not-So-Good: Can the guy stay in one piece? He was always hurt and he’s not built to take too much of a pounding. As is he’s not a full route tree guy at the next level, and the last thing you’ll want is to send him over the middle on a regular basis, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There are plenty of fast, dangerous targets in this draft with a bigger upside who’ll do more for an attack, but as a No. 3 guy who can hit the three-run home run every once in a while he’s a nice Day 3 value get.
Projected Round: Fourth
14. Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
Size: 6-0, 197
The Good: A superstar high school prospect, he was versatile and occasionally dominant with 178 catches for 2,270 yards and 16 touchdowns in his three seasons. He’s got an elusive style that makes him look the part – the guy is fluid on the move with little wasted motion. He’s a strong route runner who can work inside and out with No. 1 target capabilities when he’s in a groove, but …
The Not-So-Good: Something’s missing. He’s not slow, but he’s not a blazer. He’s not small, but he’s not all that physical. There isn’t any one thing he does at an NFL level that can absolutely guarantee him a role if everything else isn’t working – he’s not really a home run hitter and he’s not going to outmuscle anyone for the ball. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’s got the basic skills to find a longtime role as a solid target with a few big games here and there. He made a whole lot of plays at USC, and there were moments of greatness, but at the next level he’ll be a good part of a solid passing game even if he’s not a No. 1.
Projected Round: Third
13. Amari Rodgers, Clemson
Size: 5-10, 212
The Good: And interesting type of NFL receiver, he’s built more like a running back and can be used in a whole slew of ways. The speed is fine, and the quickness is there to get the ball in his hands on the move and make something big happen. When it was time to step up last year, he did, catching 77 passes for 1,020 yards and seven scores, but …
The Not-So-Good: He’s too inconsistent. Drops are a bit of a problem, he’s not really a deep threat, and he only had three 100-yard games last season. He’s more of a possession target at the next level who has to make things happen after the catch, but he’s never going to have the big play average if he’s not doing big things on the move.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There’s value as a punt returns and, potentially, as a jack-of-all-trades weapon who an offensive coordinator is going to love. While he might not fit the typical NFL receiver mold, he’s tough, has the heart to keep competing even when he’s not the focus of the attack, and he’ll find a steady role early on.
Projected Round: Third
12. Dyami Brown, North Carolina
Size: 6-0, 195
The Good: The guy knows how to make big plays. He’s not terribly fast, but he averaged over 20 yards per catch over his last two seasons with 20 touchdowns. Get him the ball on the move and he makes something happen, he’ll fight for things down the field, and he works himself open. Some will focus a bit on his 4.46 40 and think he’s a bit slower – he plays fast.
The Not-So-Good: This is all probably correctible, but he didn’t really work as a full route receiver at North Carolina. He wasn’t a one-trick deep threat, but he’s not reliable enough to make every catch and he’s not really a No. 1 type of talent in terms of all-around NFL receiving skills. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He does what he does and he does it very, very well. He’ll break your heart with the occasional drop, and then he’ll come up with a 45-yard play on third down. Others are probably going to like Dazz Newsome more out of the Tar Heel receiving corps, but Brown has the bigger upside as a consistent starter.
Projected Round: Third
11. Tamorrion Terry, Florida State
Size: 6-3, 207
The Good: You want your blend of size, speed, and the willingness to bring a pop? Here you go. He wasn’t able to do too much last year – no one on FSU was – but he’s a big play weapon who should thrive as a No. 3 option who’ll come up with the occasional 52-yard touchdown play. He’s got 4.4 wheels to go along with the size and should feast when he’s allowed to find space down the field.
The Not-So-Good: He’s not necessarily going to be for everyone. While he’ll go over the middle, he’s not going to be a volume catcher who does everything you’d want. A knee problem that limited him throughout last season is a concern, and it’s going to matter if he doesn’t have that one extra gear.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Florida State might be struggling lately, but it knows how to crank out guys who look the NFL part. Home run hitters with size and toughness will always find a home, even if he’s not going to be your No. 1 target.
Projected Round: Fourth
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Ten
2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Ten
10. Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
Size: 6-3, 215
The Good: The guy always produced. He sat out last season, but in 2019 he caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns by getting physical, winning the battles deep, and simply being a good enough wide receiver to find his way open. He’s got the bulk and skills that you want, and the upside is there to be deadly in the red zone with his ability to muscle out his man. You know the term catching radius? Yeah, that’s Surratt. Throw it near him and he’ll get it.
The Not-So-Good: Slowwwwwwww. He plays faster than his 4.69ish speed, and he was able to make deep plays happen, but he’ll get erased at times by the lighting fast corners he can’t get past. He doesn’t have the all-around game to be a No. 1 guy, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Take him as soon as you can after the second round and don’t ask questions. Quarterbacks will love him because he’ll make them look great – again, throw it in his general zip code and he’ll get it. He can be a terrific go-to option as a No. 3 or maybe a 2 as long as he’s surrounded by speedy other targets – Houston or Las Vegas would be perfect for him.
Projected Round: Fourth
9. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Size: 6-0. 190
The Good: Well hello, 4.39. Pro Day stats are always taken with a few grains of salt, but fast is fast no matter what if you’re ever under the 4.4 mark. Ultra-productive in his first two seasons, he ripped it up with over 20 yards per catch and 11 scores in 2019 before playing a smaller role in the strange 2020 campaign. He’s got the deep ball ability, he’ll run every route, and he makes a whole lot of big grabs. However …
The Not-So-Good: He’s not likely a take-over-the-game type of NFL receiver. He’s not just a deep threat, and he’ll do everything asked, but he’s not going to be that No. 1 guy who becomes a household star. He’ll get shoved around a bit and he’ll need a little help from the other receivers taking away the top corner assignment, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Here’s your rock-solid No. 2 receiver. He’d work wonders with a DeAndre Hopkins as the main man or for the Saints if Michael Thomas gets back his mojo. He’s a good all-around receiver who’ll have big games here and there – think a poor man’s Calvin Ridley.
Projected Round: Second
8. Kadarius Toney, Florida
Size: 5-11, 189
The Good: Now that’s what everyone was waiting for. A great recruit for the Gators, he didn’t do much in his first three years and then it all came together with an explosive 2020 catching 70 passes with ten scores. Ultra-quick, he can be used as a runner, he starts and stops on a dime, and any he can fly with a sub-4.4 40.
The Not-So-Good: So which is it? Is he the guy who lit up everyone – including Alabama – over the back half of last year, or is he the guy who was just okay over his first three years and solid-not-really-sensational over the first half of 2020? Granted, injuries were a part of the problem early in his career, but will that be a problem going forward?
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’s a different sort of prospect in this draft. The quickness, speed and explosion are second to only Rondale Moore among the top guys, and he’s got the ability and upside to be a gamewrecker in the right offense. There’s a wee bit of a concern that he really only rocked for about six weeks, but the skill set will put him somewhere in the top 40 picks.
Projected Round: First
7. Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
Size: 5-11, 193
The Good: When he was on, he was unstoppable. Amazing as a sophomore, he averaged over 17 yards per catch with 12 scores with close to 1,500 yards, and he bounced back from a knee injury to keep it all going. While he might not have otherworldly wheels, he makes himself open down the field, tracks the ball well, and always seems to come up with the catch even if he’s not all that physical.
The Not-So-Good: He’s hardly slow, but he’s more of a 4.5ish guy without the bulk to do a whole lot across the middle. The otherworldly quickness isn’t quite there and he doesn’t have the size to be the bear he’d like to be against NFL corners. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Don’t be shocked if he becomes someone’s No. 1 target. He’s got the feisty the-ball-is-MINE type of game and won’t be scared to do anything needed. He’s smooth as glass, will go after the tough play, and will make up for his shortcomings with his attitude. However, while he has elite NFL wide receiver talent, he might be missing the elite NFL wide receiver tools.
Projected Round: Third
6. Terrace Marshall, LSU
Size: 6-4, 200
The Good: If it’s possible to catch 23 touchdown passes over the last two years and average 15 yards per grab for a career and still be relatively unnoticed, Marshall did it. He’s really big, he’s got 4.4 speed, and he knows how to use all of his tools. With Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson gone, he still put up 48 catches for 731 yards and ten scores last year, but …
The Not-So-Good: He played like a guy who wanted to be in the NFL. To be fair, he was one of the last guys at the party from the 2019 team, and he did opt out late to prepare for the next level, but there are going to be some dings on his lack of consistency last season even with the great numbers.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Everything is there to be a superstar at the next level. He’s got the tools to be exactly what you want in a potential No. 1 target, and don’t be shocked if he thrives in a starring role even more than he did at times last year. He might slip a wee bit in a loaded receiver class, but he’ll be a strong value get after the top 25 picks.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 5
2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Five
5. Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
Size: 5-10, 178
The Good: You know that DeVonta Smith guy for Alabama who won the Heisman? Yeah, Elijah Moore was every bit as good – if not better – over the eight games he played before sitting out the final two. He caught 86 passes for 1,193 yards and eight scores in 2020, hitting Alabama for 143 yards on 11 grabs.
He might not be all that big, but he can fly with sub-4.4 speed to go along with surprising strength for his size. He’s as strong a slot receiver prospect as it gets with the burst to get into the clear – the guy is alway open – and he catches everything.
He’s got the fire, feistiness, and skill to be a true No. 1 target for any NFL passing game.
One of no kind@alecszabo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WvDKA2xZ8f
— Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) March 26, 2021
The Not-So-Good: The only real knock is his size. Toughness isn’t an issue, and he’s not going to shy away from contact, but he’s just not big enough to outmuscle NFL defensive backs for the ball.
He can jump, and he’ll go and get everything that comes his way, but he’s not all that long and he’ll lose his share of 50/50 balls at the next level.
A bit scheme specific, he was able to produce across coaching staffs, but he was also in receiver-friendly offenses that led to a slew of volume grabs.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Shhhhhhhhhh. This might just be the best wide receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the value is through the roof compared to where some of the bigger brand name guys will go. The Pro Day only confirmed his speed and skills to go along with the relentless and unstoppable production, but he’ll likely drop just a wee bit because he doesn’t have the size or the bulk.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 4
4. Rondale Moore, Purdue
Size: 5-7, 181
The Good: 4.29.
Moore is an offensive coordinator’s dream to design plays for.
He might be way small, and he might not have the NFL look of a No. 1 receiver, but try covering him. Try catching him when he gets the ball in his hands on the move. Try finding a knock in his ultra-consistent 114-catch freshman season when he caught everything short, deep and all things in between.
As strong as a defensive lineman, he’s got the power and the pop to take shots and deliver punishment even at his smallish size, and he’ll bust through anyone who tries to jam him.
And there’s the 4.29. He’s got the elite speed to use in a whole lot of ways.
Purdue WR Rondale Moore is 5'7".
He got UP for a 42.5 inch vertical at Pro Day 😱🔥 @moore_rondale @BoilerFootball
(via @StaceyDales) pic.twitter.com/PFITLfq3kd
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) March 23, 2021
The Not-So-Good: He only did it one year.
He started the 2019 season with 24 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns, got banged up, and he missed almost all of the Big Ten campaign.
Last year he was going to opt out, came back late, and he only played in three games. He caught 35 passes in those three, but he wasn’t able to get free to make any big plays as the offense kept feeding him the ball.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’s so much fun. Blow off the lack of size. Who gives a hoot about catch radius when he can run faster, is quicker, and is brute-strength stronger than any wide receiver in the draft? Keep feeding him the ball in every way possible, use him like Tyreek Hill, line him up in the backfield – he’ll make every defense nervous whenever he has the ball.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 3
3. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Size: 5-10, 180
The Good: Ultra-quick, ultra-fast, ultra-uncoverable, he’s a 4.3 runner with elite cut-on-a-dime route-running ability and breakaways speed.
He’s as fluid as they come with his athleticism, but when he makes a move to get into the open, or if he sees a hole to burst through, there’s a suddenness that’s at a whole other level of anyone outside of the elite NFL speedsters.
Not just a one-trick home-run hitter, he’ll make plays across the middle and could be a volume-catcher depending on how he’s used. Put him in the slot and get him the ball on the move, use him as a punt returner, or shoot him down the sidelines and dare any corner to keep up.
The Not-So-Good: How physical can he be?
The ankle injury that knocked him out for most of last season was a fluke, but he’s not all that big and he’s not built to take a whole lot of punishment. He’s a willing hitter for the ground game, but he’s not moving anyone in the NFL.
It’s not really a weakness, but he hasn’t had to be the main man. For where he’ll be taken, he’ll be expected to be a No. 1 receiver who changes up an offense, but he was Ringo in the jaw-dropping Bama receiving corps for two years. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It’s no knock on DeVonta Smith, but he doesn’t win the Heisman if Waddle doesn’t get hurt. Put it this way – in his first two seasons at Bama, Waddle pushed his way into a big role in a receiving corps with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Smith and finished second on the team in receiving yards – that team had Irv Smith, too – as a freshman.
Think a slightly smaller, more diverse Will Fuller – he’ll be a difference-maker from Day One.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 2
2. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Size: 6-0, 170
The Good: Everyone gameplanned for him and it didn’t matter a lick.
Ohio State has NFL guys in its secondary and Smith looked like he was catching passes against air. Florida was loaded up to take him out of the SEC Championship, and he caught three touchdown passes. The Bama offense lost Jaylen Waddle, and Smith was even more productive even with all of the attention.
He might be thin, but he’s tough, he’ll battle for the ball, and he’s a flawless route runner to go along with just enough speed to always be open.
He catches everything, he’s consistent in every way, and he’s got the burst to make things happen on the move. Best of all, he’s as dependable as a receiver gets. In every way he’s a No. 1 wide receiver without the diva gene – think Larry Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson, only a whole lot smaller and thinner.
Happy 2-26, Bama fans.
It’ll be a new day soon, Dawgs.
I could be wrong, but that No. 6 for the Tide seems promising. pic.twitter.com/aOqjyL3E1w
— Pete Fiutak (@PeteFiutak) February 26, 2021
The Not-So-Good: The wiry frame really is a concern. He was durable at Bama and played through bumps and bruises … right up until he took a big shot and got knocked out of the national championship with a hand injury. That might have been bad luck and could’ve happened to any receiver, but that’s the worry.
What happens when someone tees off on him? How will he handle the bigger and more physical NFL corners? Obviously he’s an amazing talent, but compared to the other top receivers in this year’s class, he doesn’t have any one ridiculous physical trait, except …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: You don’t produce like he did in as many big games and big moments as he had without having some other thing that others don’t.
He might be too thin, and he’s going to get bounced around, but try covering him. Try reading his route and making up for the precision he brings. Yeah, it would nice if he was 6-3, 210, but he’s more than wonderful as is.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 1
1. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
Size: 6-0, 201
The Good: The 2019 LSU offense was historically amazing, but even among Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Terrace Marshall and Thaddeus Moss, Chase was able to standout.
He didn’t catch the 111 passes that Jefferson did, but he averaged over 21 yards per grab with 20 touchdowns, highlighted by a nine-catch, 221-yard, two-score day in the national title win over Clemson.
Tough, fast, and with a whole other gear when the ball is in the air, throw it up, let him go get it, and good things will happen. He’ll outmuscle most corners for the ball and run away from the others.
He’s got the size and build everyone wished DeVonta Smith had, and he’s got Jaylen Waddle raw speed, but …
The Not-So-Good: He doesn’t have the route running ability of Smith and he’s not anywhere near as sudden or quick as Waddle. It’s a knock that’s actually a bit of a positive – he needs work.
As is he’s fantastic, but he’s going to need some refinement on his routes, he’ll have to get back up to speed after missing last season, and he’s not going to be a part of that offense with that quarterback again – or maybe he might if Cincinnati takes him.
Oh my. 😳@LSUfootball WR Ja'Marr Chase just ran a 4.38u 40-yard dash. (via @SlaterNFL) pic.twitter.com/nV9D7Cep4N
— NFL (@NFL) March 31, 2021
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It would’ve been nice to see him for one year without Jefferson and the rest of the supporting cast he had in 2019, but whatever. As is he’s going to be a devastating go-to star right out of the box, but after a little time in an NFL camp to refine his game … uh oh.
Projected Round: First
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