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Every year there seems to be a new bunch of wide receivers in the draft that are exciting. With the proliferation of seven on seven leagues at the high school level, there are tons of wide receivers coming into college on a yearly basis and we are starting to see that talent influx hit the NFL. This year is no different. While there are only a few receivers who have the potential to be legit, number one options, there are tons of guys who offer ability in the slot or as high end number two receivers. While this class has a ton of names, here are the top 25 guys to keep an eye on for the Eagles ... (Click here to see the top 25 running backs)
25. Speedy Noil, Texas A&M: A special athlete who never lived up potential in college, Noil would be a tempting late round pick up for teams who may want to develop his tools. There are reports of being a locker room issue, so teams will need to weigh that and his rawness with how dynamic he can be with the football.
24. Fred Ross, Mississippi State: Fred Ross has no outstanding traits, but he has had a productive career in the SEC and was able to put up nice numbers on a bad offense this season. He is a solid route runner with good hands and can pick up yards after the catch. While he may not have any overwhelmingly impressive abilities, his solid skill set could keep him around for a while.
23. Trent Taylor, LA Tech: Taylor is a guy I really love on tape who may have issues making the league due to his size. Not even 5'9" or 180 pounds, Taylor's diminutive stature will scare teams away. However, he is a tough player with great hands and is an absolute technician at the position. If I had to pick a late round guy to have a good pro career, it would be Taylor.
22. Artavis Scott, Clemson: Scott is another smaller, shiftier player who could make noise in the NFL. He is not an especially good athlete, but he is a smart, tough player who can contribute on special teams. His sure hands could give him a chance to compete for targets, but he will at least provide solid depth.
21. Chad Hansen, Cal: Hansen's hype of late has been a real head scratcher. He was a one year wonder and is an older prospect. He is not a great athlete or technician. He has very impressive hands and is definitely a physical player with good size, but his lack of speed and polish will hurt his chances of being an outside threat in the NFL.
20. Chad Williams, Grambling State: Williams dominated a lower level of competition, which is what you want to see in small school prospects. He is not a great athlete, but he plays the game like his hair is on fire. It is rare to see wide receivers with mean streaks, but Williams' physicality and attitude on the field contribute to how productive he is. He would be a good depth guy with a chance to contribute as he improves his route running.
19. Damore'ea Stringellow, Ole Miss: A former high school star and Washington transfer, this season Stringfellow finally showed a bit of why he was so highly touted as a recruit. The 6-2, 211 receiver has impressive ball skills and body control at the catch point, giving his quarterbacks a big target to throw passes to. However, Stringfellow is an average athlete, at best, and needs to refine his game. It is hard to win in the NFL with a singular positive trait like that, so Stringfellow will need to continue to refine his game.
18. Austin Carr, Northwestern: A former walk on, Carr never really got an opportunity until his senior year where he blew up for over 1,200 yards and earned All Big-10 honors. Carr is not especially big or fast, but he is a refined player who plays a tough, physical brand of football. It is a damn shame that Carr did not get a combine invite, but I have a hard time seeing a guy with his attitude and ability to not make an NFL team.
17. Shelton Gibson, WVU: Shelton Gibson has scored 17 touchdowns in the last two seasons and averages over 22 yards per catch. He is an incredibly gifted athlete with speed to absolutely torch a defense. He is a very raw player, but it is hard to ignore or appreciate what he can do with his athleticism. He may be a project, but he could have one of the bigger payoffs in this class.
16. Zay Jones, ECU: Zay Jones broke records at ECU for catching the football, which is what he is absolutely great at. Despite his dependable hands, his lack of athletic ability and question mark as a route runner give a lot of pause. However, if his physicality and dependability translate to the NFL, he could be an excellent slot option.
15. Amba Etta Tawo, Syracuse: Etta Tawo was a one year wonder, exploding at Syracuse after underwhelming for most of his time at Maryland and transferring. He was a massive big play threat for the Orange this season and his ability to make big plays down the field will get teams excited. He needs to be more consistent catching the football and his route tree will need work, but there is a lot to like about Etta Tawo, even as an older prospect.
14. ArDarius Stewart, Alabama: ArDarius Stewart was deployed in a variety of ways at Alabama. He caught lots of screens and swings from the back field, was used as a running back and of course went out to catch passes as a wide receiver. He is an older prospect and will need pro-refinement, but he is electric with the ball in his hands.
13. KD Cannon, Baylor: KD Cannon is as talented as he is frustrating. He has drop issues and his route running will need work in the NFL, but he is a very gifted athlete. His speed is undeniable, has excellent leaping ability and is better attacking the ball than his size would suggest. If Cannon can become more consistent, he could be a serious contributor in the NFL.
12. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M: Reynolds has been severely underrated for what feels like his whole career. He has a long frame that he constantly uses down the field to secure deep passes. He was used as a downfield threat regularly and showed an ability to come down with tough grabs. His consistent production at Texas A&M is very impressive as well. He is very skinny for being 6'3" (187 pounds) and it shows up in terms of playing strength. However, he is a high effort player with awesome ball skills. Hard for that not to pay off.
11. Cooper Kupp, EWU: Cooper Kupp is the most productive receiver in NCAA history. He was a menace at EWU, dominating not only lower competition, but also blowing up any time EWU faced FCS schools. His resumé speaks for itself. Kupp's game is all about finding yards after the catch. He does a good job taking short passes and using his vision and athleticism to find big plays. He is an older prospect and, thus, a bit maxed out, but he could offer a team a great intermediate threat who can pick up yards from short passes.
10. DeDe Westbrook, Oklahoma: DeDe Westbrook was one of the most productive, explosive players in the country last year. The Heisman finalist has incredible speed, is very polished through his routes and plays very physical football. However, his lack of size, near deadly injury history and off the field issues would scare me away from him almost all together. Westbrook has a lot to prove in health checks, measurements and interviews before teams can be totally comfortable taking him high in the draft, even with tape as good as his.
9. Ryan Switzer, UNC: Ryan Switzer is everything a team could want in a slot receiver. He has solid hands, is a great, smart route runner and is incredibly elusive after the catch. While Switzer lacks the length to play on the outside, he will be incredibly productive in a slot role. Not only that, but he is one hell of a kick returner too.
8. Jalen Robinette, Air Force: Robinette was able to produce in an offense that barely throws the ball. That in itself is incredibly impressive. Then when you notice Robinette is every bit of 6'4" and 220 pounds with awesome long speed and ball skills, things become even more exciting. Robinette will have a tough transition from a heavy option offense that really only asked him to run three routes, but it is hard not to love his physical gifts.
7. Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech: The most productive receiver in Hokies' history should be getting way more love than he currently is. He is a very polished route runner with good size and excellent ball skills. He may not be a great athlete, but his refined game and physical playing style will make an NFL team incredibly happy.
6. Carlos Henderson, LA Tech: Carlos Henderson scored in all types of ways for the Bulldogs this season. The 5'10" dynamo was a threat on kick returns, rushes and receiving plays. His home run hitting athletic ability and willingness to play way bigger than his size makes him an awesome prospect. He will need to become a crisper route runner, but his mental and physical tool box is so tantalizing.
5. Mike Williams, Clemson: Mike Williams rebounded from a scary injury to have an awesome final season at Clemson, playing a huge role in their National Title win. Williams has strong hands and does a great job dominating the catch point. After the catch, he is a strong, hard runner who can pick up extra yards. His speed on the outside is concerning and he lacks route running refinement to compensate in order to separate, so he constantly forces contested situations. While he can win a handful of them, he also loses a lot too. While you can't overlook his catch point prowess, his athletic question marks keep him from being the sure thing some see him as.
4. Taywan Taylor, WKU: One of the most productive players in the country over the last few years, Taywan Taylor should be putting on a show at the combine to vault himself into national conversation. The six foot speedster is a great athlete, but also is an excellent route runner. His incredibly high football IQ, refinement at the position and big play ability make him an exciting choice in the first two days of the draft.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC: A lot of people are going to groan at a USC receiver being this high, but Smith-Schuster is a very good prospect. Smith-Schuster is well built at 6'2" and 220 pounds and his physicality is evident every game. He is a strong player who can fight through contact at the line and at the catch point. After the catch, he is incredibly good. People are willfully ignoring Smith-Schuster as a legitimate prospect due to the symbol on his helmet, but he is as pro ready as any player in this class.
2. John Ross, Washington: John Ross has the speed to take over games, but what I love is how clean he is as a player. He is so damn good releasing off the line and runs precise, blink-of-an-eye routes. As a cherry on top, Ross is also a damn handful after the catch. His being a bit smaller and injury history are definitely concerning, but Ross was so damn good this year and he should be a weapon in the NFL.
1. Corey Davis, WMU: Corey Davis is a personal favorite this draft class. Davis has a prototypical frame at 6'3" and over 220 pounds. He is a refined prospect with great route running ability. He is a good athlete who can separate down the field and pull away from defenses after the catch. He has a complete game that makes him a danger to score in any scenario; after the catch, in contested situations or burning defenses deep down the field. Davis could improve catching away from his body in contested situations and clean up focus drops, but that is nitpicking the player he is. Davis is reminiscent of Odell Beckham Junior and Amari Cooper as prospects. Not because they are similar players, but just that they are easy evaluations in terms of being so pro-ready.