2025 NFL Draft Fantasy Football wide receiver preview: Deep dive with advanced stats, film, best landing spots

As long as the teams in the NFL prefer to pass the ball, there will always be demand for pass-catchers.

Even in years where there aren’t a lot of top-tier prospects.

Last year, guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers were considered elite talents. Rome Odunze and Brian Thomas Jr. were a notch behind them but still considered awesome. They were all first-rounders, as were Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Legette. Keon Coleman and Ladd McConkey literally went with the first two picks of Round 2, and Ja’Lynn Polk was grabbed five picks into the round.

This year, Travis Hunter is considered the best receiver but also the best cornerback. The next-best receiver according to consensus is Tetairoa McMillan. It’s not unreasonable to believe McMillan would have been drafted after at least four members of the 2024 class. Other 2025 prospects like Matthew Golden, Luther Burden and Emeka Egbuka? Maybe behind most of the cream of the 2024 crop.

This isn’t to say that Dynasty league managers won’t find gems for their rosters, just that they might not shine quite as bright. The good news is that the 2025 class is deep with good contributors. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see more than a dozen receivers carve out long, quality careers. Just not many All Pros and maybe one guy who would wear a gold jacket someday. 

• Age as of Week 1: 22
• Height: 6-foot ⅜
• Weight: 188 pounds
• Hand size: 9 ⅛ inches
• Comparable body-type to: Justin Jefferson

Travis Hunter college stats

Best advanced stats: Notched a 79.3% catch rate on a 10.6 average depth of target in 2024; the catch rate ranked eighth-highest among qualifying FBS receivers with at least 75 targets. Hunter had similar catch rates in 2022 and 2023, though his average target depth was 12.6 in 2023. Hunter’s catch rate dipped to a still-great 66.7% on throws of 10-plus air yards in 2024.

Worst advanced stats: On targets of 10-plus air yards, Hunter averaged an ugly 2.3 yards after catch per reception, lowest of any top receiver prospect in the class and in the bottom 15th percentile of all qualifying FBS receivers. On his 34 catches of that distance, only two saw him gain more than 10 yards after the catch and zero saw him gain more than nine yards after first contact.

Bottom line: Hunter is a rare athlete who can be one of the elite playmakers on either side of the ball at the NFL level. His combination of traits allows him to be a winner at all three levels of the field as a receiver. He is explosive to win on short-area targets, he stacks and accelerates as a vertical threat and he can throttle down to win in intermediate areas of the field. His body control and hands allow him to be an immediate red zone weapon, too — in addition to his smooth releases off the line of scrimmage. Hunter is the best WR prospect in this class because he is the most complete — and because his skill set is one that typically translates well to the NFL level. — Dan Schneier

• Age as of Week 1: 22
• Height: 6-foot-4 ⅛
• Weight: 219 pounds
• Hand size: 10 inches
• 40-yard dash time: Between 4.54 and 4.57 seconds (per MMQB) at his pro day
• Comparable body-type to: Drake London (almost identical height, weight)

Tetairoa McMillan college stats

Best advanced stats: Per Pro Football Focus, McMillan was tied for third among top WR prospects in contested catches with 18. That’s cool, and so is this: Six of McMillan’s eight touchdowns last year were from 28 or more yards out including three where he had at least 31 yards after the catch.

Worst advanced stats: His red-zone metrics were awful by comparison to his peers, averaging a 37.5% catch rate with two of his eight scores counting for touchdowns. It was a different story in 2023 (62.5% catch rate and eight red-zone touchdowns). Opportunities were partially to blame (just eight red-zone targets in 2024, twice as many in 2023). Why did the Wildcats slow down his usage in his breakout year?

Bottom line: McMillan has drawn comparisons to other big-bodied receivers, but he is a unique prospect in his own right. His post-catch explosiveness took a big jump in 2024, and he created a lot more yards after the catch because of it. He works back to the quarterback, presents a massive target but stands out most in contested-catch situations — similar to Rome Odunze from the 2024 wide receiver class. McMillan should immediately be a solution-maker on third downs and in the red zone at the NFL level. — Dan Schneier

• Age as of Week 1: 23 years old
• Height: 5-foot-11
• Weight: 191 pounds
• Hand size: 9 ½
• 40-yard dash time: 4.29 seconds
• Comparable body-type to: Bo Melton

Matthew Golden college stats

Best advanced stats: First, he’s a scorer: Golden scored once every 6.1 catches over three years in college and once every 5.2 receptions in high school. Second, his breakout: Golden notched career bests in snaps played per game (55.1), yards per route run (2.51), yards per catch (19.0) and explosive play rate (35.1%!) in his final 10 college games. This was despite his target share remaining steady at about 19%.

Worst advanced stats: Before the breakout, his bests over any season (or partial season in the case of 2024) were 46.7 snaps per game (2022), 1.81 yards per route run (first six of 2024), 15.4 yards per catch (2022) and a 23.2% explosive play rate (2022). He’s ascending, but he’s also a late bloomer.

Bottom line: NFL coaches and execs might have real trouble deciding whether Golden’s last 10 games are indicative of what kind of player he is now, but there’s enough evidence to say Golden has improved his receiving skills, route-running and footwork while maintaining good speed, quickness and agility. … The real dilemma facing NFL decision-makers is whether or not Golden can be a true alpha receiver, or if he’s better suited as a No. 2 option. Golden’s lack of breaking tackles and winning against physical coverage does throw a wet blanket on his upside. — Dave Richard

• Age as of Week 1: 22 (23 in October)
• Height: 6-0 ⅞
• Weight: 201 pounds
• Hand size: 9 ⅝
• Comparable body-type to: Eric Moulds

Emeka Egbuka college stats

Best advanced stats: For a primary slot receiver, Egbuka’s average of 5.9 yards after catch per reception in 2024 was especially impressive when you consider his low 7.9 average depth of target and 12.3% avoided tackle rate. It meant his route-running really helped him get into perfect position to maximize gains. Also, Egbuka averaged a catch rate of at least 68% in each season at Ohio State, averaging at least six targets per game in each of his last three years.

Worst advanced stats: Had a career tackle-avoid rate of 14.6%, lower than all of the other top receivers in the class except for Matthew Golden (and Golden’s was higher in 2024). Also, Egbuka would struggle on the occasions when defenders would press or jostle him in his route — when pressed at the line his receiving average dropped to 10.3 yards and his after-catch yardage fell to 4.0 per reception. His drop rate also ballooned to 9.1%.

Bottom line: Egbuka should be a regular part of an NFL team’s offense, but it remains to be seen if he can overcome speed and power issues to be a No. 1-type. What he lacks in explosiveness he does make up for in nuance, know-how and savvy, giving him a platform to be a quality contributor to an offense. A team may draft him to be a feature receiver and ultimately settle on him as a slot-heavy option since it’s where he’s thrived the most. Of course, much of this was said about Justin Jefferson once upon a time. — Dave Richard

• Age as of Week 1: 22 years old
• Height: 6-foot
• Weight: 206 pounds
• Hand size: 8 ½ inches
• 40-yard dash time: 4.42 seconds
• Comparable body-type to: Tyler Johnson

Luther Burden III college stats

Best advanced stats: Burden was tops in the FBS last year in avoided tackle rate at 49.2%. That means on average he avoided a tackle once every two catches. His 6.1 yards after catch per reception were the highest among the top prospects in his draft class.

Worst advanced stats: Just three of his 61 catches saw him gain more than 10 yards after first contact. And on longer targets (10-plus air yards), his catch rate sunk to 46.7% (worst among top WR prospects) with only a 14.3% avoided tackle rate.

Bottom line: Burden is a unique athlete because he has a dense build like a running back, but experience playing wide receiver and winning as a vertical route runner. He can create yards after first contact with his exceptional contact balance while also forcing missed tackles in space due to his elite lateral agility and stop-and-start acceleration. He hasn’t displayed the ability to be a complete boundary receiver at the collegiate level, so it’s difficult to project when that might happen in the NFL, but a team with a plan for him — similar to Kyle Shanahan’s plan for Deebo Samuel when he entered the NFL — can turn him into an immediate playmaker. — Dan Schneier

Next best WR prospects

Jayden Higgins, Iowa State: 6-foot-4 receiver with solid speed (4.47) and Velcro hands. He’s the consolation prize for a team that misses out on Tetairoa McMillan.

Jack Bech, TCU: Big, rangy and tough, Bech is a late-bloomer who should be able to dominate single coverage as a team’s No. 2 receiver.

Jalen Royals, Utah State: A true Cinderella story, Royals is a stocky, quick, sure-handed receiver who could begin his career in the slot and potentially evolve into a No. 1 option. He’s an ascending player.

Tre Harris, Ole Miss: A tall, leanish receiver who seemed to benefit more from his quarterback and scheme than anything else.

Jaylin Noel, Iowa State: The bad news is that he’s smallish with small hands. The good news is he’s fast as heck and should easily find a path to be a slot receiver who can win downfield. His numbers improved every year in college.

Kyle Williams, Washington State: Smaller receiver with very good speed to help him win downfield. Overcoming physical cornerbacks will be crucial. Was Cam Ward’s top target in 2023.

Isaiah Bond, Texas: Smaller receiver whose traits are better than his stats (never had more than 668 yards or five touchdowns in a season at Alabama or Texas). Speed is where he wins, size is where he loses. If he takes to coaching and develops a little more strength, he could be very capable.

Fantasy landing spots — ranked

Patriots: Just from the perspective of target volume and downfield opportunities, any efficient rookie receiver could make an instant impact both now and in the years to come growing with Drake Maye.

Bills: They’ve been attacking this position for years without a breakthrough. Maybe Keon Coleman makes the jump in 2025, or maybe it’s Khalil Shakir, but a versatile route-runner would absolutely ascend in this offense.

Titans: Expected QB Cam Ward made a habit of keeping plays alive and finding receivers open way downfield for maximum gains. Imagine being on the other end of his magic for the next decade?

Panthers: Bryce Young’s game started to click late last season, and he could definitely use a big target.

Packers: Matt LaFleur’s offense hasn’t had a receiver average seven-plus targets since Davante Adams in 2021. It might be time for a new approach.