Wide Receiver Train Full Speed Ahead- CHOO CHOO!

[LEBills]

My Personal 2025 WR Rankings:

 

#13 Dont’e Thornton WR Tennessee (RD 2-3)

- Oregon transfer

- Helped take care of 4 younger siblings while his father was in prison

- 2 time SEC academic honor roll

 

What does he do on film?

 

You have to have Safety help over the top

- 1:43 RPO draws safety toward the LOS and Thornton fills the vacated space for another easy touchdown

- 6:34 copy and paste

- 6:48 ditto

 

Deep ball tracking

- 1:33 Thornton is excellent at tracking the ball in the air

- 3:46 late hands and cradles the ball as he runs full speed while being dragged down from behind

 

Weaknesses:

- Is not going to shake a tackler but will politely fall forward

- College offense schemed open looks rather than Thornton creating separation via route running

 

Conclusion:

Being 6’5’’ and running a 4.3 is a superpower. One that forces teams to account for you each snap you are on the field. He also is a pretty good run blocker which will be important for him to stay on the field in 2 WR sets. But Thornton comes with many questions that can’t be answered by his measurements. Despite his size, he was never used much as an end zone target and his contested catch rate varied wildly from year to year. He also was only used on a few routes, and not having a more varied route tree will make covering him easier than it should be in the pros. Thornton is a package player with a very important role in an Offense (Tennessee used him as such as he wound up with the 4th most WR snaps on the team). I think a Christian Watson role may be where he carves out his niche.

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings

 

#12A Jaylin Noel WR ISU (RD 2)

- Best WR combine performance

- Improved each year in college

- Offers punt return value

 

What does he do on film?

 

Speed:

- :20 just runs around the linebacker and then the safety

- 1:00 Easily beats the press and stacks the DB

- 1:29 angle route, just spins momentum in other direction for big yac

- 2:02 just too fast up the seam for coverage to rotate quick enough. TD.

- 3:17 man coverage without safety help is a bad proposition

- 4:36 sheds the jam by the linebacker, hits the out and up

 

Weaknesses:

- Can masquerade outside every so often, but is a speed slot player

- More fast than elusive with only a handful of forced missed tackles

 

Conclusion:

Noel was asked to take the top off the defense and he did that consistently, his speed is truly dangerous. Most of his routes are deep down the field but has shown good out routes and other shallow routes but value is in stretching the defense vertically. Noel’s physicality against presses and jams should guarantee immediate success in the NFL. His slot alignment and being pigeonholed into this role is what ranks him this low compared to other receivers who have shown a bit more alignment versatility. 

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#12B Elijah Badger WR Florida (RD 5-6)

- Transfer from ASU

- returned kicks for ASU and averaged 28.9 yards per return

- Second is SEC for YPC this year

 

What does he do on film?

 

- 5:22 jet sweep, multiple missed tackles forced

- 6:18 awareness against the zone defense to keep moving to the open zone

- 7:20 finished with the easy touchdown vs cover 0

- 12:10 keeps working to QB throwing lane as pocket collapses, rewarded with big catch and run

- 29:30 quick break behind the zone defender, crosses to the other side of the field for crucial first down catch

 

 

- :26 looks familiar right? Jet sweep forcing several missed tackles

- 1:10 beats the CB good position with awesome hands catch for the first down

- 1:21 finds the hole in coverage down field for 4th down conversion. Notice his awareness of the defenders around him to pick up extra yardage when surrounded by USC defenders

- 3:29 first off Skattebo is so fun. Badger is so elusive for his size.

 

Weaknesses:

- Production throughout his career was mid

- Will be 24 this summer

 

Conclusion:

A former 4-star recruit, he caught passes from Jaden Daniels in 2022 which may have been his best year. What I like about Badger is he can play anyway you need him. Last year he had a 7.3 aDOT, this year his aDOT was 17.3. If you need him to make a play on a jet sweep he can do that, if you need him to make a short catch and make a couple defenders miss he can do that, and if you need him to just win downfield he can do that too. This year when he was used on many more deep routes he had 0 drops, a near 70% contested catch success rate, and the fifth best YPRR in the class. If there is to be a Khalil Shakir day 3 surprise breakout WR, I would put my chips on Badger pre-draft

Edited April 3 by LEBills

[Mat68]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:07 AM, LEBills said:

My Personal 2025 WR Rankings:

 

#13 Dont’e Thornton WR Tennessee (RD 2-3)

- Oregon transfer

- Helped take care of 4 younger siblings while his father was in prison

- 2 time SEC academic honor roll

 

What does he do on film?

 

You have to have Safety help over the top

- 1:43 RPO draws safety toward the LOS and Thornton fills the vacated space for another easy touchdown

- 6:34 copy and paste

- 6:48 ditto

 

Deep ball tracking

- 1:33 Thornton is excellent at tracking the ball in the air

- 3:46 late hands and cradles the ball as he runs full speed while being dragged down from behind

 

Weaknesses:

- Is not going to shake a tackler but will politely fall forward

- College offense schemed open looks rather than Thornton creating separation via route running

 

Conclusion:

Being 6’5’’ and running a 4.3 is a superpower. One that forces teams to account for you each snap you are on the field. He also is a pretty good run blocker which will be important for him to stay on the field in 2 WR sets. But Thornton comes with many questions that can’t be answered by his measurements. Despite his size, he was never used much as an end zone target and his contested catch rate varied wildly from year to year. He also was only used on a few routes, and not having a more varied route tree will make covering him easier than it should be in the pros. Thornton is a package player with a very important role in an Offense (Tennessee used him as such as he wound up with the 4th most WR snaps on the team). I think a Christian Watson role may be where he carves out his niche.

Watson was in a more run first offense that explained his production.  Only thing that has slowed him in the NFL have been injuries.  Tenn and Oregon are both passing offenses.  Seems more like Justin Shorter.  Blue chip high school recruit, good off the field, that was unable to be productive.  Late day 3 imo. Watson was an early second rd pick and way more productive. 

[Mat68]

11 hours ago, LEBills said:

My personal 2025 WR rankings

 

#12A Jaylin Noel WR ISU (RD 2)

- Best WR combine performance

- Improved each year in college

- Offers punt return value

 

What does he do on film?

 

Speed:

- :20 just runs around the linebacker and then the safety

- 1:00 Easily beats the press and stacks the DB

- 1:29 angle route, just spins momentum in other direction for big yac

- 2:02 just too fast up the seam for coverage to rotate quick enough. TD.

- 3:17 man coverage without safety help is a bad proposition

- 4:36 sheds the jam by the linebacker, hits the out and up

 

Weaknesses:

- Can masquerade outside every so often, but is a speed slot player

- More fast than elusive with only a handful of forced missed tackles

 

Conclusion:

Noel was asked to take the top off the defense and he did that consistently, his speed is truly dangerous. Most of his routes are deep down the field but has shown good out routes and other shallow routes but value is in stretching the defense vertically. Noel’s physicality against presses and jams should guarantee immediate success in the NFL. His slot alignment and being pigeonholed into this role is what ranks him this low compared to other receivers who have shown a bit more alignment versatility. 

That tells a different story than your conclusion.  What is your concern with him playing outside?  What makes you feel he cant succeed outside in the NFL? 

[LEBills]

27 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

Watson was in a more run first offense that explained his production.  Only thing that has slowed him in the NFL have been injuries.  Tenn and Oregon are both passing offenses.  Seems more like Justin Shorter.  Blue chip high school recruit, good off the field, that was unable to be productive.  Late day 3 imo. Watson was an early second rd pick and way more productive. 

He had a couple different head coaches and coordinators as an underclassmen at Oregon. His junior year at Tennessee he only played 6 games. This year the Vols ran for more yards than they passed, Thornton led the team. 
 

Watson was the more well rounded athlete coming out of college. But I was referring more to how he is handled at Green Bay. There are some weeks where he plays a lot, but most weeks he hovers in the 50 to 70% of offensive snaps. I don’t think Thornton is a full time player - Tennessee didn’t use him that way - so playing him during specific formations would be his best bet in the NFL. 

 

16 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

That tells a different story than your conclusion.  What is your concern with him playing outside?  What makes you feel he cant succeed outside in the NFL? 

I don’t know if concern is the right word. He played over 70% of his snaps from the slot and the “out wide” snaps included a lot of late shifts where he wound up as the outside guy…so there projection…and his short arms are a disadvantage against longer defenders.
 

But I think if you try to make him an outside receiver you are neutering what makes him a really good player. He is at his best stretching the field and I think having him inside against more nickels, safeties and linebackers where he can just kind of weave around them and outrun them is his best way to get vertical. It also gives him more space to get to the flat. I thought the dynamic they had at ISU with him and Higgins was a really nice 1-2 punch where their skills were very different but very complimentary.

[Mat68]

17 minutes ago, LEBills said:

He had a couple different head coaches and coordinators as an underclassmen at Oregon. His junior year at Tennessee he only played 6 games. This year the Vols ran for more yards than they passed, Thornton led the team. 
 

Watson was the more well rounded athlete coming out of college. But I was referring more to how he is handled at Green Bay. There are some weeks where he plays a lot, but most weeks he hovers in the 50 to 70% of offensive snaps. I don’t think Thornton is a full time player - Tennessee didn’t use him that way - so playing him during specific formations would be his best bet in the NFL. 

 

I don’t know if concern is the right word. He played over 70% of his snaps from the slot and the “out wide” snaps included a lot of late shifts where he wound up as the outside guy…so there projection…and his short arms are a disadvantage against longer defenders.
 

But I think if you try to make him an outside receiver you are neutering what makes him a really good player. He is at his best stretching the field and I think having him inside against more nickels, safeties and linebackers where he can just kind of weave around them and outrun them is his best way to get vertical. It also gives him more space to get to the flat. I thought the dynamic they had at ISU with him and Higgins was a really nice 1-2 punch where their skills were very different but very complimentary.

On tape he has had no issue with press.  What he lacks in length, he makes up for in stature.  He is not an X but Z and Slot in the NFL are not that different.  Every play has either a shift or motion element.  Bills need a deep threat he is that.  Imo he is the most well rounded wr that offers that dimension in the draft. Fast in game and timed.  Produced in college.  Is versatile to play multiple spots.

[LEBills]

2 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

On tape he has had no issue with press.  What he lacks in length, he makes up for in stature.  He is not an X but Z and Slot in the NFL are not that different.  Every play has either a shift or motion element.  Bills need a deep threat he is that.  Imo he is the most well rounded wr that offers that dimension in the draft. Fast in game and timed.  Produced in college.  Is versatile to play multiple spots.

If you have him rated higher than me I can respect that. 1 thru 12 on this list were very hard for me to rank. In the end I do think he is a bit more typecast than other players. For him to be rated higher by me, I wanted to see a bit more playmaking after the catch  on shorter routes.
 

I think he will be a good player and probably better than several I have ranked above him, but in the range of outcomes I think his ceiling is a bit less than other players ceilings.

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#11 Kyle Williams WR Washington State (RD 2-3)

- 4.39 YPRR vs man coverage last year

- Played over 80% of his snaps out wide

- Fifth year senior

 

What does he do on film?

 

Speed and acceleration

- 1:17 but pause at 1:21 and you will see just how fast KW is out of his cuts. KW is already bending around the defender can even get his punch out

- 4:52 really nice job faking the slant before bending into the out route and leaving CB turned around

- 5:27 settled into the right part of the zone and then showed off the slippery missed tackle ability

- 7:19 speed really weaponized in reverses and end arounds

- 14:23 dangerous when used like Tyreek Hill in motion prior to the snap. So fast.

 

 

Weaknesses:

- Bad habit of not getting proper depth on his curl routes and getting stopped short of the marker

- A bit one dimensional as a player. When a CB was able to keep up with him, you felt the lack of size (vs Washington)

 

Conclusion:

A hidden gem that is now in the spotlight after Chris Simms featuring him as the #2 WR in the draft. He is totally a Simms WR as he produces a lot of big plays. 

 

His size will be a big question of if he can continue to play in the outside in the NFL. His route tree also was not very diverse and would need to expand. A role in a Mike McDaniel type offense where he can be used in motion to enhance his speed would be the best environment for KW to breakout. I expect him to go round 2. 

[The Firebaugh Kid]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:07 AM, LEBills said:

My Personal 2025 WR Rankings:

 

#13 Dont’e Thornton WR Tennessee (RD 2-3)

- Oregon transfer

- Helped take care of 4 younger siblings while his father was in prison

- 2 time SEC academic honor roll

 

What does he do on film?

 

You have to have Safety help over the top

- 1:43 RPO draws safety toward the LOS and Thornton fills the vacated space for another easy touchdown

- 6:34 copy and paste

- 6:48 ditto

 

Deep ball tracking

- 1:33 Thornton is excellent at tracking the ball in the air

- 3:46 late hands and cradles the ball as he runs full speed while being dragged down from behind

 

Weaknesses:

- Is not going to shake a tackler but will politely fall forward

- College offense schemed open looks rather than Thornton creating separation via route running

 

Conclusion:

Being 6’5’’ and running a 4.3 is a superpower. One that forces teams to account for you each snap you are on the field. He also is a pretty good run blocker which will be important for him to stay on the field in 2 WR sets. But Thornton comes with many questions that can’t be answered by his measurements. Despite his size, he was never used much as an end zone target and his contested catch rate varied wildly from year to year. He also was only used on a few routes, and not having a more varied route tree will make covering him easier than it should be in the pros. Thornton is a package player with a very important role in an Offense (Tennessee used him as such as he wound up with the 4th most WR snaps on the team). I think a Christian Watson role may be where he carves out his niche.

I’ve seen receiver rankings where this guy isn’t even in the top 25. You might be able to grab someone like that in the sixth but I would not wait that long. Watching him run the 40 is almost effortless the dude is an incredible athlete.

[LEBills]

30 minutes ago, The Firebaugh Kid said:

I’ve seen receiver rankings where this guy isn’t even in the top 25. You might be able to grab someone like that in the sixth but I would not wait that long. Watching him run the 40 is almost effortless the dude is an incredible athlete.

He will go day 2, the advanced metrics and workout numbers are too good compared to his cohorts. Hopefully whichever team that drafts him has a plan for him, asking him to be your WR2 out of the gate could be rough

[The Firebaugh Kid]

Just now, LEBills said:

He will go day 2, the advanced metrics and workout numbers are too good compared to his cohorts. Hopefully whichever team that drafts him has a plan for him, asking him to be your WR2 out of the gate could be rough

With that size and speed I’d send him deep every play L O L

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#10 Jack Bech WR TCU (RD 2-3)

- Played Tight End at LSU before transferring

- Dominated senior Bowl practices and won MVP

 

What does he do on film?

 

Excellent against zone

- 1:00 gets behind the backer and behind the safety and then his strength and quickness makes him a difficult runner to corral

- 2:08 just such a natural feel for zone coverage. It is a small window but he finds it well and gives his QB a great target

- 5:23 crosses the LBs face for an easy catch and then a not so easy rumble to the end zone

 

Impressive releases and route running

- 3:00 awesome swim move to get free and hit the slant

- 4:42 fakes the outside release, gets DB sliding than swims over to hit the slant

- 5:06 burnt this DB with the double move

- 6:26 big boy slant

 

Weaknesses:

- Lack of long speed

- Lack of top end athleticism led to a low YPRR vs man coverage

 

Conclusion:

Played a lot on the outside but it was his slot reps that were truly devastating for defenses. He catches everything thrown his way, covers up for mistakes by his teammates, and is a load to bring down. 

 

He has been compared to Puka Nacua by several evaluators and I get it. Puka has more wiggle and athleticism but Bech has maximized his potential by knowing angles really well. He is well suited for the modern NFL as a phenomenal blocker for the position and was regularly deployed near the OTs like Mack Hopkins was for us last year.

[Pete]

6 hours ago, LEBills said:

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#10 Jack Bech WR TCU (RD 2-3)

- Played Tight End at LSU before transferring

- Dominated senior Bowl practices and won MVP

 

What does he do on film?

 

Excellent against zone

- 1:00 gets behind the backer and behind the safety and then his strength and quickness makes him a difficult runner to corral

- 2:08 just such a natural feel for zone coverage. It is a small window but he finds it well and gives his QB a great target

- 5:23 crosses the LBs face for an easy catch and then a not so easy rumble to the end zone

 

Impressive releases and route running

- 3:00 awesome swim move to get free and hit the slant

- 4:42 fakes the outside release, gets DB sliding than swims over to hit the slant

- 5:06 burnt this DB with the double move

- 6:26 big boy slant

 

Weaknesses:

- Lack of long speed

- Lack of top end athleticism led to a low YPRR vs man coverage

 

Conclusion:

Played a lot on the outside but it was his slot reps that were truly devastating for defenses. He catches everything thrown his way, covers up for mistakes by his teammates, and is a load to bring down. 

 

He has been compared to Puka Nacua by several evaluators and I get it. Puka has more wiggle and athleticism but Bech has maximized his potential by knowing angles really well. He is well suited for the modern NFL as a phenomenal blocker for the position and was regularly deployed near the OTs like Mack Hopkins was for us last year.

Bech is my favorite WR for Bills.  Him, and Golden

[SoonerBillsFan]

6 hours ago, LEBills said:

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#10 Jack Bech WR TCU (RD 2-3)

- Played Tight End at LSU before transferring

- Dominated senior Bowl practices and won MVP

 

What does he do on film?

 

Excellent against zone

- 1:00 gets behind the backer and behind the safety and then his strength and quickness makes him a difficult runner to corral

- 2:08 just such a natural feel for zone coverage. It is a small window but he finds it well and gives his QB a great target

- 5:23 crosses the LBs face for an easy catch and then a not so easy rumble to the end zone

 

Impressive releases and route running

- 3:00 awesome swim move to get free and hit the slant

- 4:42 fakes the outside release, gets DB sliding than swims over to hit the slant

- 5:06 burnt this DB with the double move

- 6:26 big boy slant

 

Weaknesses:

- Lack of long speed

- Lack of top end athleticism led to a low YPRR vs man coverage

 

Conclusion:

Played a lot on the outside but it was his slot reps that were truly devastating for defenses. He catches everything thrown his way, covers up for mistakes by his teammates, and is a load to bring down. 

 

He has been compared to Puka Nacua by several evaluators and I get it. Puka has more wiggle and athleticism but Bech has maximized his potential by knowing angles really well. He is well suited for the modern NFL as a phenomenal blocker for the position and was regularly deployed near the OTs like Mack Hopkins was for us last year.

I can see this guy being on the Bills radar.

[OldTimer1960]

On 3/28/2025 at 6:53 PM, nosejob said:

So...we have to at least jump Dallas for Golden...or 1st rd. WR is out....Do ya really wanna drop that coin right out of the gate?....and if you're not using a 26 pick, that leaves us what?

I think in this weak WR class we are so desperate to find a WR that we are seeing these guys as better than they are.

[Dr. Who]

28 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I think in this weak WR class we are so desperate to find a WR that we are seeing these guys as better than they are.

Golden is a nice player, imo. I'd be thrilled to get him at 30. He won't be there, and the cost to move up and get him is tough given the multiple needs on D. 

[nosejob]

31 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I think in this weak WR class we are so desperate to find a WR that we are seeing these guys as better than they are.

There's no need for us to be desperate.  We can find a go route guy somewhere along the line.

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

#9 Jalen Royals WR Utah State (RD 2-3)

- Multi sport athlete in HS

- 21 TDs in 1.5 seasons at Utah State

- Often left the defender worse for the wear after they tried tackling him

 

What does he do on film?

 

You have to be both physical and technically sound if you want to stand a chance vs Royals:

- 2:14 able to get quick speed out of a bunch formation so when defenders tries to get physical with Royals, the defender just slips off of him

- 3:09 physicality without good technique will get whooped by Royals because he is very strong. bad throw

- 3:38 just bad defense by Boise giving up the inside release with the Safety so far back. I think the missed tackles are more on the CB and Safety than anything incredible Royals did, but the speed when he has a step on a defense is important to see

- 4:23 Royals avoids the press and swipes the hand away to get even with the CB. CB trails the rest of the way and nice outside break to give his QB a safe completion.

 

Weaknesses:

- Very good short and deep route player but lacks route running polish for intermediate routes

- Dealt with injuries the later portion of the year

 

Conclusion:

At his best when USU put him to the wide hash and he had much more space to work with on slants, screens and gos. Feisty and slippery after the catch with over 25% avoided tackle rate. Excellent contested catch receiver despite modest height. Royals still has room to grow as a receiver - particularly on his intermediate routes - but is set up well to be a second option in a YAC heavy offense with his ability to occasionally stretch the field vertically.

[LEBills]

My personal 2025 WR rankings:

 

 

#8 Jayden Higgins WR ISU (RD 2)

- Started career at Eastern Kentucky

- Only seven drops his entire career

 

What does he do on film?

 

NFL level movement skills

- 4:24 surprising shiftiness for a player his size

- 8:47 was the go to receiver on 4th downs. Excellent pacing to get separation downfield for the conversion

- 17:33 third time in a row he beats his defender deep down the sideline

- 21:36 nice job pushing the DB off with those long arms, nice over the shoulder catch along sideline

 

Red Zone terror

- 4:58 just ran through the woeful grab by the CB and went over whatever the safety was doing for the TD (that got called back on penalty)

- 5:22 uses his body and long frame to shield ball away from defender for the real TD

- 7:28 ditto

- 12:12 pretty bad defense by the CB, Higgins gets on his toes and dips inside before going to back corner of end zone for easy 6

 

Weaknesses:

- Would like to see him fight through tackles for extra yards

- Long speed is lacking leading to lesser big play potential

 

Conclusion:

Another in a long line of big Iowa State receivers and Higgins is the best of them. He has been comped to Nico Collins due to nearly identical testing. Higgins was actually much better in college than Collins but Collins does have a bit more physicality and explosiveness.

 

I thought Higgins did a lot of great work with Noel as his running mate as they would often do a two man game and open things up for each other. Being paired with a speedy partner that can share time in the slot and outside with Higgins should unlock his best as Higgins does not create a lot of explosive plays. A team like Miami who needs size on the outside and has speed to burn would be a great offense for him.