- The 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: QBs | The Best and Most Daring Outlaws in the Wild West
- The 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: RBs | A Brand New Era
- The 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: WR | The Best New Prospects
- The 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: TE | New Cowboys and Outlaws
The 2025 wide receiver draft class offers a diverse range of future NFL stars. Depending on the style of wide receiver you like, my 2025 NFL Draft rankings for WRs will have something for you. The tier system of these rankings is intended to group players who have similar values until a final positional ranking is determined closer to the NFL Draft. This class may not have a can’t-miss prospect like Marvin Harrison Jr., but it has a plethora of talented wide receiver prospects that can change the landscape of the NFL.
I think this class has the potential to surprise a lot of people with the quality of talent in it. As I’ve previously mentioned, players will surprise us by returning to college for another season. So, this list is based off of what we know now. Finally, my rankings are likely different from other ones you’ll see. They will fluctuate throughout the season and up to the 2025 NFL Draft. My QB and TE Rankings are available now and my 2025 RB Rankings are available here.
Player height and weight measurements are taken from ESPN.com until official numbers are released this offseason.
2025 NFL Draft Rankings | QB | RB | WR | TE | by Tristan Cook
TIER 1 WRs | 2025 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
WR1 | Travis Hunter | Colorado | 6’1” | 185 lbs.
The most unique prospect in my 2025 NFL Draft rankings, and perhaps, in the history of the NFL Draft is Colorado’s Travis Hunter. That may sound like an outlandish thing to say, but what he’s doing has never been seen before. Over the years, we’ve seen many college players who play on both and defense. However, what we haven’t seen is someone who plays nearly every snap on both sides of the ball. Prior to being injured during the Kansas State game, Travis Hunter was averaging 120 snaps per game. Those metrics are something we may never see again.
However, playing that many snaps leads to durability questions. Travis Hunter has now missed time due to injury in back-to-back seasons. He looks like he’s going to avoid serious injury this time, but it remains to be seen if he can continue to play such a heavy snap count at the NFL level.
For most of us, we are only interested in offensive players. Travis Hunter may only be a part-time offensive player at the next level. This ranking is operating under the assumption that he will play the majority of his snaps at wide receiver. As a wide receiver prospect, Hunter is still developing but has shown flashes of elite skill. He creates separation with his quick-twitch movement, has elite contested catch skills, is dynamic after the catch, and has a knack for making big plays.
Hunter’s biggest area for improvement on offense is with consistency—especially route running. Hunter has the highest ceiling of any receiver in this class, so if he shows a little more consistency on the offensive side, the sky’s the limit. I expect Travis Hunter to be taken in the first 5-10 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.
WR2 | Tetairoa McMillan | Arizona | 6’5” | 212 lbs.
Outside of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty as the clear-cut RB1 in the 2025 class, Arizona’s Tetairoa “Tet” McMillan is the closest thing to a consensus top player at any position. (My 2025 NFL Draft Rankings for RBs, QBs, and TEs are available here.) I personally have McMillan as WR2 in the class, but that’s more related to the potential of Travis Hunter than a knock on Tet.
I have Tetairoa McMillan as a Tier 1 wide receiver. That means I wouldn’t fault anyone for taking him above Hunter. I believe the margin between the Top 3 receivers is razor thin. McMillan possesses something that few in this class, and neither of the other two in Tier 1, have—height.
At 6’5”, McMillan is able to box-out defenders, making him an incredibly difficult cover. However, McMillan is more than just a big receiver. He may not have elite top-end speed, but he accelerates well, is a long-strider, and has enough speed to threaten defenders. McMillan is almost certainly a top-20 pick in the NFL Draft, assuming his speed metrics are solid.
WR3 | Luther Burden III | Missouri | 5’11” | 208 lbs.
Luther Burden III is a bit different than the other two Tier 1 wide receivers in my 2025 NFL Draft rankings. He does not have the size of McMillan, nor the elite athleticism and ball skills of Hunter. But, he is a special talent in his own right. Burden is listed as a wide receiver, though he is more of an offensive weapon. He lines up all over the field for Missouri and punishes opponents even when they know he’s going to be the focal point of the offense.
The biggest concern I have with Burden is whether or not he has the high-end speed to attack defenses down the field. However, that may not hurt him too much as we have seen receivers dominate at the NFL level without elite speed. Burden is so dynamic after the catch that all he needs is the ball in his hands to be a threat to score.
I think Luther Burden profiles as a player that will likely start in the slot and in a manufactured-touches role. If he finds a team that wants to utilize him similarly to how the San Francisco 49ers use Deebo Samuel, he could excel. If Burden runs a sub-4.50 second 40-yard dash, he should be fine.
TIER 2 WRs | 2025 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
WR4 | Emeka Egbuka | Ohio State | 6’1” | 205 lbs.
It’s not often that a receiver could be drafted in the 1st Round and still be criminally underrated, but that’s what we have with Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. He (somewhat shockingly) returned to Columbus, OH for his senior season instead of entering the 2024 NFL Draft. In doing so, Egbuka hoped to elevate his draft stock, but nearly a year later, not much has changed.
As a prospect, Egbuka profiles best as a slot receiver. He is a well-polished route runner who can find the holes in a defense and excels after the catch. Egbuka is quicker than he is fast, but can surprise you with his smooth running style. If he tests well leading up to the draft, he could sneak into Tier 1 of my 2025 NFL Draft rankings.
WR5 | Isaiah Bond | Texas | 5’11” | 180 lbs.
My other receiver in Tier 2 is small but mighty. Isaiah Bond, the former Alabama receiver, has game-changing speed. That said, he’s more than just another speedy wide receiver. He’s leading the No. 1 team in the country in receiving and vaulting himself up draft boards in the process.
The easy comparison whenever you come across a shifty receiver with top-tier speed is Tyreek Hill, but I don’t think Isaiah Bond is Tyreek Hill. However, I do think he possesses some of the skills that Tyreek Hill has perfected. My biggest concerns for Bond are his contested-catch skills and his occasional over-reliance on his speed. If Bond cleans up his route running, he could be a dynamic weapon in the NFL.
TIER 3 WRs | 2025 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
My Tier 3 of wide receivers is a cluster of prospects who all have exciting traits to go with noted concerns. Any of these players could move up into Tier 2 with good play and strong athletic testing. If they struggle to produce or test poorly, they could find themselves out of my Top 20 receivers.
WR6 | Tre Harris | Ole Miss | 6’3” | 210 lbs.
The player with the best chance to ascend into Tier 2 of my 2025 NFL Draft rankings is Tre Harris, the senior receiver from Ole Miss. Harris has been one of the best receivers in the country this year, currently leading the nation by nearly 200 yards receiving. With the exception of the aforementioned Tetairoa McMillan, Harris is one of the most physically imposing receivers in this class.
Tre Harris’ best trait is his ability to make contested catches. Unfortunately, his biggest concern is the ability to separate. He sometimes struggles at the collegiate level, so the NFL will be a big challenge. Still, Harris could end up playing his way into the 1st Round of the NFL Draft.
WR7 | Evan Stewart | Oregon | 6’0” | 175 lbs.
There are a lot of prospects who are working their way up draft boards and my 2025 NFL Draft rankings, Oregon’s Evan Stewart is not one of them. Entering the 2024 season, Stewart was a Tier 1 receiver for me. Unfortunately, he’s been in a free fall since.
Stewart has all of the traits you look for at the wide receiver position. He routinely wins against defenders by creating separation with his short-area quickness. Stewart has soft hands to easily pluck the ball out of the air. He is also extremely athletic—making acrobatic catches all over the field.
I am a believer in Stewart’s talent, but at some point it becomes a question of if he can transfer that onto the field. He could work his way back up with more performances like his recent game against Ohio State or fall down the rankings and choose to return for the 2025 season.
WR8 | Elic Ayomanor | Stanford | 6’2” | 210 lbs.
The next player, Elic Ayomanor, has some of the most impressive highlight plays you’ll see from a college wide receiver in any game. Sadly, he also has the tendency to disappear and play inconsistently in other games.
Despite not appearing to have elite speed, quickness, or overall athleticism, Ayomanor routinely finds himself targeted when he’s running open underneath defenses or in jump-ball situations down the sideline. Right now, I think Ayomanor could be a Day 2 NFL Draft selection.
WR9 | Jalen Royals | Utah State | 6’0” | 205 lbs.
Jalen Royals was one of the lesser-known wide receiver prospects at the beginning of the season. Through the first couple of months this year, Royals has introduced himself to the country. Despite not playing in a Power 4 conference, he has been a dominant force in the passing game for the Aggies. Royals has an intriguing combination of speed and ball skills.
Being from a smaller school, the pre-draft process will be especially important for Jalen Royals. Right now, it’s a little hard to predict where he’ll be drafted. I think Day 2 of the NFL Draft is the most likely, but a strong NFL Combine performance could push him into the late 1st Round discussion.
WR10 | Xavier Restrepo | Miami (FL) | 5’10” | 198 lbs.
Xavier Restrepo is the last player in Tier 3 of my 2025 NFL Draft rankings. He is a complicated prospect to analyze, but it’s not often that we a player with such a defined role be ranked so highly. He is the prototypical slot wide receiver at the NFL level. His short-area quickness allows him to shake defenders in man coverage and his natural feel for defenses helps him find soft pots in zone coverage.
While he doesn’t profile like a true dynasty WR1, if Restrepo goes to a team that heavily targets the slot, he could be a fantasy monster. I am less interested in his draft position than I am interested in the team and scheme he goes to.
TIER 4 WRs | 2025 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
The players in Tier 4, like those in Tier 3, are very close in ranking. The gap between WR11 and WR20 is small, so by the draft, this tier of my 2025 NFL Draft Rankings may be completely different.
WR11 | Kyren Lacy | LSU | 6’2” | 213 lbs.
WR12 | Ricky White III | UNLV | 6’1” | 190 lbs.
WR13 | Tez Johnson | Oregon | 5’10” | 165 lbs.
WR14 | Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. | Ole Miss | 6’0” | 205 lbs.
WR15 | Tai Felton | Maryland | 6’2” | 181 lbs.
WR16 | Tory Horton | Colorado | 6’3” | 185 lbs.
WR17 | Jayden Higgins | Iowa State | 6’4” | 215 lbs.
WR18 | Kaden Prather | Maryland | 6’3” | 210 lbs.
WR19 | Xzavier Henderson | Cincinnati | 6’3” | 200 lbs.
WR20 | Ja’Corey Brooks | Louisville | 6’3” | 195 lbs.
There are a lot of good players that were not included in this list. That does not mean that I don’t like them, nor does it preclude them from rising into the Top 10 by the time of rookie drafts next year. Players like Missouri’s Theo Wease Jr., Kentucky’s duo of Dane Key and Barion Brown, Tennessee’s Bru McCoy, Clemson’s Antonio Williams, Florida’s Elijhah Badger, and many, many more are all names that were considered and could easily find their way into the next iteration of my 2025 NFL Draft rankings for wide receivers.
The important thing to remember is that these 2025 NFL Draft Rankings are fluid. They have changed since the start of the season and will change again before the end. I will post another update to these rankings near the end of the college football season.
More 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
The weekly College Prospects to Watch article will reflect changes between now and my rankings update. My Running Back Rankings are now live, so check them out:
My Quarterback and Tight End Rankings are also available now, so please feel free:
Our staff is working on a new mock draft each week, so be sure to check back regularly for more 2025 NFL Draft content. In case you missed it, here’s our most recent Superflex Rookie Mock Draft:
