The FantasyPros team returned home after a busy week in Mobile, AL. Some players improved their draft stock dramatically, while others left Mobile with more question marks than when they arrived. Here are initial wide receiver rankings, breakdowns and team fits from Thor Nystrom, Derek Brown and Mike Maher.
- 2023 Senior Bowl Guide
- 2023 Senior Bowl Primer: Dynasty Rookies to Know
- Senior Bowl QB Rankings, Breakdowns & Team Fits
- Senior Bowl RB Rankings, Breakdowns & Team Fits
- Thor Nystrom’s 2023 Senior Bowl Recap: Offense
- Thor Nystrom’s 2023 Senior Bowl Recap: Defense
- Derek Brown’s 2023 Senior Bowl Risers & Fallers
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
2023 Senior Bowl WR Rankings & Team Fits
Nathaniel Dell (WR – Houston)
- Thor Ranking: 1
- DBro Ranking: 1
- Maher Ranking: 1
- Team Fits: Patriots, Cowboys, Vikings
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 3-4
- Player Comp: Marquise Brown
Summary:
The Senior Bowl is an event that doesn’t cater as well to all positions. Linebacker and safety are two where it is harder to get a read on prospect performance. The way that practices are set up also helps certain types of players more than others.
Dell has one of those skillsets that we thought would shine at the Senior Bowl. And boy did it.
Evaluators look forward to the one-on-one drills on the field in Mobile probably more than any other singular thing during the week. We didn’t see one player in college capable of defending Dell in space – it turns out we didn’t see one of those in Mobile, either.
Rashee Rice (WR – SMU)
- Thor Ranking: 2
- DBro Ranking: 6
- Maher Ranking: 3
- Team Fits: Vikings, Cowboys, Giants
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 2
- Player Comp: Brandon LaFell
Summary:
Rice didn’t have a bad week by any stretch, but he does find his name under fallers because he failed to deliver on the hype. Rice was touted as possibly the best wide receiver prospect at Senior Bowl with first-round NFL Draft buzz. Rice was able to get open, but he did little to show out as a head and shoulders superior talent to the rest of the Senior Bowl field. Rice still looks like an average separator that lets corners into his body too often and has issues with gearing down on curls and comebacks.
Andrei Iosivas (WR – Princeton)
- Thor Ranking: 3
- DBro Ranking: 8
- Maher Ranking: 8
- Team Fits: Giants, Bears, Saints
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 5-6
- Player Comps: Chris Conley
Summary:
- Easy and immediate speed. Explosive second gear. Iosivas has “run away from you type of speed.”
- Good deep ball tracking on go routes noted, but he does have some reps where he catches the ball with his body.
- I can’t shade his hands, though, because he also has reps in his film where he has difficult catches in traffic and contested situations.
- Princeton fed him on crossers, where he wove through the defense and then turned on the jets to daylight. NFL teams should look to do the same against zone coverage and get him involved on jet sweeps.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – Virginia)
- Thor Ranking: 4
- DBro Ranking: 7
- Maher Ranking: 2
- Team Fits: Buccaneers, Ravens, Steelers
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 4-5
- Player Comps: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Summary:
- A burner and field stretcher. In 2021, Wicks ranked sixth among all FBS wide receivers in deep targets (37.6% of his target volume), 14th in deep receiving yards, and 24th in deep passer rating when targeted (minimum 15 deep targets, 124.7).
- Immediate acceleration off the line. Consistently stacks corners downfield with speed releases. He does exhibit some body-catching. His ball-tracking downfield has been stellar.
- Drops (many of the concentration variety) cropped up heavily in 2022. He dropped 23.1% of his targets which was the highest among FBS wide receivers with at least 50 targets.
Puka Nacua (WR – BYU)
- Thor Ranking: 5
- DBro Ranking: 2
- Maher Ranking: 7
- Team Fits: Ravens, Giants
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 3-4
- Player Comps: “Dollar Store Deebo Samuel“
Summary:
Nacua flies in a bit under-the-radar because of a star-crossed career. He was a ballyhooed four-star recruit who signed with Washington. And while he saw the field immediately as a true frosh and flashed, he broke his foot.
The next year, on a dreadful offensive unit, Nacua again flashed, but appeared in only three games during the COVID-shortened season. So, in advance of the 2020 season, Nacua transferred to BYU.
Nacua made it through 12 games during a strong 2021 campaign, but was dogged by a pair of nagging injuries that cost him multiple games in 2022. He decided to declare for the draft anyway.
A fortified outside receiver (6’2/205) that BYU had great fun using on gadget plays, Nacua has a diverse skillset. He’s more dangerous with the ball in his hands than most receivers in this class who are this size.
Jayden Reed (WR – Michigan State)
- Thor Ranking: 6
- DBro Ranking: 5
- Maher Ranking: 5
- Team Fits: Steelers, Panthers, Falcons
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 3-4
- Player Comp: Markus Wheaton
Summary:
- Special teams versatility. He returned 38 punts in college with a 15.3-yard return average and three scores. Also, two seasons with at least 16 kickoffs returned (20.0 kickoff return average).
- A strong lower half allows him to shed arm tackles. Solid YAC ability with good change of direction. Reed has good burst as soon as the ball is in his hands.
- He drifts on routes at times, leading to miscommunications with his quarterback. Overall a solid route runner that sets up defenders well, especially on deep posts.
- He has enough speed to breakaway in the open field. He won’t be caught from behind with a clear runway.
Xavier Hutchinson (WR – Iowa State)
- Thor Ranking: 7
- DBro Ranking: 4
- Maher Ranking: 9
- Team Fits: Saints, Jets, Ravens
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 2-3
- Player Comp: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Summary:
- He’s a bully with the ball in his hands after the catch. Hutchinson ranked 38th (2022) and ninth (2021) in missed tackles forced over the last three seasons. He was also top-25 in YAC in each of the last two years (minimum 50 targets). Good leg drive and tenacity fuel this man’s contact balance.
- Hutchinson is a versatile receiver who can also work from the slot. He flashes crisp cuts on short area routes ins and outs. I would love for an NFL team to give him a 60% slot rate and let him push around nickel corners all day.
- Patient on screens and in the open field to allow blocks to set up in front of him before he shoots upfield.
- Hutchinson puts some acrobatic downfield receptions on tape. Good tracking and body adjustment on back shoulder and bucket catches.
Michael Wilson (WR – Stanford)
- Thor Ranking: 8
- DBro Ranking: 3
- Maher Ranking: 4
- Team Fits: Giants, Falcons, Titans
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 4
- Player Comp: Gabe Davis
Summary:
Wilson came on strong as the week moved along. Injuries stifled Wilson’s collegiate career, but he put all of those lost seasons in the rearview at the Senior Bowl. Wilson looked closer to the player that has managed 2.20 or higher yards per route run in four of his last 11 collegiate games (per PFF). He could separate on short area routes while also displaying plus footwork and nuance to his routes. Wilson was especially impressive on deep posts and slants, where he utilized his size to his advantage, gaining breathing room and defeating inside leverage.
Trey Palmer (WR – Nebraska)
- Thor Ranking: 9
- DBro Ranking: 9
- Maher Ranking: 11
- Team Fits: Packers, Chiefs, Eagles
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 4-5
- Player Comp: Kenny Stills
Summary:
- Immediate speed. Palmer is a former five-star recruit who clocked at 10.42 in the 100m in high school. Nebraska utilized him deep and on short crossers to take advantage of his blazing wheels.
- Palmer enjoyed zone coverage in college with most of his usage coming from the slot. I didn’t find many instances on film where he was pressed at the line, so an NFL team could be in for an adventure if they instantly convert his to an outside Z role. This isn’t to say he can’t win in this role, but it’s a projection at best.
- Palmer’s route tree wasn’t immensely diverse in college, so an NFL team would also be asking him to learn new skills on the fly if a full route tree player is the expectation from the jump. Palmer was used on deep posts, flys, shallow crossers, and screens for most of his snaps.
Jonathan Mingo (WR – Ole Miss)
- Thor Ranking: 10
- DBro Ranking: 10
- Maher Ranking: 6
- Team Fits: Bears, Raiders, Browns
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 4-5
- Player Comp: Laquon Treadwell
Summary:
- Inconsistent separator. Mingo can gain enough separation to haul in contested catches, but you won’t see Mingo sending anyone to the shadow realm on a route.
- Strong. Upper body strength shows up in blocking, fighting through press, and after the catch. Mingo can make some things happen after the catch with his dense lower half.
- Mingo was utilized on screens for 18.4% of his target volume in 2022. He ranked 11th in YAC per reception (minimum 15 screen targets) on screens last season.
Ronnie Bell (WR – Michigan)
- Thor Ranking: 11
- DBro Ranking: 13
- Maher Ranking: 12
- Team Fits: Dolphins, Cowboys, Bengals
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 4
- Player Comp: Brandon Tate
Summary:
- Not an immediate separator. He needs to hone his releases further. Corners get inside leverage on his routes or remain in his back pocket enough that it’s a familiar trend on film. This leaves him unable to stack corners routinely.
- Bell is a tenacious blocker in the run game. He will be an immediate asset here from the jump.
- If everything gels, he projects as a well-rounded WR3/WR4 for an NFL. He’s solid but not spectacular in and out of his breaks and after the catch. Bell displays good burst and versatility on manufactured touches with sweeps and screens.
Tre Tucker (WR – Cincinnati)
- Thor Ranking: 12
- DBro Ranking: 11
- Maher Ranking: 10
- Team Fits: Falcons, Broncos, Bills
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 7 / UDFA
- Player Comp: Lance Moore
Summary:
- Tucker profiles as a depth receiver in the NFL. Tucker offers special teams ability for his next prospective home with 67 kickoff returns on his resume, with two returned for scores.
- Tucker is a savvy slot receiver with an innate spider-sense to weave in between zone coverage. He is a chain mover. Tucker can make defenders miss in the open field with his quick feet and acceleration, but I wouldn’t classify him as a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands.
Jalen Wayne (WR – South Alabama)
- Thor Ranking: 13
- DBro Ranking: 14
- Maher Ranking: 15
- Team Fits: Eagles, Colts, Panthers
- NFL Draft Projection: UDFA
- Player Comp: N/A
Summary:
Jalen Wayne was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, but he made the most of his invitation by catching eight passes in Saturday’s game.
Derius Davis (WR – TCU)
- Thor Ranking: 14
- DBro Ranking: 12
- Maher Ranking: 13
- Team Fits: Raiders, Vikings, Chiefs
- NFL Draft Projection:
- Player Comp: Jalen Saunders
Summary:
- Early on, his biggest impact will come as a returner. He excelled in punt returns in 2022, ranking sixth in return average and fourth in overall punt return yards (minimum 15 returns).
- Used creatively by TCU with jet sweeps, screens, and pop passes. The name of the game was to get him in space and let him burn people with his speed.
- Davis also played slot receiver at TCU. He flashes early separation on slants and the ability to stretch the field. A double move or subtle jab step can give a decent cushion for a player with his raw speed.
Elijah Higgins (WR/TE – Stanford)
- Thor Ranking: 15
- DBro Ranking: 16
- Maher Ranking: 16
- Team Fits: Giants, Texans, Cowboys
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 6-7
- Player Comp: Juwan Johnson
Summary:
Higgins is a tweener type without a positional home. Higgins cannot get open on the boundary with stiff hips and below-average releases. Higgins worked in with tight ends on the final day as the NFL sees the same thing I do. That’s a player that needs to convert to move tight end to have a shot at a productive NFL career. Higgins does have a well-rounded understanding of playing inside, utilizing his size and physicality against nickel corners and smaller opposition.
Grant DuBose (WR – Charlotte)
- Thor Ranking: 16
- DBro Ranking: 15
- Maher Ranking: 14
- Team Fits: Bengals, Titans, 49ers
- NFL Draft Projection: Round 5-6
- Player Comp: Marquez Callaway
Summary:
DuBose was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster but flashed his potential throughout the week, utilizing his 6-foot-2 frame to create separation at the catch point in drills.
2023 Senior Bowl Practice Recaps
- Derek Brown’s Senior Bowl Day 1 Risers & Fallers
- Thor Nystrom’s Senior Bowl Day 1 Practice Recap
- Derek Brown’s Senior Bowl Day 2 Risers & Fallers
- 2023 Senior Bowl Primer: Dynasty Rookies to Know
- 2023 Senior Bowl Primer: Dynasty Rookies to Know
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
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