On Saturday night, we saw the top three receivers on my 2022 NFL draft board face off in a Big Ten showdown between Penn State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 33-24, and two of the three found the end zone. So it seems like a good time to check in on Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jahan Dotson and the rest of the talented WR class.
In my most recent top 32 rankings I have seven receivers, and it is looking like another strong class for the position. But how does the group compare with the past few years? Who are the names to know, and what makes them top-end prospects? Should we be concerned with Drake London's injury over the weekend, or is he still a first-rounder? Will Alabama have another multi-WR first round in April? And which midrounder is making a statement and could rise over the next few months?
We get into it all with seven big wide receiver questions. And we also name a prospect on the rise after Week 9 of the college football season and an under-the-radar name to know. Let's get started.
Jump to:
Wilson and Olave | Dotson
Metchie and Williams | Drake and Burks
Other top WRs | Midround sleeper
Prospect on the rise | Under the radar
How does this 2022 wide receiver class compare with the past two?
I'd rank the '22 group third, but that isn't a knock on the class. After all, I have seven wide receivers among my top 32 prospects. The 2020 and 2021 WR lineups were just stacked, and while the 2022 class has some top-tier talent, the strength here is really in the depth. Plus it's very early and there's a lot we still don't know about this class.
I see most of the top receivers going in the Nos. 7-20 range next April. Wilson (Ohio State), Olave (Ohio State) and Dotson (Penn State) are likely to fall there. USC's London and Arkansas' Treylon Burks are unique because of their size, and Alabama's Jameson Williams is a fast-rising burner. They all project as rookie starters in the NFL. John Metchie III (Alabama) is the seventh receiver in that mix, and while he doesn't have elite size or speed and might be a No. 3 as a rookie, he's a smooth route runner with good ball skills.
Of the three years in question, 2020 is the best, with six first-rounders including Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson. From the second round, Michael Pittman Jr. and Chase Claypool have been great values. The 2021 class ranks second. I really like what we've seen from Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith so far, and Kadarius Toney, Rashod Bateman and Rondale Moore have shown a lot of early promise. Chase is off to a record-setting start in his rookie season, already emerging as one of the top WRs in league.
(I'll add that 2019 would be a close third behind the 2021 class and ahead of 2022 if included, despite only two first-rounders. Marquise Brown is a big-play nightmare, but his inconsistency catching the ball has been detrimental. N'Keal Harry flashes but hasn't come close to producing at a first-round level. But that 2019 class has gotten excellent Day 2 value from Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Mecole Hardman, DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson and Terry McLaurin.)
What makes Ohio State's Wilson and Olave the top two receivers on your board?
Wilson is a burner, and his best trait is his body control. I love the way he adjusts to the ball in the air, and he has a knack for tracking it and making last-second catches -- much like we saw Lamb do when he was at Oklahoma. On the season, Wilson has 43 catches for 687 yards and six trips to the end zone. He is most comfortable as the left outside receiver, where he uses his outstanding acceleration to give cornerbacks fits, driving them back on their heels with initial burst and then dropping his weight on back-shoulder throws or sharp-breakers. He's a crafty deep route runner and tracks vertical balls with ease.
Olave moves around a bit more pre-snap. He is primarily the right outside WR opposite Wilson, but he also works in the slot and is used more on motions. Olave is a smoother route runner than Wilson, keeping corners guessing with his routes. Wilson might have better speed, but Olave has plenty of wheels in his own right, explodes off the line and gets great separation downfield. We saw a little of that when he hauled in a 38-yard TD on Saturday. Olave now has seven touchdowns of 15-plus yards this season, which is tied for the national lead. Overall, he has 35 catches for 562 yards and nine touchdowns.
C.J. Stroud throws a deep pass to Chris Olave to score a 38-yard touchdown to give Ohio State a 10-7 lead.
The Buckeyes' duo combined for 10 catches, 126 receiving yards and a touchdown in Saturday's win against Penn State. Wilson has at least 50 yards in all eight of his games, while Olave has hit that mark in four of seven. But all four of those were actually over 115 for Olave, while Wilson has only done that twice. Olave is averaging 16.1 yards per catch, Wilson 16.0.
Penn State's Dotson is undersized but still a high-end prospect. Do you have any concern about his frame in the NFL?
There are definitely some concern because the 5-foot-11, 184-pound receiver will get pressed more frequently in the NFL. He has the quickness, craftiness and top-end speed to beat press coverage, but will he be as effective in that area at the next level?
The two things that I love about Dotson's tape are his exceptional ball skills and how he does everything under control. He makes things look so easy at times. Dotson has a smaller catch radius, doesn't have the size to win many 50-50 balls and won't break a lot of tackles, but he adjusts to the ball well, plucks on the run, is quick in and out of breaks and has the field vision to produce after the catch. Despite his lack of size, Dotson is a big-play producer. Since the start of last season, he is tied with Olave, Smith and Jaelon Darden for the most 20-plus-yard TD catches in the country with 11.
Dotson is No. 12 overall on my board and the third-ranked receiver. We've seen four WRs under 6-foot get drafted in Round 1 over the past five drafts: Waddle, Jalen Reagor, Brown and John Ross. Dotson had his best game of the season on Saturday. He caught 11 passes for 127 yards, adding a 2-yard rushing touchdown. On the year, Dotson has 60 catches for 690 yards and six scores.
What are the chances that Alabama has two first-round receivers for the third year in a row?
Before last year, no school had ever produced multiple first-round receivers more than once, let alone in back-to-back years. Three straight would be something else, and I have a pair of Alabama receivers in my top 32. That said, I would say there's a below-50% chance at this point that the Crimson Tide have two more Day 1 wideouts.
What's really interesting is that Metchie was the likelier Alabama WR to become a first-round pick back in the preseason. He is a polished route runner who is super smooth in and out of his breaks and has the flexibility to make sharp cuts or gear down on defenders. He shows the ability to beat man coverage with double moves and fakes or to locate the soft spots in zone. And Metchie has excellent hands and competes on every snap.
But I just haven't seen him take his game to the next level in 2021, which was expected with him moving to the No. 1 WR spot after Waddle and Smith went on to the NFL. He has put together two straight excellent outings: 18 combined catches for 238 yards and three touchdowns. And he has 52 catches for 601 yards and five scores on the season. A matchup with LSU on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) will be big for him. I still have Metchie at No. 26 overall, but he's trending in the wrong direction. Some scouts I've spoken to still think he could be a late first-rounder while others view him more as a Day 2 prospect.
Then there's the meteoric rise of Williams. The Ohio State transfer is an absolute burner. I saw him live in the season opener against Miami, and he was clearly playing at a different speed than anyone else on the field. He finished that game with 126 receiving yards and a TD on four catches. His tape jumps off the screen with his ability to stretch the field vertically and track the deep ball. Williams is continuing to improve as a route runner, and his value as a kick returner brings another aspect to his game. He has 35 receptions for 710 yards (20.3 per catch) and six touchdowns this season -- plus two kickoff return TDs.
Based off this season's tape, I believe Williams has clearly emerged as the best receiver prospect on the Crimson Tide, and he could be a top-20 pick before it's all said and done. His confidence is brimming right now, and I'm excited to see what happens the rest of the season.
You need to throw a pass into the end zone ... are you targeting Arkansas' Burks or USC's London?
Burks is more physical at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, but I would give a slight advantage to London here because of his height (6-foot-5) and basketball background (he played hoops at USC). London excels on contested catches, has great hands and makes plays in traffic. The stats -- 88 catches, 1,084 yards and seven scores -- back up what I see on tape. He has gone over 100 yards in six of eight games, and he was well on his way to making it seven of eight before suffering a right ankle fracture in Saturday's win over Arizona. He had 81 yards and two touchdowns before being carted off in the second quarter.
London's season is over, so the next question is whether he be able to work out before the draft. Ultimately, if he is cleared medically for next season, I still think he projects as a first-round pick in April.
Drake London catches the touchdown, but seems to hurt his leg on the play.
Burks is a special prospect, too. He is currently No. 18 on my board, while London is No. 24. Burks is a savvy route runner who uses his big frame to gain late separation and has elite ball skills. He also does an outstanding job of using his body control to track the deep ball. Burks has 42 receptions for 717 yards (17.1 average) and seven TDs (plus a rushing score).
Who else should we know at the top of the board?
I already mentioned seven guys! Williams is the fast riser of the class, so he's definitely the one to watch. My No. 8 receiver is Purdue's David Bell, but he grades out as a second-rounder at the moment. He has an intriguing combination of size (6-foot-2 and 205 pounds) and ball skills, and he does an outstanding job on 50-50 balls. The body control and concentration are frequently on display when he adjusts to passes thrown outside his frame.
Bell has 53 receptions, 786 yards and four touchdowns this season, and his performance in a win against Iowa in mid-October was outstanding. He had 11 catches for 240 yards (21.8 average) and a touchdown. Still, I'm not banking on a Day 1 ticket for Bell right now. I think some combination of the aforementioned seven will make up the first-round class.
OK, what about a sleeper receiver you like in the midround range?
South Alabama's Jalen Tolbert is someone to get to know. My guy Mel Kiper likes his game a lot. Even at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he has impressive quickness and top-end speed. He wins a high percentage of jump balls and tracks vertical passes with ease. He has 54 catches for 967 yards (17.9 average) and six TDs this season. Here's Tolbert's average game line over his past three contests: 9.7 catches for 144.0 yards and 1.7 touchdowns.
If Tolbert continues to produce on the field and displays explosive qualities during pre-draft workouts, he should solidify a spot on Day 2. He would be just the third Jaguar drafted in school history. Receiver Kawaan Baker was a seventh-round pick by the Saints in April, and tight end Gerald Everett was a second-rounder for the Rams in 2017.
Prospect on the rise
Nakobe Dean, ILB, Georgia
Bulldogs defensive tackle Jordan Davis is getting all the hype on that stout defense -- and deservedly so -- but Dean has had just as big an impact this season. He is an off-ball linebacker with average size but outstanding quickness, flexibility and straight-line speed. The thing that jumps out on his 2021 tape is his improvement as a pass-rusher. He shows elite instincts in locating gaps in the offensive line and has outstanding closing burst to the quarterback.
Dean led the Bulldogs with 71 tackles in 2020, and through eight games this season he has totaled 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions -- including a pick-six on Saturday against Florida. He has a ton of versatility, especially on passing downs. I think of him as a bigger Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He has great instincts in coverage and is a sideline-to-sideline run defender. Dean wasn't being talked about as a first-rounder coming into the season, but it wouldn't surprise me if he is a top-20 pick in April. Kiper highlighted him a few weeks back, and I had him at No. 14 on my board that came out last week.
Under-the-radar prospect to know
Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
He is not under the radar for NFL scouts, but McBride doesn't get much national attention. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, he can work inline as a Y tight end or flexed out as an F. Ball skills are McBride's best trait. This dude catches everything thrown his way. He already has 65 catches for 740 yards through eight games, and on Saturday against Boise State he broke 100 yards for the fifth time.
Colorado State tight end coach Frank Leonard -- who was one of my coaches at Richmond -- told me that McBride stacks up with the best he has ever coached in terms of ball skills, instincts, work ethic and toughness. McBride has the talent to end up the top tight end selected in April's draft, and I have him as the 33rd overall prospect in the 2022 class (and TE2).