Owain Jones: Top 10 WR Prospects In The NFL Draft - Luther Burden, Tetairoa McMillan & More

By Owain Jones

The 2025 NFL Draft wide receiver class is filled with an intriguing mix of talent, offering a deep pool of potential future stars. While this group doesn’t feature the consensus, game-changing wideout that has headlined previous draft classes, it is rich with dynamic playmakers capable of developing into key contributors at the next level. 

The top 10 wide receiver prospects vary in style and skill set, from explosive speedsters to polished route runners, each with their own strengths and areas for improvement.

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10: Xavier Restrepo, Miami

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Xavier Restrepo is a fiery, competitive receiver with a high football IQ and exceptional quickness. He thrives on making defenders miss in the open field, making explosive plays, and generating yards after the catch.

His quick release and sharp cuts help him break free from coverage, making him a reliable option from the slot. His creativity, vision, and acceleration make him an effective option in the NFL, but his lack of ideal size (5’10” and 198 pounds) and speed will limit his field-stretching ability at the next level.

9: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford

Elic Ayomanor is an explosive, athletic receiver with excellent ball-tracking ability and top-tier speed. As a downfield threat, the 6’2”, 210-pound receiver can stretch defenses and create space with his vertical ability. His speed and body control to adjust to passes mid-air make him a dangerous deep threat. 

While his size and athleticism are undeniable, his route-running needs to be refined, and he needs to work on consistently creating separation to become a more well-rounded player at the next level.

8: Jalen Royals, Utah State

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Jalen Royals is a smooth and fluid receiver with excellent route-running ability and a knack for creating separation. His acceleration off the line of scrimmage makes him a legitimate deep threat, and he possesses strong hands to make contested catches. The Utah State WR’s physicality and running routes suggest he has a high ceiling as a complementary piece at the next level.

7: Jack Bech, TCU

Jack Bech is a versatile, dynamic weapon with great size and physicality, making him a tough matchup for defenders. The 6’2”, 215-pound receiver can operate from both the slot and outside, where his frame, smooth hands, and excellent body control allow him to make tough catches in traffic.

6: Tre Harris, Ole Miss

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Tre Harris is a powerful, explosive receiver with a tremendous physical profile and excellent ball skills. His combination of size, strength, and speed allows him to dominate defenders in both contested catch situations and after the catch.

The 6’3 and 210-pound WR is a dangerous red-zone target, using his size and athleticism to win jump balls and make plays in tight spaces. While his route-running is still evolving, Harris has all the tools to be a significant contributor in the NFL and a touchdown machine.

5: Isaiah Bond, Texas

Isaiah Bond is a dynamic playmaker with game-changing speed and an innate ability to separate from defenders. His vertical agility makes him a constant deep threat, and his elusiveness after the catch is a significant weapon in the open field. 

The Longhorns’ wide receiver wasn’t as productive as we had hoped in 2024 due to injuries and poor quarterback play. Quinn Ewers and the offense failed to utilize Bond’s elite ability to create separation, often underthrowing the speedy receiver or failing to recognize him when he was wide open during progressions.

Bond’s projection to the NFL level is much higher than he was able to showcase in 2024, and his raw talent and explosive potential make him a highly enticing prospect.

4: Matthew Golden, Texas

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Matthew Golden was Texas’s primary receiving target in 2024, transferring from Houston, and he dominated in key areas of the field. With his flowing, fluid route-running, the Longhorns’ WR excels in creating separation in the intermediate zones, where he consistently finds soft spots in coverage and moves the chains. 

His quickness in short to mid-range routes makes him a reliable option, and he has a strong understanding of tempo. However, while Golden shines in these areas, he lacks the power to be a blocker in the run game. 

Golden also needs to refine his ability to track and adjust to passes on deep, where he currently relies heavily on his athleticism. However, his smooth technique and high football IQ make him a high-floor prospect with substantial upside.

3: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Emeka Egbuka is a highly skilled, versatile receiver with exceptional route-running ability and strong hands. An elite option from the slot, the Ohio State WR is a technician with an instant release, immense speed, and refined route running. 

Egbuka consistently creates separation from defenders with sharp, decisive cuts, and his smooth transitions make him a threat at all levels of the field. His combination of speed, technique, and football IQ makes him one of the most well-rounded receivers in the 2025 class, and his consistent college production indicates a high floor at the NFL level.

2: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

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Tetairoa McMillan is a physically gifted receiver who can stretch the field and make plays in various ways. At 6’5” and 212 pounds, His impressive size, combined with his burst off the line of scrimmage, allows him to create separation, while his ability to track the ball in the air gives him an advantage in contested situations.

The Arizona WR is the ideal outside corner who possesses an all-encompassing catch radius to become a QB’s best friend. His physicality and length make him an elite weapon at the catch point, while his athleticism and route running remain underrated.

1: Luther Burden III, Missouri

Luther Burden is a speedy, twitchy receiver with exceptional agility and an elite ability to change direction. His lightning-fast acceleration and sharp cuts make him a constant threat to break free from defenders, allowing him to create elite separation at all levels of the field. 

Whether Burden’s running short, quick routes or stretching the field deep, his ability to make precise, sudden movements makes him incredibly difficult to cover. The Missouri WR has the explosive change of direction and the ability to shift gears effortlessly. 

With the combination of speed, burst, and route-running precision, Burden has the potential to be an elite playmaker in the NFL.

OWAIN JONES

NFL & NFL DRAFT ANALYST

OWAIN COVERS EVERYTHING NFL & NFL DRAFT. COMING WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE, OWAIN IS ALSO A WRITER FOR PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK AND PREVIOUSLY WAS THE NFL DRAFT EDITOR AT NINETY-NINE YARDS WHERE HE CREATED DRAFT TALK, A NFL DRAFT PODCAST FOR NINETY-NINE YARDS. YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @OWAIN_JONES_

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