Here’s the eighth story of our position-by-position NFL draft series. Today, we’ll look at the top wide receivers.
Utah State hasn’t had a player drafted since Green Bay called Jordan Love its quarterback of the future in 2020. That’s going to change in the 2025 draft when receiver Jalen Royals, formerly of Hillgrove High School and Georgia Military College, becomes an NFL receiver.
Royals broke out the past two seasons with the Aggies, snagging 126 passes for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns. He doesn’t offer much size — 6 foot, 205 pounds — but he plays with an edge and has demonstrated an ability to produce yards after the catch. He also provides inside-outside versatility.
NFL media’s draft analyst, Lance Zierlein, wrote the following on Royals, whom he projected as a second-day pick (rounds 2 and 3):
“Skilled and instinctive, Royals might lack the desired explosiveness, but he makes up for it with his body control and feel for the game. He has good size and is keenly aware of defenders around him, which allows him to adjust routes and improve his chances on contested catches.
“He’s a decent route-runner but doesn’t have the short-area foot quickness and burst to open wide windows for his quarterback. He’s excellent as a zone-beater and uses plus body control and play strength to bring in catches in traffic. Royals is a smooth athlete who can play inside or outside and is best suited for an offense that will value him as a possession target over the first two levels.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Another local product, Georgia speedster Arian Smith, excelled at the Senior Bowl and undoubtedly provides big-play potential for an offense. A former track runner, it was difficult for Smith to commit solely to football.
“It was very tough,” he said. “Coming into college, I could have not played football. I could have done track. But I chose to go to college and graduate and play football. Track definitely helped me with my speed and with training me to be fast, and I feel it helped me control my speed. Going back and forth, my freshman and sophomore year I was doing both (football and track), whether it was meetings or practice. Doing both was fun and beneficial for me, but it was tough to let it go.”
Smith played 47 games at Georgia, catching 68 passes for 1,356 yards and 10 touchdowns. His wide-open 76-yard score in Georgia’s playoff win over Ohio State was an all-time highlight. But Smith was plagued by inconsistencies throughout his career. He often was injured, from a broken wrist to a torn meniscus to a broken right fibula to a broken ankle. He notably struggled with drops, which is a shortcoming that’ll make him a third-day selection before even factoring in his injury history.
Overall, this receiver class lacks the clear blue-chip talent of recent years. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan generally is viewed as the best wideout. Speedy Texas receiver Matthew Golden and Missouri’s Luther Burden also are potential first-round picks. Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter might be the best receiver in the class, but he’s usually projected as a cornerback. A team could use him situationally as a receiver, though.
There will be productive players taken on the second and third days. Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is Mr. Consistent and should have a lengthy NFL career, even if he never becomes a No. 1 receiver. Jayden Higgins, a 6-foot-4 target from Iowa State, has generated some buzz. Tre Harris was uber productive in Lane Kiffin’s high-flying Ole Miss offense. Elic Ayomanor was limited by a dreadful Stanford offense around him. Kyle Williams (Washington State) and Tai Felton (Maryland) have fans.
“I think it’s OK,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said of this receiver class. “I think this draft is probably a little meatier in the middle than it is at the top, in a lot of ways. I think the receiver position is probably reflective of that, as well. So, you know, there’s some players up there, not only up there but throughout the rounds that can help us.”
2025 POSITION BY POSITION SERIES
Michigan’s Mason Graham heads a deep defensive tackle group | Top 10 defensive linemen
Georgia’s Jalon Walker one of top defenders in the NFL draft | Top 10 linebackers
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter hopes to play both ways | Top 10 cornerbacks
Draft is full with an array of pass-rushing options | Top 10 pass rushers
Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Dan Jackson pro safety prospects | Top 10 safeties
How early will former Georgia center Jared Wilson go in the NFL draft? | Top 10 offensive linemen
Penn State’s Tyler Warren is no Brock Bowers, but he’s pretty darn good | Top 10 tight ends
NFL draft prospects: Wide receivers ‘OK,’ but lack star power of recent years | Top 10 wide receivers
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