The 2020 Draft is long gone, but draft season never ends for most football fans! With the college football season looming, the NFL season getting ramped up, I thought it would be good to take a look at the top prospects at each position that will be eligible for the 2021 draft! We have hit the QB and RB positions, now it is time for a STACKED WR class!
1. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
My WR1 will shock people, but I truly believe Rashod Bateman is the most complete WR in this class. Bateman has good size at 6’2” 210lbs and was very productive with over 1,200 yards and 11 TDs despite having another productive wideout opposite of him. Bateman has fantastic route running and a complete route tree with the ability to win in one vs one situations. He is very explosive and can get on top of the defense in a hurry to make big plays. Bateman can also win in 50/50 jump ball situations making him a red zone threat as well. With TJ gone, Bateman should be the main target in the Gophers’ offense and be in line for another huge season.
2. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
Ja’Marr Chase is the universal WR1 in draft circles, and I certainly understand why that is. Chase was the 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner putting up over 1,700 yards receiving and a staggering 20 TDs. Chase is a very well rounded receiver that can win early in his routes and has the speed to get on top of the defensive backs. He does an excellent job of making plays over defenders and winning in jump ball situations. Chase is also fantastic with the ball in his hands making defenders miss and breaking tackles on his way to extra yardage. With his Heisman QB going to the NFL, it will be interesting to see where his production lands, but either way, I expect Chase to be one of the best wideouts in CFB once again.
3. Rondale Moore, Purdue
After a huge freshman season, Moore, unfortunately, missed most of his sophomore season due to injury but should be back in full force for 2020. While being on the smaller side for a WR, Moore is still one of the most electric players in CFB. First off, Moore is a fantastic route runner. He wins early in his routes with his quickness and footwork and creates separation early on. He has a nice route tree and has an excellent feel for the soft spots in zone coverage. Once the ball is in his hands, Moore is the best playmaker in the game. He does a great job of making defenders miss and has the explosion to burn past defenders. I expect Moore to return to his high-level production with a full 2020 season under his belt.
4. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Jaylen Waddle is one of many talented Bama receivers from 2019 but was one of the more explosive reportedly running in the 4.3’s 40-yard dash. Waddle is a very quick athlete both with and without the ball in his hands. He gets in and out of his breaks quickly and runs fantastic routes. He does a great job of selling routes and getting defenders off balance. With the ball in his hands, Waddle is like a human joystick with his ability to cut and make defenders miss. He is extremely explosive and can get up to top speed in a hurry. With two of the Bama receivers going to the NFL, Waddle should be one of the go-to receivers in their offense.
5. Devonta Smith, Alabama
Devonta Smith is another one of the impressive quartet of Bama receivers returning for his senior season. With all the talent on their offense, Smith was able to lead all receivers in yards and TDs with over 1,200 yards and 14 TDs. Smith is very quick off the line of scrimmage and creates huge separation early in his routes which give him huge running lanes once the ball is in his hands. He has very good hands and does a great job of finding the ball and plucking it out of the air quickly. And needless to say, Smith, just like the rest of the Bama receivers, is extremely explosive and can get on top of the defenders in a hurry. Smith should continue to be one of the main focal points of the offense going into 2020.
6. Seth Williams, Auburn
Seth Williams is the prototypical “big” wideout with good size and athleticism. He is listed at 6’3” 224lbs and moves extremely well for a bigger receiver. Williams has strong hands and does an excellent job of plucking the ball out of the air. He does a great job of tracking the ball in the air and making body adjustments to make plays on the ball. Williams is also dominant in contested catch situations and routinely makes plays over defenders on 50/50 balls. With another year working with Nix, I expect Williams to continue to be dominant and increase his production in 2020.
7. Tamorrion Terry, Florida State
Despite an underwhelming season from FSU, Tamorrion Terry was one of the bright spots and put up an impressive season with over 1,100 yards receiving and 9 TDs. Terry is very quick off the line of scrimmage and does a great job of beating press coverage. He also has very good long speed and can blow past most defenders for big plays. Terry is very good in contested catch situations and consistently wins on 50/50 plays. He also does an excellent job once the ball is in his hands and can take screen passes or short/intermediate passes for big gains. Terry has deceptive speed with his long strides and routinely outruns defenders. With a new offensive-minded coach, I expect Terry’s numbers to continue to improve.
8. Chris Olave, Ohio State
Chris Olave went from relatively unknown to the go-to WR for the Buckeyes leading the team in both yards and TDs. Olave is a solid route runner and does an excellent job of setting up defenders as well as finding the soft spots in zone coverage. He has fantastic hands and routinely plucks the ball out of the air and away from his body. Olave also does a great job tracking the ball and making plays over defenders in contested situations. Getting another year with Fields, we should see Olave’s production improve and continue to be the focal point of a high powered offense.
9. Terrace Marshall Jr, LSU
Terrace Marshall is a big, productive wideout. Standing at 6’3” 200lbs and was able to put up double-digit TDs despite the other talented weapons in the LSU offense. Marshall has excellent hands and is consistently making grabs with defenders draped all over him. He tracks the ball very well in the air and can get up and over defenders in jump ball situations. Marshall does a great job of beating press coverage early and sets up his defenders very well. With Burrow gone, it will be interesting to see if LSU continues to be a pass-happy offense but either way, I believe Marshall will continue to improve on his production for another solid season.
10. Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
Amon-Ra St. Brown was my top-rated WR in his class and he has shown some impressive abilities in his first two seasons with USC. ASB is very quick off the line of scrimmage and in general. He beats DBs early and has the burst to get on top of the defense. ASB is also electric with the ball in his hands routinely taking short to intermediate passes for huge gains. He also does an excellent job tracking the ball in the air even in a crowd of defenders. ASB was able to crack 1,000 yards despite having another extremely productive WR opposite of him. With Pittman gone and ASB’s scheme versatility, I expect him to be the focal point of the offense in 2020.
Next Five:
11. Tylan Wallace, OK State
12. Austin Watkins Jr, UAB
13. Brennan Eagles, Texas
14. Reggie Roberson, WR, SMU
15. Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
