College football is churning out incredible wide receiver prospects every year. Three rookie receivers (and four rookies total) had over 1,000 receiving yards last year. At least one rookie wide receiver has passed that benchmark in every season since 2019. It’s almost a given that these guys can come into the NFL and immediately make a difference. The 2025 NFL Draft class has some Day 1 game changers that will go very high and a few mid round gems who will contribute early in their careers. For the Eagles, it’s doubtful they will target a receiver in the first round, but they do have needs given the lack of depth beyond AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith.
1) Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka is exactly the kind of receiver that I will fall for every year. Yes he is not the biggest or fastest player in the class, but he is just so damn good at everything.
At 6’1”, 205, he has decent size and rarely is overpowered on the field. He thrives out of the slot, with advanced route running, fearless ball skills, and soft dependable hands. A kick return specialist at heart, Egbuka does a great job with the ball in his hands. He has vision, runs hard, and can make guys miss in space.
Yes he might be capped out athletically, but everything else is so damn good that he is going to come into the NFL and catch 80 passes without breaking a sweat.
NFL Comparison: Juiced Up Robert Woods, Houston Texans
2) Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
The appeal with Tetairoa McMilla is obvious. He is big and strong at 6’4” and nearly 220 pounds. He has enough highlight reel catches in his career to make you dizzy. He has a 300 yard game to his name.
McMillan wins with his size, strength, and ball skills. Arizona trusted him in tight situations and he would win above the rim more often than his peers would. While he doesn’t have elite speed, he does build up a head of steam which makes him hard to bring down at full huff.
Where there’s concern is the ability to separate. He is not an urgent or refined route runner, and his bevy of contested catches make you wonder if they were happening because he couldn’t create space from the defensive back. It is a bit of a risk, given this archetype of receiver is majorly hit or miss in the NFL.
NFL Comparison: DeVante Parker
3) Travis Hunter, Colorado
I will be sure to write about Travis Hunter as both a receiver and a cornerback. Make no mistake that he is a first round pick at either position. Which is truly something.
Purely as a receiver, Travis Hunter is remarkable. He is leaner at six foot and under 190 pounds, but he is a fluid athlete who makes routes at all levels of the field look easy. His speed is dangerous, especially with the ball in his hands. Speaking of hands, he has fantastic ball skills with the ability to make plays in tight quarters and above the rim.
Size and playing strength will be a concern against NFL cornerbacks, but skill and athleticism are not in question, nor is his mentality. The only real question is how NFL teams decide to divvy up his time between offense and defense.
NFL Comparison: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
4) Luther Burden III, Missouri
Luther Burden’s best football is still very much ahead of him.
The talented receiver was the focal point of a really beige offense in 2024. They relied on his athleticism to win after the catch and rarely put him in a position to produce efficiently. That being said, he is really excellent after the catch. He’s got great burst with a strong build and stronger running style.
Throw on his 2023 tape and you see a much more complete player, who won at every level of the field instead of being used like a suped up third-down back.
There is a lot of projection with Burden, given his simplified role at Mizzou, but his talent should help him produce early in his career as he continues to iron out his feel for the game as a #1 or 2 receiver.
NFL Comparison: Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders
5) Matthew Golden, Texas
After playing behind two excellent receivers for most of his career and missing time due to injury, Matthew Golden broke out in a big way this season.
Golden is not a big player by any means at 5’11” and a bit over 190 pounds, but he is very, very fast. Speed comes easy to him, before and after the catch. He can win at every level of the field and make defenses pay for blinking when he is going out for the ball.
He is definitely more of an “on the ground” receiver, who won’t win contested situations very often. He can also improve his route running sharpness instead of relying purely on athleticism, but his potential is tantalizing and he could thrive quickly in the right setting.
NFL Comparison: Kenny Stills, Houston Texans
The Rest
6) Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
7) Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
8) Jack Bech, TCU
9) Xavier Restrepo, Miami
10) Tez Johnson, Oregon
11) Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
12) Tre Harris, Ole Miss
13) Jalen Royals, Utah State
14) Isaiah Bond, Texas
15) Savion Williams, TCU
16) Nick Nash, San Jose State
17) Tory Horton, Colorado
