2025 NFL Draft Rookie Fantasy Fallout: Wide Receivers (Part 3)
Parts 1 and 2 were so fun we had to come back for more! With fantasy leagues typically starting 3 WRs, depth is king. Therefore, it is important to hit on mid-late rounds picks and give as much breakdown as possible. Let’s dive into my most exciting WRs taken after the first two rounds!
I will be hitting on the WRs for the 2025 NFL Draft Rookie Fantasy Fallout series, now hitting the 2nd rounders! You can find breakdowns on the other positions (and first-round WRs) here!
3.69: New England Patriots: Kyle Williams, Washington State
How often do we see a rookie 3rd round receiver become a team’s WR1 as a rookie? Williams has a chance to do just that with New England in 2025. No other WR on the roster took a step forward in 2024, and Stefon Diggs is aging while coming off of a serious injury. Williams can play any WR position, giving the versatility to ensure he is on the field. He compares similarly to Jayden Reed as a receiver, and a similar rookie year is possible. A rookie-year line of 65/800/6 as Drake Maye’s WR1 or 2 is realistic and would skyrocket dynasty value. Even with 3rd round draft capital, Williams is within my top-40 dynasty WRs and is my WR5 amongst the rookie WRs.
Williams is a massive boost for budding superstar Drake Maye. The QB had an exciting rookie year despite having nothing at WR. Williams will give a reliable, versatile piece that can be relied on and raise the floor. Stefon Diggs should be the top WR when healthy, but the veteran is also boosted by the exciting rookie. Diggs is not able to be a solo game-changer anymore, so Williams, being even competent, would take pressure off Diggs to raise Maye like he helped with Josh Allen. Williams does hurt the rest of the WR room. He drops Pop Douglas to WR3 and puts Ja’Lynn Polk, Kayshon Boutte, etc on the roster bubble. That group are pipe-dreams to become fantasy relevant, so Williams’ may allow us to cut the cord. The most significant impact is on Maye, which is all that matters for the Patriots and fantasy teams.
3.79: Houston Texans: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
After a disappointing 2024, the Texans needed to bolster their offense around C.J. Stroud. They patched the OL in Free Agency and their 2nd pick but added weapons, too. Sound familiar? It should! This was the opener for Jayden Higgins’ selection in the previous iteration of this article and remains true here. Higgins was not enough of an upgrade for the Texans, so they added his collegiate teammate in Noel. Noel may not have a prominent year-1 role with Christian Kirk (who I comped Noel to) recently acquired. However, he fits perfectly into the vertical slot/flanker role that Tank Dell thrived in prior to his catastrophic injury. Noel’s fall was surprising as many (me included) ranked him higher than Higgins. In year 1, Noel projects similar to Jalen McMillan with ~35/450. Dynasty-wise, Noel’s talent and QB pairing put him just inside of my top-50 receivers.
For the rest of the receiver room, Noel’s presence adds intrigue at minimum. Nico Collins and C.J. Stroud’s stock rose with another weapon added to take pressure off the superstars. The commentary on Christian Kirk from Jayden Higgins’ arrival is still true, though more clarified now. He is a one-year player with the Texans, leaving his dynasty future in flux. The biggest question remaining is that between Higgins and Noel. Higgins went 35 picks before Noel, but does that guarantee Higgins will be better? Not necessarily, but it is absolutely relevant. Even if many reputable draft pundits liked Noel more than Higgins, Higgins did go to his ideal spot (though, so did Noel). It is unlikely that both become stars with Nico Collins on the roster, however both are worthwhile shots.
4.136: Tennessee Titans: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
The Titans desperately needed an influx of talent into their WR corps. They took a few shots, with veteran Tyler Lockett and rookies Chimere Dike (Florida) and Elic Ayomanor (Stanford). With Calvin Ridley and Lockett leading the room, they are still in desperate need of a big-bodied X receiver. Ayomanor has high-level talent but struggles with consistency and hands. However, he is a prototypical X, who can run vertical and in-breaking routes well. He projected similarly to Dontayvion Wicks, and a dream rookie year would mirror his, with ~40/550/4. He sits around WR75 right now, but if he can improve his hands, he has the potential to become a top-30 WR.
Adding Ayomanor is good for the roster, as his skillset fits perfectly into what the Titans were missing. Ridley, Lockett, and Dike all fit vertical-slot/flanker roles, with only Van Jefferson fitting into the X-role. Stock does not fall for either Ridley or Lockett, as they are locked into the top spots. Dike should be viewed similarly, as they will not directly compete for snaps. The commitment to Ayomanor is a good sign for Cam Ward, giving a big-bodied downfield target to open up the field. Despite his struggles, Dontayvion Wicks benefits Jordan Love (who Ward projects similarly to) by opening up the field, which is the hope in Tennessee as well. The 4th rounder probably will not be a star, but his fit shows a commitment to the new franchise QB.
5.166: Seattle Seahawks: Tory Horton, CSU
The Seahawks’ WR moves this offseason boil down to moving DK Metcalf for Cooper Kupp. It is a weird swap before considering roles, adding a slot-only player to pair with slot-best Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Hawks desperately need an outside receiver with some juice (MVS does not count) and found one on day 3. Horton is a tall, lanky receiver with great speed and separation ability. He is not a deep threat but works spectacularly on in and out-breaking routes, which is a must for an outside receiver. Horton went 100 picks later than I had him graded and could be a steal in the NFL and dynasty leagues. As a rookie, he projects for a Jalen Coker-esque year with ~30/450/2. He is not within the top 50 (or 70) WRs today, but if he recovers from injury and develops well, he has WR3 potential.
Despite Horton being one of my favorite prospects and fits from this class, he does not affect stock of his new teammates much. MVS becomes a true 1-year player, but that was probably true no matter what. Cooper Kupp is a slot-only player, so also does not lose much. The 5th rounder does not affect Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s status as the WR1 either, and it is doubtful he ever would. Horton is a plus for Seattle’s passing game overall as he rounds out the room and skillsets. That point is a boost for Sam Darnold and/or Jalen Milroe to give a variety of weapons. In the end, the hope is that Horton fills what is already a void in the offense.