Continuing our series on incoming freshmen to watch in 2022, we look at the wide receiver position. We first took a look at running backs. Wide receiver is a coveted position to roster in Devy leagues due to the projectability to the NFL and the decade-long careers All-Pro receivers often have.
Here are five wide receivers to watch that could be high NFL Draft picks in a few years.
Luther Burden (WR – Missouri)
Luther Burden is a 6’0, 200-pound wide receiver from East St. Louis, Ill. He is a five-star prospect, the country’s No. 1 wide receiver, and the No. 3 overall player in the country in the 247Sports composite rankings. Burden was committed to Oklahoma for nearly a year, but the local Missouri Tigers secured his letter of intent on National Signing Day. Burden is the second highest-ranked recruit in the history of the Missouri program, behind only Dorial Green-Beckham.
Burden is a dynamic athlete with a fully stocked toolbox of skills. What jumps off the tape is how good he is with the ball in his hands. His ability to accumulate yards after the catch is apparent as he shows excellent vision as a runner and tremendous cutting ability. He uses his solid frame to shed defenders while demonstrating exceptional contact balance. He tracks the ball well in the air, using his background as a basketball player to high point the ball and win in contested catch situations. As a kick returner, Burden hits another gear in terms of speed, showcasing the caliber of athlete that he is.
Missouri is a team that rarely lands a player of Burden’s caliber; his commitment was huge for the program. Look for Coach Eli Drikwitz to deploy Burden early and often, featuring him in the Tigers’ offense. Burden should cruise through an extensive statistical career at Missouri and be a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2025.
Evan Stewart (WR – Texas A&M)
Evan Stewart is a 6’0, 175-pound wide receiver from Frisco, Texas. He is a five-star prospect, the No. 2 WR in the country, and the No. 4 overall player in the state of Texas in the 247Sports composite rankings. Stewart originally committed to Steve Sarkisian’s Texas program but de-committed less than a month later. After several visits to a handful of schools, fellow in-state school Texas A&M and Head Coach Jimbo Fisher landed Stewart.
Stewart doesn’t have a big frame but makes up for that with his elite athleticism. He is a track athlete with 10.58 100 meter and 21.08 200 meter sprints to his name. That speed will allow him to take the top off of defenses consistently. Stewart creates separation with ease using his quick feet and suddenness to his cuts to lose the corner quickly. The lateral speed he possesses makes him a nightmare for defenses in the open field. He is a big play waiting to happen.
Texas A&M returns WR Ainias Smith, but no one else should be a threat to Stewart or fellow blue-chip freshman Chris Marshall from seeing plenty of early targets. A productive career in the SEC at Texas A&M should earn Stewart first-round NFL Draft capital in 2025.
Kyion Grayes (WR – Ohio State)
Kyion Grayes is a 5’11, 170-pound wide receiver from Chandler, Ariz. He is a four-star prospect and the No. 2 overall player in Arizona. He committed to home-state school Arizona at the start of his Junior season but de-committed at the season’s conclusion. Ryan Day and Ohio State received Grayes’ commitment; he will be a Buckeye.
Grayes is a smaller wide receiver, but he makes up for what he lacks in size in sheer skill as a football player. He is always open and has a strong set of hands, making him a quarterback’s best friend. An absolute technician as a route runner, Grayes understands space, is a savvy manipulator of defenders, and his football IQ is through the roof.
Grayes will join an incredibly talented and crowded wide receiver group at Ohio State, where early playing time is not expected. Grayes is joined in this recruiting class by three other four-star receivers and already stares at a depth chart occupied by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming. He will have to wait his turn but could be the best of this class of Ohio State receivers. He should safely project as a Day 2 selection in the NFL Draft, with the upside of going in the first round.
Tetairoa McMillan (WR – Arizona)
Tetairoa “T-Mac” McMillan is a 6’4, 185-pound wide receiver from Anaheim, Calif. He is a four-star prospect, the No. 5 WR in the country, and the No. 4 overall player in California in the 247Sports composite rankings. The Oregon commit flipped his commitment to the Arizona Wildcats, where he ultimately signed to play his college football.
T-Mac is a big-body receiver with that basketball player length and jump ball skillset. He is great at boxing out defenders, utilizing his impressive size to high point balls, and coming down with contested catches. Speed isn’t his game, but his package is ideal to be the large receiver in an offense. McMillan should be a red-zone machine at Arizona.
Arizona has had quite the off-season in terms of talent acquisition. McMillan is the highest-ranked recruit in the program’s history, and they also brought in high-profile transfers Jayden DeLaura at quarterback and Jacob Cowing at receiver. McMillan has received glowing reviews already as an early enrollee at Arizona. He projects to start immediately opposite Cowing, which should lead to an early breakout. McMillan projects as a Day 2 selection in the NFL Draft.
Shazz Preston (WR – Alabama)
Shazz Preston is a 6’0, 190-pound wide receiver from Saint James, La. He is a four-star prospect, the No. 8 WR in the country, and the No. 5 overall player in Louisiana in the 247Sports composite rankings. He signed with the NFL wide receiver factory that is the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Preston is an all-around good football player and is very balanced across the board regarding his athletic traits. He’s not the biggest, fastest, or strongest player on the field, but he’s big enough, fast enough, and strong enough. As a multi-sport athlete, there is nothing Preston can’t do; his versatility is robust. He has an impressive football IQ and a good head on his shoulders; those things go a long way in Nick Saban’s process-oriented Alabama program.
Similar to Ohio State, Alabama is loaded at the wide receiver position. Alabama brought in stud receiver Jermaine Burton, who will likely serve as the team’s top receiver, as a transfer from Georgia. The rest of the receiver group is littered with high-profile players like Jacorey Brooks, JoJo Earle, and Agiye Hall, not to mention the three other four-star receivers in Preston’s class. Preston is likely to wait his turn, but this is a less-proven group than Alabama usually returns. Once he sees the field for Bama, his NFL Draft stock will soar if he is producing. Preston projects as a Day 2 NFL Draft pick.
- An Introduction to Devy Leagues
- Devy Draft Strategy Guide
- Devy Sleepers to Target
- Devy Mock Draft: Round 1
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