2018 NFL Draft Positional Rankings: Top 10 Wide Receivers

#1- Courtland Sutton- SMU 6’4” 215 lbs

Courtland Sutton has an NFL body that is a mismatch for small corners. Sutton is also extremely athletic. His athleticism helped him make SMU’s basketball team as a freshman. Sutton is the definition of a red zone threat with upside. A natural pass catcher who catches with arms extended away from the body and snatches the ball well. More of a glider than a speedster but put he up great YAC (yards after catch) numbers, defenders always took bad angles in the pursuit to tackle him. Likes to talk and plays tough through the end of the whistle, not afraid to lower his shoulder. Hard to find plays where he goes out of bounds on his own, seems to like contact. Not a lot of film of him run blocking but SMU’s scheme had him running dummy routes instead. His body and length, however, should translate well to blocking in the NFL.

Player comparison- A.J. Green

Draft position- Top 10

#2- Christian Kirk- Texas A&M 5’11” 200 lbs

Christian Kirk has put up three years of production in the SEC, posting over 900 yards receiving in all three years for the Aggies. Kirk is a dynamic returner as well as a receiver, leading the NCAA in punt return average two years in a row. Christian Kirk is a different type of human compared to the other receivers in this draft, muscle development, and an extra gear separate him from all others. Kirk is the definition of a playmaker whose long strides causes defenders to take poor tackling angles. He runs the majority of the passing tree and while he is not a natural pass catcher, he doesn’t seem to have a problem with drops or securing a clean catch in traffic.

Player comparison- Poor man’s Odell Beckham Jr.

Draft position- middle of the 1^st round

#3- Anthony Miller- Memphis 5’11” 190 lbs

Anthony Miller is a former walk-on that has put up back to back 1400 plus yard seasons. He is at his best close to the end zone, scoring 32 times over the last two seasons. Miller led the NCAA in touchdowns in 2017 with 18. He can play all over the field at the wide receiver spot and lines up in the backfield as well. He is the definition of a quick twitch athlete that can create on his own. Has an issue with concentration drops because he is so concerned with yards after the catch. Miller is very violent for a smaller guy and is always talking verbally and with his body language. Miller had 6 games in his senior year where he went over 140 yards receiving. He has the ability to take over at any time and is a fit in every offensive system.

Player comparison- Poor man’s Antonio Brown

Draft position- Late 1^st

#4- Michael Gallup- Colorado State 6’1” 200 lbs

Michael Gallup transferred to the Rams as a JUCO from Butler Community College. He had an instant impact in his two years for Colorado State, posting back to back years with over 1,200 yards receiving. Gallup was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award and led the NCAA in catches over ten yards with 56. Gallup has the complete toolset for being a number 1 wideout. A rare combination of size, speed, and strong route running makes him a fit in all systems. A capable run blocker but with his size could be a dominant force in the run game with the right coaching. Gallup is at his best in traffic, he always seems to bring down the tough over the middle catches. After the catch Gallup gets mean and runs with a violent mentality bracing for impact.

Player comparison- Allen Robinson with less polish but more anger

Draft position- Late 1^st to early 2nd

#5- Auden Tate- Florida State 6’5” 225 lbs

Only two years of playtime for Tate makes him a little riskier than others but his physical size makes him beyond valuable. Tate scored 16 touchdowns on only 65 catches in his two years and at the very worst is a great red zone threat. The big frame he possesses helps him dominate in run blocking situations. Tate looks like a power forward on most passing routes and is at his best when he is about to square up facing his quarterback. He also takes advantage of his long arms and height by attacking the ball at its highest point. Tate has some of the best eye focus through the catch point in this year’s draft. Mix that with his length and he is a deadly weapon. Tate only registered 2 dropped passes in his entire junior season. Bad quarterback play limited his stats but the ceiling is as high as any in this wide receiver group.

Player comparison- Marques Colton clone

Draft position- 2^nd rounder

#6- Calvin Ridley- Alabama 6’1” 190 lbs

Calvin Ridley has been in the spotlight since dominating at the high school level in Pompano Beach Florida. Where he was the twelfth-ranked player in high school. He replaced Amari Cooper as a true freshman in which he put up over 1,000 yards. Ridley’s numbers have gone down every year but a lot of that has to do with Alabama’s quarterback situation. Natural pass catcher that plucks the ball out of the air in a textbook manner. Seems to love run blocking and fires off the line on every run play just like the game depended on it. His skills are designed to destroy zone coverage but are shifty enough to create big plays on his own. If Ridley can run in the low 4.4s, he will guarantee a spot in the top 20 of the first round. Ridley may be the safest of the top wide receivers in the draft due to the superb run blocking and great hands, but he also has one of the lowest ceilings.

Player comparison- Steve Smith (USC not the Utah one) with upside

Draft position- Middle to late 1^st round to late 2^nd

#7- James Washington- Oklahoma ST 6’0” 205 lbs

James Washington has put up three straight 1,000 yard seasons with double-digit touchdowns in all three seasons as well. Washington led the NCAA in receiving yards with 1,549 yards in 2017. Seems to catch everything that comes his way and is a natural pass catcher. Washington doesn’t have the traditional #1 wide receiver body, he almost looks like a stout running back lining up outside. His best route is the fade, he stacks on top of the corner after passing him as well as anyone I have seen. Runs a very limited route tree (fade, post, slant, and stop). Washington is extremely competitive and hates going out of bounds even if his team is up by 35 in the 4^th quarter. Will be a perfect fit in a vertical passing game but needs to improve his blocking technique and route tree.

Player comparison- Corey Coleman with 15 more pounds and better hands

Draft position- Mid 2^nd to early 3rd

#8- Equanimeous St. Brown- Notre Dame 6’4” 205 lbs

Equanimeous St. Brown has a huge body and maximizes his length the majority of the time. Brown is a big play waiting to happen and has mismatch written all over him. He seems to prefer to catch with his body, which is bad, but at times shows he can be a natural pass catcher. Brown is not a crisp route runner and seems to be sloppy in and out of cuts. Struggles against press coverage and zone defenses are night and day for him. Not a willing blocker and is more of a get in the way type of guy but gets lazy as the game goes on. Brown doesn’t seem to be a fan of contact blocking or running after the catch. Brown’s best route is the comeback route vs man coverage where he can use his large body to box out the defender. Brown is great in space with the ball in his hands, has long strides and causes bad angles for defenders in pursuit. Had a disappointing junior year where his numbers went down in all categories from his sophomore year.

Player comparison- Devante Parker

Draft position- 2^nd round

#9- D.J. Moore- Maryland 5’11” 215 lbs

D.J. Moore led the Big 10 in receptions in 2017 with 80. He seems to do most of his damage close to the line of scrimmage with screens, short slants, and hitch routes. The Maryland product is very dangerous with the ball in his hands as he often forces multiple missed tackles on one play. Moore does not run the full route tree and is not a natural pass catches, the pass always gets into his body. Completely disappeared in his last two games vs Ohio State. Moore is a capable run blocker but small size definitely shows up on film when trying to sustain blocks. It will be hard for Moore to transition to the NFL as a complete wideout because these are things Maryland did not set him up for. His combine will be something to watch because he doesn’t look or play heavy enough for 215.

Player comparison- Brian Westbrook as a receiver

Draft position- 3^rd to 4^th round

#10- Tre’Quan Smith- Central Florida 6’1” 205 lbs

Tre’Quan Smith is an explosive wideout that does a lot of small things right. Smith’s stats are not great, but he tends to show up when it counts. Smith is an exceptional run blocker, which will put him on every team’s big board. Smith has the speed to get separation but a lot of his production seems to be scheme based. All of the tools are there for Smith but it is unknown whether he has what it takes to be a superstar in this league. Unless he dominates at the Senior Bowl or the combine, he will likely be a day 3 pick.

Player comparison- Cody Latimer

Draft position- 3^rd to 4^th round pick

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