We’ve seen a couple of excellent wide receiver classes in recent years, and 2022’s group seems to be continuing that trend. It is a testament to both the top end talent and depth of this class that all ten receivers on this list have either a first or second round grade. Here are my top ten wide receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
1. Garrett Wilson – Ohio State (5-11, 183, Junior)
Pros: Refined route runner who is comfortable running a diverse route tree. Fluid athlete who shows great sink in his hips to consistently create separation. Smart player, who knows how to manipulate defensive backs off the line of scrimmage and throughout the stem. Natural hands catcher with good ball tracking, registering a drop rate of just 7.1% throughout his career. Outstanding body control at the catch point and plays bigger than his size would suggest. Dynamic with the ball in his hands, averaging six yards after the catch in 2021 and forcing 19 missed tackles on his 70 receptions.
Cons: Doesn’t possess ideal size for a boundary receiver, both in terms of his height and his weight. Teams may have some concerns about how well he will weather more physical cornerbacks in press coverage and throughout the stem. Will make defenders miss in space, but doesn’t have the strength to break many tackles. Never had to function as the team’s go-to option in the passing game and didn’t once lead the team in targets, receptions, or yardage.
Projection: 1st round
2. Drake London – USC (6-3, 219, Junior)
Pros: Big-bodied physical receiver with the size to translate to the NFL. Possesses a good release package and showed the ability to get off the line against press coverage. Shows nuance to his route running and can create separation off the back of his technique. Has a huge catch radius and reliable hands, logging just 10 drops on 170 career catchable targets. Dominant in contested situations too, leading all FBS receivers with 17 contested receptions in 2021, despite playing just eight games. Surprisingly dynamic after the catch, forcing 49 missed tackles on 160 career receptions. Still only 20 years old.
Cons: Lacks ideal long speed, which inhibits his ability to consistently separate on vertical routes. This was partly responsible for a large amount of his downfield production coming on jump balls and contested catches. Ran a fairly basic route tree in college and a lot of his yardage came off screens. Fairly lean build and could do with adding some more bulk to his frame. Smooth mover for his size but not ever going to be called twitchy. Coming off a broken ankle that saw him miss the latter half of the 2021 season.
Projection: 1st round
3. Treylon Burks – Arkansas (6-2, 225, Junior)
Pros: Huge receiver who will be a size mismatch weapon for a lot of defensive backs. Has also shown that he has the speed to create separation off the back of his athletic profile. Huge catch radius with active and reliable hands, logging just seven drops on 123 catchable targets over the past two seasons. Excellent after the catch, with the speed to separate from defenders and the strength to work through contact. Forced 24 missed tackles on 115 receptions over the past two seasons and averaged 8.6 yards after the catch. Offers versatility, being used out wide, in the slot, and in the backfield.
Cons: Played in a gimmicky role in college that won’t easily translate to the NFL. His production was heavily inflated by screens and manufactured touches. He also lined up primarily as a slot receiver, a role he is unlikely to play in the NFL. Didn’t face much in the way of press coverage as a result. Underdeveloped as a route runner, who won with his traits rather than technique at the collegiate level.
Projection: 1st round
4. Jameson Williams – Alabama (6-1, 179, Junior)
Pros: Outstanding speed to take the top off opposing defenses. Hugely productive in his lone starting season. Averaged 20 yards per reception in 2021, joining Mike Evans and Ja’Marr Chase as the only SEC receivers in history to do so on 50+ catches. Fluid mover, with quick twitch and the sink in his hips to separate at the top of routes. Already showing some nuance as a route runner despite just one year of starting experience. Can create after the catch, with the speed to outrun defenders and the elusiveness to make them miss in space.
Cons: Play strength is a concern. His release was easily disrupted by more physical corners in press and he struggled with contact throughout the route stem. He has a noticeably slight frame and will need to add more muscle to translate effectively to the NFL. Didn’t have an issue with drops but he is passive at the catch point and overly reliant on body catches. Suffered a torn ACL in January and will likely miss time early in his career.
Projection: 1st round
5. Jahan Dotson – Penn State (5-10, 178, Senior)
Pros: Possesses an excellent release package that saw him function well as an X receiver despite his size. Knows how to manipulate defenders with subtle movements and is adept at targeting their leverage. Very good athlete, with quick twitch to separate in short areas and the long speed to win on full speed routes downfield. Possesses some of the best hands in this draft class, registering just five drops on 143 catchable targets over the past two seasons. Has a propensity for spectacular catches and has good body control at the catch point.
Cons: Noticeably undersized for a player who has made his living as a boundary receiver. There will be concerns about how he fares against longer cornerbacks in press coverage and whether he has sufficient play strength throughout the route. Played primarily as a boundary receiver in college but may be constrained to the slot in the NFL. Not as dynamic after the catch as you might expect for a player of his size and athletic profile and tends to be taken down on first contact.
Projection: 1st round
6. Chris Olave – Ohio State (6-0, 187, Senior)
Pros: Smooth and refined prospect who runs his routes like an NFL veteran. Does an excellent job of disguising his intentions and knows how to manipulate opponents to create easy separation. Sink in his hips is excellent and he can change direction at the top of routes without sacrificing much speed. Quick in short areas and also has the long speed to win with the vertical tree. Hands are good and ball tracking is excellent. Led a very talented receiver room in receiving touchdowns for three straight years and has a strong track record of production.
Cons: Slight build which limits his play strength. Teams will have concerns about how he fares against press coverage at the next level. Also limits his ability to produce in contested situations. Surprisingly limited after the catch for a player of his size and speed. Not at all dynamic with the ball in his hands, forcing just nine missed tackles on 176 career receptions. Can be a little timid when contact is imminent and has had issues with fumbles in the past.
Projection: 2nd round
7. Skyy Moore – Western Michigan (5-9, 195, Junior)
Pros: Very good athlete, with the combination of short area quickness and long speed to be a true three level threat in the NFL. Has a release package that is amongst the best in the class, allowing him to consistently win against press coverage despite a size profile more typically associated with a slot receiver. Very reliable hands when working within the strike zone, with just seven drops on 177 career catchable targets. Will create with the ball in his hands, turning small gains into home runs. Moore led all FBS receivers with 26 forced missed tackles in 2021.
Cons: Smaller receiver with a naturally limited catch radius. Didn’t always look comfortable when asked to work outside his frame or make late adjustments to bad ball placement. Unsurprisingly he isn’t particularly productive in contested catch situations. Didn’t face much top-tier opposition at Western Michigan either and there will be a big step up to the NFL. Had a history of ankle injuries stretching back to high school that teams will want to monitor.
Projection: 2nd round
8. Alec Pierce – Cincinnati (6-3, 211, Senior)
Pros: Possesses the ideal combination of size and speed. Seriously explosive for a bigger receiver and it will cause a tonne of problems for opposing cornerbacks off the line. Knows how to vary his release package to beat defenders early in the route and will stack with ease. Excelled as a vertical threat at Cincinnati, averaging 17.4 yards on his 106 career receptions. Ball tracking ability is amongst the best in the class and his body control at the catch point is excellent. Had a career drop rate of just 7%, despite an average depth of target of 16.8 yards.
Cons: Still very raw and unrefined as a route runner. Cincinnati tasked him with running a limited route tree and he will need to develop more nuance to create separation through technique. Frame is still leaner than you would like and he could benefit from adding more mass. Is a little high hipped and not the most fluid receiver in short areas. This is partly responsible for his limited effectiveness after the catch, where he struggles to make defenders miss in space.
Projection: 2nd round
9. John Metchie – Alabama (5-11, 187, Junior)
Pros: One of the best technicians in this receiver class. Shows a varied release package, knowing how to manipulate defenders off the line to win early in the route. Quick footwork combined with good hand usage allowed him to consistently win against press. Comfortable running a varied route tree, with the smarts and technique to target blind spots and create separation at the top of his routes. Reliable hands, with a drop rate of just 8.8% throughout his career. Good vision and decision making allows him to create his own yardage after the catch.
Cons: Not the most impressive athlete. Doesn’t have great top end speed and isn’t particularly shifty in short areas either. Undersized for a boundary receiver by NFL standards too, the combination of which will be a tough sell for a number of teams. Catch radius is fairly limited and he struggled to adjust to poor ball placement. Tore his ACL at the end of the 2021 season and played through injuries in 2020.
Projection: 2nd round
10. Christian Watson – North Dakota State (6-4, 208, rs-Senior)
Pros: Outstanding athlete, with a 9.98 Relative Athletic Score that ranks fifth amongst receiver prospects since 2000. Possesses ideal long speed that helped make him one of the best deep threats in college football, averaging 20.4 yards per reception on his 104 career catches. Flashed potential with his release package, showing some nice footwork to beat press. Dynamic receiver after the catch thanks to speed and quick footwork. Showed toughness with contact imminent at the catch point and will put in a real shift as a blocker.
Cons: Lacks any real nuance to his routes and needs to develop much more technique to be a high volume target at the next level. Doesn’t manipulate defenders and there is plenty of wasted motion in and out of his breaks. Hands aren’t nearly as reliable as you’d like either, with a drop rate of 13.3%. He struggled at times with tracking the ball as a deep threat and making adjustments to his routes. Faced a lower level of competition in the FCS too.
Projection: 2nd round
