2019 NFL Draft Rankings: Wide Receivers

Kevin Gardner

#5 Deebo Samuel – South Carolina – 5’11” 216 lbs 

I don’t believe there is a cornerback in the NCAA that can effectively press Deebo Samuel.  Samuel is so good getting off the line of scrimmage: utilizing his elite footwork, quickness, and his compact but sturdy frame.  Despite standing at a mere 5’11”, he has the weight and muscle to win press coverage and 50/50 balls.  Samuel tracks the ball as well as anyone, and he shows no fear going up to high-point passes.  As mentioned, his quickness and agility mix well with his sturdy frame to create YAC opportunities for himself.  As a result, he is hard to bring down on first contact in space.  Samuel ran a variety of routes at South Carolina, and he was effective with his footwork and head fakes when breaking routes off.  

Though he played primarily on the outside in college, I would expect his size and speed will lend great success in the slot at the next level.  It is worth noting that Samuel has had an outstanding week of practices at the Senior Bowl this week.  Teams will start to recognize the upside and talent Deebo Samuel will bring to the NFL.

#4 N’Keal Harry – Arizona State – 6’4” 213 lbs 

N’Keal Harry joins this club of physical freaks sitting at 6’3″ 215 pounds.  Harry doesn’t occupy the agility or play speed that Metcalf does, but he demonstrates flashes of acceleration and burst.  Harry will win downfield with his great catch radius and big frame.  Like Harmon, he is always in favorable positions for 50/50 balls.  Despite the lack of short burst and agility, Harry is a YAC (yards after catch) monster.  Rarely does the first tackler bring him down in space.  He has great ball carrier vision paired with equally impressive balance with the ball in his hands.  If he can improve his release and acceleration off the line, he could quickly become a quarterback’s favorite target.

His draft position can be greatly improved if he times well in both the 40 and cone drills.  Harry doesn’t offer long speed to separate from corners, but he has enough to create opportunities in man coverage.  Harry currently exhibits little motivation in terms of run blocking but has the build to be coached into a blocker.

#3 Hakeem Butler – Iowa State – 6’6” 225 lbs 

Hakeem Butler is a physical phenom.  Butler is bigger, stronger, and arguably flaunts better hands than every receiver in this class.  Hakeem Butler excels in almost every facet of the game.  He wins at the line of scrimmage, he creates great separation with his size and speed, and he attacks the ball in the air better than any receiver in the class.  Butler uses every bit of his 6’6″ frame and long arms to create advantageous body positions to pluck balls out of the air.  After the catch, Butler imposed his physicality on would-be tacklers and extended plays often.  Butler is also a good blocker at the line of scrimmage and downfield.

Like most big, physical receivers, Butler’s routes were limited over the middle of the field.  For the same reasons, he does not possess elusiveness to create space after the catch.  The only thing holding Butler back from being my number one receiver is the lack of high-end speed and acceleration.

#2 Kelvin Harmon – N.C. State – 6’3” 214 lbs 

Kelvin Harmon might have the best body control and ball adjustment skills in this class.  While he fails to create a lot of separation man to man, he more than makes up for it with his ability to find and catch the ball in tightly contested situations. 50/50 balls rarely found home to anything but Harmon’s hands, as he consistently put himself in the best position for the catch.  Harmon excels by flashing his hands late to keep cornerbacks from turning their heads early to the ball.  Harmon is an enthusiastic and determined blocker and will contribute in the run game at the next level thanks to it.

Harmon was slightly limited with his route tree, usually running vertical routes.  When asked to run horizontally, he showed enough burst and mental processing to find the openings in zone coverage.  He also keeps plays alive by breaking off or extending his routes for his quarterback.  While he doesn’t create a lot of separation or the ability to extend plays after the catch, I find him one of the best in this class.  He eerily draws a parallel to Michael Thomas at Ohio State.

#1 D.K. Metcalf – Ole Miss – 6’4” 225 lbs 

D.K. Metcalf did just about everything well at Ole Miss.  He excelled in his release off the line of scrimmage and was a master at creating space in the secondary.  Metcalf utilizes a blend of great footwork, route running, and short area acceleration to get open fast.  His high-end speed is impressive as he is able to run past corners.  Good luck pressing him at the line of scrimmage too.  At 6’4″ 225 pounds, corners have no chance holding him with his size and footwork.  Metcalf has great hands to pair with his route running and physical attributes.  He does need to focus more on more simple catches, as he allowed a few easy opportunities to become drops.

Blocking wise, Metcalf has shown the tools and tenacity to be a factor.  If he becomes more consistent and willing, he could dominate corners in space.  Like most of the following receivers in this post, Metcalf was not utilized horizontally much at Ole Miss.  He was almost exclusively the X receiver, primarily asked to run vertical-plane routes.  If given a clean bill of health and he tests as well as his tape looks, Metcalf will not wait long to hear his name called on draft night.

Mark Brooks

#5 N’Keal Harry – Arizona State – 6’4” 213 lbs 

Size and strength summarize this former Sun Devils’ play.  His insane single handed, back shoulder snag against USC is a top 10 play of all-time in college football.  Some may question his long speed, and his draft placement will hinge greatly on his 40 time.  He dominated a very talented Utah team with 9 catches, 161 yards, and 3 TDs . However, this past season, he was held under 100 receiving yards in 8/12 of his games.  As mentioned earlier, N’Keal’s 40-yard dash time may be the most important in the offseason for the WR group. 

#4 DK Metcalf – Ole Miss – 6’4” 225 lbs 

When D.K. Metcalf plays, I feel very much like I am watching Alshon Jeffery play during his college days. A physical freak, D.K. is a matchup nightmare on the perimeter. He finished the season with 26 receptions, 569 receiving yards, and 5 TDs; not too shabby considering his playing time was dramatically cut short.  After sustaining a neck injury against Arkansas, his season ending surgery required him to miss half of the past season.  He is expected to recover fully with no lasting effects.  His big play ability is what is so attractive: a 75-yard TD strike against Alabama on the first possession of the game was one of the biggest plays of his career and showcases his ability to stretch the field.  A 6’4” monster who has only scratched the potential of his abilities will be very eye catching to NFL clubs. 

#3 Marquise Brown – Oklahoma – 5’10” 168 lbs

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is a big name in a small frame.  Cousin of prolific NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, Marquise has made his own name for himself during his time in Norman.  This past season he was able to snag 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 TDs.  His best game of the season may have been against WVU in a shootout to determine who would advance to the Big 12 championship.  In the 59-56 win against the Sooners he was able to catch 11 passes for 243 yards and two scores. Not restricted to the slot, he uses his speed and jumping ability to make plays on the perimeter. That being said, all season he proved most fun to watch when operating in the slot, catching drags and screens, and accelerating through traffic for big chunk plays.

#2 Hakeem Butler – Iowa State – 6’6” 225 lbs

Finishing his junior season with 1,318 receiving yards and 9 TD grabs, Butler saved some of his best work for last. He was dominant in the Alamo Bowl, snagging 9 passes for 192 yards against the #13 team in the country: Washington State. A long strider with a remarkable catch radius, he makes contested catches look easy. His one-handed snag versus Oklahoma State was legendary. Throw on the film to see him use his 225 size to bully defensive backs and break tackles. He embarrassed Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Kansas defensive backs with his physicality. If he runs well at the combine, he will hear his name early in a draft class short on offensive depth.  

#1 A.J. Brown – Ole Miss – 6’1” 225 lbs

A number one wideout in a running back’s body, WR A.J. Brown is a threat anywhere on the field.  With enough speed to hurt teams deep, and the size to out muscle defensive backs near the line of scrimmage, his versatility and production in the SEC set him apart from fellow draft receivers.  In the past season he racked up 85 catches, 1,320 receiving yards, and 6 TDs. The perimeter screen he takes 84 yards against Vanderbilt pretty much sums up his game.  During his four week stretch (10/20 – 11/17) there may not have been a better player on the field, his stats speaking for themselves: 155 yards at Auburn, 115 yards at South Carolina, 127 yards at Texas A&M, and 212 yards at Vandy.  Look for him to excel into the next level taking the mold of similar sized players Davante Adams and JuJu Smith-Schuster.