- Tetairoa McMillan would fit in well with the Giants’ scheme: New York isn’t as much in the market for a top wideout after drafting Malik Nabers last year, but McMillan’s hitch-route prowess aligns with New York’s passing game.
- Could the Bengals build an even scarier receiving corps? Cincinnati profiles as a fit for several of the top wideouts, despite having Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins already in tow.
Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
The wealth of receiver talent in any given NFL draft — dive in with PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft Guide — makes it all the more important to understand each player’s skill set, including their route trees.
We’re looking at the top five wide receivers on PFF’s big board and how their route trees align with NFL schemes, providing a potential glimpse of some good player-team fits in the draft.
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Draft Position Rankings
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona Wildcats
- PFF Big Board Rank: 3
- 2024 PFF Receiving Grade: 85.8
- Targeted Route Volume in 2024: Hitch (25), Slant (17), Go (16)
McMillan was targeted 39 times on hitch routes over the past two seasons at a 17.0% rate. He caught all but five of his targets for 19 first downs. McMillan forced seven missed tackles, had eight catches of 15-plus yards and averaged 3.63 yards per route run on hitches. He ranked seventh in the Power Five draft class in PFF receiving grade on hitch routes in that span (83.7).
Best NFL Fits by Targeted Route Rate
No team targeted hitch routes more in 2024 than the New York Giants (118), led by Wan’Dale Robinson (41) and Malik Nabers (39). The Giants have plenty of options with the No. 3 pick and could be tempted to add a true No. 2 receiver alongside Nabers.
They re-signed Darius Slayton and added Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Zach Pascal and Ihmir-Smith Marsette, but none has the ceiling that McMillan teases. The Giants also targeted go and out routes at a high rate, and McMillan racked up 48 combined targets on those plays across the past two seasons with PFF receiving grades above 76.0 for each. If Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are off the board and the Giants are comfortable with their quarterback situation, McMillan could be a name to keep an eye on.
Luther Burden III, Missouri Tigers
- PFF Big Board Rank: 14
- 2024 PFF Receiving Grade: 80.2
- Targeted Route Volume in 2024: Out (16), Hitch (9), Screen (8)
Burden secured 14 of 16 out-route targets in 2024 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He moved the chains six times, forced four missed tackles and recorded five catches of 15-plus yards. Burden generated a 141.9 passer target rating on those plays and ranked seventh in yards after the catch per reception (3.8).
Missouri targeted out routes at a 14.7% clip over the past two seasons, the third-highest rate of their route tree. Burden was the most-targeted player on those plays (28) and earned a 78.2 PFF receiving grade. He ranked in the top five in receiving yards (273) and yards after the catch (128) from that route, while 11 of his 22 catches went for first downs.
Best NFL Fits by Targeted Route Rate
Four NFL teams recorded 85 or more out-route targets in 2024, with the Rams leading the way (88). Los Angeles parted with Cooper Kupp but signed Davante Adams to pair with Puka Nacua. They also re-signed Tutu Atwell, who caught 43 passes for 580 yards in 2024.
The Rams targeted crossing and hitch routes at high rates last season, and while Burden tallied only 10 crossing targets over the past two seasons, he logged 19 hitch targets in that span, securing 16 passes for 180 yards. In all, Burden forced 30 missed tackles in his career and generated 56 catches of 15pplus yards, giving the Rams an electric playmaker to fill Kupp’s void in the slot (1,034 career snaps) at Pick No. 26. Burden is not projected to last that long, and the Rams have other needs to address (30th in pass blocking and 21st in coverage), but he would be too good to pass up if available.
Of the remaining teams, Houston seems the most probable landing spot in the aftermath of Tank Dell’s recovery and Stefon Diggs‘ departure. Even after signing Christian Kirk, the Texans need a new secondary playmaker alongside Nico Collins. Burden offers versatility for an offense that has undergone a major reset this offseason, and they pick just ahead of the Rams at No. 25.
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Buckeyes
- PFF Big Board Rank: 19
- 2024 PFF Receiving Grade: 82.4
- Targeted Route Volume in 2024: Crossing (17), Out (16), Hitch (16)
Egbuka was targeted 48 times on crossing routes throughout his college career at a 19.5% rate, finishing in the top five in the Power Five draft class in yards (451), first downs (22) and PFF receiving grade (90.0). Egbuka caught 13 passes for 202 yards on crossers last season. He moved the chains eight times, gained 71 yards after the catch and had six catches of 15-plus yards. He recorded 12 catches on crossing routes throughout his career and averaged 3.98 yards per route run.
Best NFL Fits by Targeted Route Rate
Buffalo (61), Los Angeles (58) and Denver (57) recorded the most crossing-route targets in 2024. The Bills extended Khalil Shakir this offseason, their leading slot receiver, and signed Joshua Palmer. Those two along with Keon Coleman currently project as their starting receivers.
Egbuka’s route tree is similar to what Buffalo likes to target. Although he saw only eight go-route targets in his college career, he brought in five for 211 yards. He also recorded his most targets on hitch routes (48), earning a 77.2 PFF receiving grade on such plays. While Egbuka is an enticing receiving threat, would Buffalo be willing to select another slot receiver at No. 30 despite the team’s defensive holes? His potential could be hard to ignore should he still be on the board.
The Rams again could be interested late in the first round, even if a No. 3 receiver feels like a luxury pick. Like Burden, Egbuka offers elite ability in a role they still need to fill.
Denver is returning all three of its starting receivers from last season. Seventh-round rookie Devaughn Vele surprised in 2024, earning an elite 90.8 PFF receiving grade from the slot. The Broncos also drafted Troy Franklin last season and may be comfortable with that rotation, but Egbuka offers a higher ceiling and would be a true No. 2 playmaker alongside Courtland Sutton.
Matthew Golden, Texas Longhorns
- PFF Big Board Rank: 22
- 2024 PFF Receiving Grade: 75.6
- Targeted Route Volume in 2024: Hitch (13), Out (12), Wide Screen/Slant/In (8 each)
Golden earned an 82.5 PFF receiving grade on hitch routes last season, securing 11 of 13 targets for 168 yards and eight first downs. He caught a touchdown pass, forced three missed tackles and recorded five gains of 15-plus yards. The Texas receiver ranked eighth in yards after the catch per reception (5.5) and averaged 4.00 yards per route run on hitches
Golden logged 38 career hitch-route targets between Texas and Houston at a 16.6% clip. Twenty of his 29 catches went for first downs, and he averaged 4.8 yards after the catch per reception. He finished with eight career gains of 15-plus yards on hitch routes and a career 79.0 PFF receiving grade.
Best NFL Fits by Targeted Route Rate
Golden would be a great fit for either Cincinnati (Pick No. 17) or Seattle (Pick No. 18) in the first round, with the Seahawks being a more likely landing spot. The Bengals just extended their star receiver duo to long-term deals, and while they could use a third playmaker, defense is likely the priority for a team that ranked 22nd last season in team PFF defensive grade and has questions surrounding their best player on that side of the ball (Trey Hendrickson).
Seattle reset its receiving core this offseason by trading away D.K. Metcalf and signing Cooper Kupp. Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba give the team two top receiving options, but both play primarily out of the slot and durability questions linger with Kupp. The team also brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but they still lack an elite outside threat. Golden ran more than 1,300 routes from outside alignments in college and could bring an added level of versatility to the Seahawks’ offense.
5. Elic Ayomanor, Stanford Cardinal
- PFF Big Board Rank: 35
- 2024 PFF Receiving Grade: 74.3
- Targeted Route Volume in 2024: Hitch (34), Go (13), Slant (10)
Ayomanor racked up the third-most hitch-route targets in the Power Five draft class last season, recording 34 at a 30.3% rate. He brought in 26 such passes for 224 yards, with 13 of his catches gaining first downs. He secured six of nine contested looks and recorded three catches of 15-plus yards on hitched. Ayomanor earned a career 75.6 PFF receiving grade on hitch routes while ranking in the top three in targets (56) and first-down gains (23).
Best NFL Fits by Targeted Route Rate
The Giants, Seahawks and Bengals could all be in play for Ayomanor in Round 2, assuming they don’t land one of the top four receivers. If the Giants prioritize receiver help early on, they could target Travis Hunter at Pick No. 3 and still take Ayomanor at Pick No. 34 to pair with Malik Nabers, forming one of the best young receiving corps in the league.
Ayomanor is another great outside option for Seattle, as his receiving profile matches the team’s two most-targeted routes from last season.
Cincinnati may have more alignment questions with Ayomanor, as neither he, Ja’Marr Chase nor Tee Higgins play extensively in the slot. However, his route tree is also similar to what the Bengals targeted most last season.
This news was originally published on this post .
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