Draft Preview 2021: Receivers
February 24, 2023
by Steve Thomas
Welcome to another edition in The Hog Sty’s draft preview series. Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
Washington’s receiver group is fairly loaded with talent, with the likes of Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin and 2022 first round pick Jahan Dotson leading the way, followed by veteran Curtis Samuel, 2021 third round pick Dyami Brown, and the underused and under-appreciated Cam Sims. This group certainly needs a good quarterback to take advantage of their collective talents, but the truth is that Washington probably does not need to spend another high or even mid-round pick on a receiver, particularly considering their other team needs. Therefore, I don’t expect any of these top receivers to be selected by Washington absent either an unexpected trade or a dumb selection. Regardless, let’s take a look through this year’s prospects to see what sort of talent will be available in April’s draft:
Top-tier prospects
Quentin Johnston, 6’4” / 212, TCU: Johnston is an athletic freak of nature, with both size and rumored elite speed. He played 30 games in three seasons for TCU from 2020 – 2022, with 115 receptions for 2190 yards, 19.0 yards per catch, and 14 touchdowns. This past season, he played 14 games, and had 60 receptions for 1069 yards and 6 touchdowns. Johnston was an All-Big 12 selection in 2021 and 2022. He has the size, speed, and ability to be a prototypical #1, X receiver in the NFL. Scouts view him as being a precise route runner, but also someone who only ran a fairly limited route tree at TCU. He also had 8 drops this past year, so that’s a problem that teams will have to account for. Some have compared Johnston to A.J. Green and Julio Jones, but perhaps not quite as talented as either. Regardless, Johnston is rated #1 by some scouts and is a high quality prospect deserving of a first round grade.
Jordan Addison, 6’0” / 175, USC: Addison is a true junior who played two years at Pitt in 2020 and 2021 before transferring to USC for the 2022 season. In total, he played 35 games and made 219 receptions for 3134 yards, 14.3 yards per reception, and 29 touchdowns. In 2022 with USC, Addison played 11 games and made 59 receptions for 875 yards, 14.8 yards per reception, and 8 touchdowns. He was a Consensus All-American in 2021 and First Team All-Pac 12 in 2022. Scouts view him as having elite, refined receiving skills and the ability to separate. However, he may not have top-end speed for a receiver of his size, and his slight frame may be a limitation when facing NFL-quality press-man coverage. Addison is ranked #1 in the class by someone and is another solid first round prospect.
Jaxson Smith-Njigba, 6’0” / 198, Ohio St.: Smith-Njigba is another true junior who played three season for the Buckeyes from 2020 – 2022. He played in a total of 23 games and had 110 receptions for 1698 yards, 15.4 yards per reception, and 10 touchdowns. His 2022 season was limited to just 3 games due to a hamstring injury, but in those games, he had 5 receptions for 43 yards for 8.6 yards per reception. He was a Third Team All-American selection in 2021. Smith-Njigba has quality hands, and is known as an outstanding route runner and as someone who knows how to separate, but probably does not have elite speed. He is a player who is going to have to rely on his technique in order to succeed in the NFL. The danger with Smith-Njigba is inexperience, as his collegiate experience is essentially just one year of playing time. He’s viewed by most as a first or second round pick.
Second tier prospects
Jalin Hyatt, 6’0” / 175, Tennessee: Hyatt played a total of 29 games in three seasons at the University of Tennessee, and had a total of 108 receptions for 1769 yards, 16.4 yards per reception, and 19 touchdowns. In 2022, Hyatt played 12 games and had 67 receptions for 1267 yards, 18.9 yards per reception, and 15 touchdowns, and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award for being the top receiver in the country. He was also named as a Unanimous All-American. Hyatt is the prototypical slot receiver – fast, elusive, athletic, with a slender build. Scouts view his principal negatives, beyond his build, as being the fact he comes from a very spread offense at Tennessee and needs work on his route tree. Hyatt is viewed as a day one selection, although probably the second round.
Zay Flowers, 5’10”, 172, Boston College: Flowers played for Boston College for four seasons, playing in a total of 48 games. In that span, he had 200 receptions for 3056 yards, 15.3 yards per reception, and 29 touchdowns. In 2022, Flowers played 23 games and made 78 receptions for 1077 yards, 13.8 yards per carry, and had 12 touchdowns. He was a First Team All-ACC selection in 2020 and 2022, and a Third Team All-ACC selection in 2021. Flowers has obviously been highly productive and is a dynamic player, but is undersized by NFL standards and has been criticized for his hands. His destiny is most likely as a slot receiver.
Kayshon Boutte, 6’0” / 185, LSU: Boutte is another true junior. In three seasons with LSU, he played in a total of 27 games, and had 131 receptions for 1782 yards, 13.6 yards per reception, and 16 touchdowns. In 2022, he played 11 games, with 48 receptions for 538 yards, 11.2 yards per reception, and 2 touchdowns. Boutte is known as having elite speed and cutting ability, and does very well after the catch, which makes him a potentially dangerous threat in the NFL. However, he wasn’t a true “X” receiver in college and is viewed as more of a vertical threat best suited for either the “Z” or the slot. Most scouts see him as a second or third round talent.
Josh Downs, 5’10” / 171, North Carolina: Downs is a true junior who spent three seasons with North Carolina, playing 28 games, with 202 receptions, 2483 yards, 12.3 yards per reception, and 22 touchdowns. In 2022, he played 11 games and had 94 receptions, 1029 yards, 10.9 yards per reception, and 11 touchdowns. He was selected as First Team All-ACC in both 2021 and 2022. Downs height and body type will most likely limit him to a slot role in the NFL. He supposedly ran a 4.47 in the 40 yard dash as a junior, but some feel as though he will be substantially faster than that. He’s also rumored to have a 42 inch vertical jump. Downs was highly productive in college, and scouts feel as though he is capable of running the entire route tree. Downs has been rated at anything from the late first round to the lower second round.
Third tier prospects
Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, 5’10” / 155, Houston: Dell played five total collegiate seasons between 2018 and 2022. He began at Alabama A&M in 2018, then transferred to Independence Community College in 2019, then transferred again to the University of Houston in 2020, where he stayed through this past season. In his three years with Houston, he played in a total of 35 games, and had 228 receptions for 3155 yards, 13.8 yards per reception, and 32 touchdowns. In 2022, Dell played 13 games, with 109 receptions for 1398 yards, 12.8 yards per reception, and 17 touchdowns, as well as 9 punt returns for 153 yards and 1 touchdown. He was a First Team All-AAC selection in both 2021 and 2022. Dell was productive at Houston in a variety of different roles, from the slot, on the outside, in the backfield, and in motion. Dell was a big-time, explosive playmaker in college. His downside is his size, which is below average even by slot receiver standards. Houston also plays a very wide-open, spread offense, so the NFL may be an adjustment for him. Scouts rate him as anything from a mid-second round talent to the fourth round.
Rashee Rice, 6’3” / 206, SMU: Rice spent four years at SMU, playing in 42 games, with 233 receptions for 3111 yards, 13.4 yards per reception, and 25 touchdowns. In 2022, Rice played 12 games, with 96 receptions, 1355 yards, 14.1 yards per reception, and 10 touchdowns, and earned First Team All-AAC honors. There’s some dispute as to his height that will have to be nailed down in the scouting process, because he’s variously listed at anywhere from 6’0” to 6’3”, depending on the source. Scouts see him as a quality route runner with good ball skills but someone who was limited by SMU’s spread offense, so he may have a learning curve in the NFL.
Marvin Mims, 5’11” / 177, Oklahoma: Mims is a true junior who played a total of 37 games for Oklahoma, and had 123 receptions for 2398 yards, 19.5 yards per reception, and 20 touchdowns. In 2022, Mims played 13 games, with 54 receptions, 1083 yards, 20.1 yards per reception, and 6 touchdowns, and was a First Team All-Big 12 selection. He was an explosive playmaker in college and is a deep ball, vertical threat. He is a bit on the small size by NFL standards and isn’t known to be able to run the entire route tree. Mims is viewed by many as a third round draft value.