Framing the Draft: Tierable Wide Receiver and Tight End Profiles
This is an interesting class, with plenty of depth at wide receiver and tight end. Due to time constraints, we are combining these positions this week.
I am going to put a bit of a twist on rankings, as this series will not just break down top-5s. Top 5s are important, of course, but it gets tedious to read about the same handful of prospects across multiple platforms. Therefore, we will delve deeper, examining a few players from various “tiers” of consensus rankings.
2024 was an absolutely bonkers class for the pass-catchers. We had three legitimate purple-chip WRs. Then there were two more who were just as good, if not better, than that trio. Then we had a TE who put up the greatest rookie season we have ever seen. 2025 is not that class. There are two outstanding TEs and a couple of good WRs, but this class’ strength lies in its depth. Fifteen players could be legitimate WR2s, and another eight TEs have starter potential.
Tier 1 – Top-40 picks:
Players in this group: McMillan, Golden, Ebguka, Burden III, Warren, Loveland.
We will begin with a note: Travis Hunter. All rankings should be taken with a grain of salt, as Hunter would be WR1 if he were labelled as one.
WR1: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Framing the draft: This is the season for over-analyzing. Not many players have suffered more from this than T-Mac. Despite not playing a game in months, he has gone from a top-5 to a top-25 pick. He may not be an “S-tier” prospect, but T-Mac is worthy of a WR1 label.
Tierable profile: Nowadays we do not see the traditional X-receiver ready to go out of college. McMillan is just that; with a big frame and “adult” route tree. He dominates over the middle and on out-breaking routes; with excellent success rates. The biggest concern with T-Mac is his speed, but he still has always been great after the catch, mitigating that worry. As you would hope for a 6’4” WR, he is dominant at the catch point; contested or not. His route-running savvy and toughness give him “Power-Slot” versatility, opening his versatility. The size, route-running, hands, and YAC are similar to that of Drake London. McMillan is the clear WR1 in this class (excluding Travis Hunter) and should be taken as such. He dominated collegiately, slashing 213/3,423/26 in three seasons. Despite defenses knowing he was the offense, you cannot ask for more than that!
WR3: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Framing the draft: Egbuka seemed to be a “always a bridesmaid, never the bride” sort of player at Ohio State. At no point was he the team’s WR1, so how can he be WR3 in a solid class? Wilson, Olave, Smith-Njigba, Harrison, Smith (yes, the true freshman, he is already maybe the best of them). 5 top-20 picks coinciding with his career! Egbuka is a coaches’ dream, with toughness and versatility and may just be a team’s WR1.
Tierable profile: In the RB iteration of this series, I mentioned how much I love an RB who can pass protect. The other side of that coin is WRs who can run block. And whoa baby can Egbuk block his butt off! Why am I starting here? Because for WRs: no block = no rock. Egbuka has excellent hands and runs great routes. He has won 75% of contested catches with a sub-2% drop rate. In routes, Egbuka is best against zone, with an 83.6% success rate (68.1% against man-to-man coverage). He is incredibly similar to Chris Godwin, with his blocking prowess, great hands, route IQ, toughness, body-control, and YAC-ability. He may not have ever been the Buckeye’s WR1, but he can absolutely be one at the NFL level. Egbuka should be a top-8 rookie pick with a high-floor and Godwin-like upside.
TE1: Colston Loveland, Michigan
Framing the draft: Loveland went through the ringer this season; with atrocious QB play and battling injury. He was the clear TE1 coming into 2024, but Tyler Warren’s breakout and lack of QB-play have dropped him to the consensus TE2. NFL teams love his well-rounded and scheme-variable style, so it should not be a shock if he does end up going as TE1.
Tierable profile: Loveland is an outstanding receiving TE who shows some blocking chops (at least effort). His route tree and prowess is impressive for a TE, with high-level agility and separation scores. The routes are ran like a WR, with set-up, quick breaks, and man-beating ability. Loveland has soft hands and was heavily relied on for move-the-chains sort of plays to the short and intermediate levels. Athletically, he is incredibly fluid, with the ability to make defenders miss and utilize his entire catch radius. He is not a great blocker, but shows more fight than most in the class, improving each year. He is incredibly refined and fits almost any scheme, though he is incorrectly viewed as a slot-only type. If he can improve in the blocking department, Loveland can be a T.J. Hockenson-level of player. Loveland’s landing spot could vault him into a top-5 rookie pick.
Tier 2 – Day 2 picks
Players in this group: Higgins, Harris, Noel, Bech, Ayomanor, Taylor, Arroyo, Fannin Jr.
WR5: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Framing the draft: A rapid riser, Noel has gone from a day-3 thought to potential top-50 pick this offseason. The vertical-slot receiver improved every season at Iowa State before blowing up in 2024. He has return ability as well, helping solidify his round-2 status.
Tierable profile: Noel is a lightning quick, slot-mostly receiver. He has talent to be on the outside, but has had the most success as a vertical-slot, like a Christian Kirk. While he had a great deal of success on vertical routes, his tree ended up being very good on almost all routes. Having proven success on an array of routes gives hope he can be more than a slot-only player, which would make it easier for him to be on the field more. He wins with precise footwork and very good speed, plus an ability to break down. As a smaller receiver, he is not a strong blocker, but is more willing than Kirk was coming out. Noel does know his size and strength are issues and will not fight for extra yardage. If Noel does sneak into the top-50 picks, he can be a top-15 fantasy pick too.
WR7: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Framing the draft: Canada’s finest switched from Hockey to Football and found a home as an X receiver. His prospect interest rose after torching CU and Travis Hunter for almost 300 yards in 2023. His size and power make him a true X, which the league is lacking. He will not be a first round pick, but in round 2 he should be an immediate contributor.
Tierable profile: Separation and hands. Those are the main negatives with Ayomanor. We start negative, as they are glaring flags keeping him out of the top-50 picks. He dropped 9% of catchable targets this season with poor success rates versus zone. However, he is powerful with more YAC ability than you’d think. He is a big, rangy athlete who can high-point the ball and shield the ball from defenders. His overall game is raw, as he is new to it, but there is plausible talent. He does struggle to separate, but has shown improvement there. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention his tenacity as a blocker. Ayomanor falls somewhere on the Dontayvion Wicks to Nico Collins scale, with a floor of a sacrificial-X, but star potential if he improves his hands and refine his overall game overall. He is a 2nd round rookie dart throw.
TE5, Harold Fannin Jr, Bowling Green
Framing the draft: After having an insane season for Bowling Green, where does Fannin Jr end up? Based off the numbers and age, he is a clear first-rounder. However, factoring in testing, competition, etc… he may be a day-3 player. The truth, of course, lies in the middle for the fascinating TE.
Tierable profile: What exactly does Fannin Jr do well? Aside from stuffing the stat-sheet, of course. Fannin is a… weird athlete? He has great YAC ability, with great start-stop ability. His measurable athletic ability is not great, but he is more than functionable. Fannin is able to line up at any receiver spot. He shows off elusive route-running, strong hands, and the mentioned YAC agility. 2024 was the most productive TE season ever, with 117 receptions for over 1,500 yards and 10 TDs. Fannin is competitive as a blocker, which will help keep the undersized TE on the field more. He will need a specific offensive mind and scheme to fully unlock him, but can be an elite move-TE in the mold of a Jonnu Smith or a certain former Patriots’ TE… Fannin most likely falls outside the top 75, but is worth a higher fantasy pick.
Tier 3 – Day 3 swings:
Players in this group: WR – Bond and on, TE – Ferguson and on.
WR9: Tory Horton Jr, Colorado State (Nevada)
Framing the draft: Horton may be a Ram (which sucks to be… Go Pokes), but he is a helluva ball player. He had day-2 hype coming into 2024, but an injured knee cut down his season and stock. Good testing and career film make him secretly loved in NFL circles, but we need to hope he lands in a good spot.
Tierable profile: Horton may not be able to hear a Who, but he can get open and bring the ball in. He has multiple-position flexibility, with ability to beat man, zone, and press. While he had success at all receiver spots, he projects best as a flanker, getting open on high-difficulty routes in the intermediate range. He has a lanky frame and strong hands, without much YAC ability much like a Jakobi Meyers. Horton has return experience at CSU, but his lack of flexibility and wiggle probably take that off the table at the next level. Horton is tough, reliable, with functional athleticism. He may fall to the 3rd round of rookie drafts, which would make him an absolute steal. In PPR leagues, Horton can easily become a WR2/3 as a security blanket and upside secondary option.
WR13: Pat Bryant, Illinois
Framing the draft: Bryant is an absolute favorite of mine in this class, regardless of position. He will be a darling to coaches and staff with his selfless, physical, high-IQ style. As a limited athlete, he will be a day-3 pick, but should be rostered on an NFL and fantasy team.
Tierable profile: Bryant is a limited athlete, but makes up for that with savvy and toughness. He projects as a sacrificial-X or power-slot type, who can help get the most out of an offense. Bryant has excellent hands and runs tough, over-the-middle routes well. His toughness shows out as a blocker, where he is a factor in the run and screen games. Bryant’s ceiling is limited, as he lacks YAC and deep-ball juice, but he has the floor of a WR3. The floor Bryant shows yields comparisons like Demarcus Robinson and Romeo Doubs. Bryant may end up more useful for an NFL team than a fantasy one, but he should absolutely be rostered. Like we have said, “no block, no rock” and Bryant will get himself on the field. If he can gel with a good QB, Bryant could become a fantasy WR3.
TE8: Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Framing the draft: A promising career did not reach its full potential due to various injuries. Still, Evans has some very interesting tape and talent. Less than 500 snaps over the past two seasons make him a difficult day-2 selection, but a fascinating day-3 option for teams.
Tierable profile: While Evans has a small sample size, we do see a few very strong traits. Evans has excellent strength and hands for the position. He is able to be an honorary 6th lineman and safety blanket. Evans has a strong separation score on intermediate and short routes, working well to move the sticks and get quarterbacks out of trouble. The problem with his profile is that not much happens after the catch. Evans is a mid-to-below-average athlete, resulting in limited YAC ability and chopping his route tree at the knees. Evans blocking and receiving ability allows him to be aligned in various formations; both in-line and in the slot. His profile is similar to Jeremy Ruckert; as a well-rounded blocker and receiver with injury issues. If he hits, you will have found a solid TE in the 4th+ round of your rookie drafts!