NFL Draft Preview-Wide Receivers

NFL Draft Preview - Wide Receivers

With plenty of talent across the board in this year's draft, the wide receiver class isn't any different. I don't want to spend a ton of time at the top of this list, but there will almost certainly be at least two if not four receivers taken first round. Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb is the top projected wide out followed by the Alabama pairing of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III and LSU's Justin Jefferson. I wouldn't necessarily expect Jefferson to be taken in the first day, but I'm very optimistic that the first three will be due to their raw talent.

A few names that we will almost certainly hear between the second and fourth rounds would be Clemson's Tee Higgins and Colorado's Laviska Shenault Jr. Higgins is a six-foot four, NFL-ready wideout who was a two-year starter with 26 touchdown catches and 2,139 yards in those two seasons. Shenault Jr. is one of my favorite receivers in the draft, although he's battled with injuries throughout his college career and is having surgery during the offseason. I still believe that a team will take him early, however, due to his raw talent and potential.

I also spy a few potential sleepers available at the wide receiver position. K.J. Osborn from Miami (Fla.) could draw some late attention and blossom into a star. Osborn didn't have the best of years last season after an electric season with Buffalo before transferring in, although the quarterback situation didn't do him any favors. James Proche from Southern Methodist isn't drawing nearly enough attention in my opinion. He's been a four-year starter with 39 career touchdown catches. He's also had back to back seasons with at least 1,199 receiving yards.

Two more guys who are listed on the board as wide receivers who could draw a look are Kentucky' Lynn Bowden Jr. and Navy's Malcolm Perry, although both men of many trades. Bowden Jr. showed his versatility last year after moving from wide out to quarterback for the Wildcats, albeit he wasn't overly impressive at the quarterback position. Perry is a very interesting prospect available. He was a quarterback by trade at the Naval Academy, but he could also line up as a receiver or running back as well. He's a pure athlete that can flourish at any position on the field, and I would compare him to Taysom Hill of the Saints.