Last season, NFL quarterbacks dropped back to throw the ball 21,323 times. NFL teams deployed three receivers on 15,496 of those dropbacks (72.7%), so let’s just say that receivers are important. Not only that, but they’re important both outside and in the slot. The 3×1 set, which is the dominant formation in the league today, most commonly has one tight end and three receivers, which means you’re going to have at least one receiver in the slot, and most likely two.
Projecting all that into the 2023 draft class of receivers is interesting, because while there’s a lot of talent — this might be the deepest position group in this class — there are more smaller “move-around” guys than there are obvious alpha WR1 players that you can just put on the field and watch him dominate everybody. This class of targets will require more creativity and trait-matching from their NFL coaches and play-callers, and while that’s not a bad thing, you could wind up with some prospects in less-than-ideal spots.
All we can do on this end is to present the attributes and liabilities of these receivers in as much of a vacuum as possible, and that is the plan right here.
Here are Touchdown Wire’s top eight receivers in the 2023 NFL draft class.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).
(All prospect measurement percentiles courtesy of MockDraftable.com).
2023 NFL Draft: The top 9 safeties
2023 NFL Draft: The top 11 cornerbacks
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 linebackers
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior defensive linemen
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 edge defenders
2023 NFL Draft: The top 5 offensive tackles
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior offensive linemen
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 tight ends
1. Zay Flowers, Boston College
Height: 5′ 9¼” (8th percentile) Weight: 182 (10th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.42 (82nd)
10-Yard Split: 1.53 (68th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 35½” (50th)
Broad Jump: 127″ (84th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 72¼” (9th)
Arm Length: 29¼” (2nd)
Hand Size: 9¼” (39th)
Bio: Xavien “Zay” Flowers attended University High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he played on the varsity team all four years. He played receiver, running back, and defensive back, helping University to back-to-back Class 4A state semifinal appearances, and he also played basketball. A three-star recruit, Flowers chose Boston College over more than 30 offering schools because of the educational opportunities. He committed as a defensive back, but switched to receiver almost immediately.
In four seasons with the Eagles, Flowers amassed 199 catches on 347 targets for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 547 snaps out wide, 169 in the slot, and three inline.
Stat to Know: 49% of Flowers’ routes run in 2022 were 15 yards or more, which was the highest rate for any receiver on this list.
Strengths: You press Flowers at your peril, because he comes out of his breaks with pure evil in his feet. He is outstanding at displacing cornerbacks and breaking their leverage with foot fakes and at-the-snap movement… and then, it’s off to the races.
Not that you, Mr. Defender, have a better shot at Flowers if you’re playing off-coverage — he’ll set you up well into his route, and turn on the burners. If you catch up to him because his quarterback threw him closed (again), he’ll find a way to catch the ball. Flowers has outstanding contested catch toughness for his size.
In Flowers’ hands, a simple screen, slant, or drag route can become a big play at any time. He accelerates very well after the catch, and he has that special third gear you want in an intermediate and deep receiver — it’s just nice that he can use that on anything.
Weaknesses: You’ll read analysis of Flowers’ route exactness as remedial; maybe that’s true, but it’s so much more about a basic passing game and weird quarterback play than it is a debit in Flowers’ case. So much of this offense was “Get it to Zay however you can” with limited options. I look at it as more an opportunity for Flowers’ NFL coaching staff to make even more of his potential.
Conclusion: Keep in mind that Flowers did everything he did in 2022 with two quarterbacks in Phil Jurkovec and Emmett Morehead who played at a sub-standard level; this is a guy who could have used a good transfer portal last season. Unlike the second and third receivers on this list, Flowers wasn’t catching passes from Kenny Pickett, C.J. Stroud, or Caleb Williams; he had to make more happen at a higher level than any other receiver discussed here. Flowers was thrown closed far more than he was thrown open, and he faced contested catch situations that were not his fault at all. This makes me think that when he gets to the NFL, he’ll be able to exploit his explosiveness even more than he did in college. Flowers is my top receiver primarily because of that — the projection to the NFL includes at least above-average quarterback play, and with that, Flowers might be just about unstoppable.
NFL Comparison: T.Y. Hilton. The Colts took Hilton in the third round of the 2012 draft out of Florida International, and though he had some work to do with the nuances of the position, the 5-foot-10, 183-pound Hilton could present nightmares to opposing defenses immediately with his explosiveness in all kinds of ways. Hilton was Andrew Luck’s best buddy before that whole thing fell apart, and I think Flowers has the same potential to make his NFL quarterback a very happy person.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Height: 6′ 0⅝” (37th percentile) Weight: 196 (36th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 35″ (44th)
Broad Jump: 125″ (75th)
3-Cone Drill: 6.57 (96th)
20-Yard Shuttle: 3.93 (97th)
Wingspan: 75½” (38th)
Arm Length: 30½” (14th)
Hand Size: 9″ (20th)
Bio: Smith-Njigba went to Rockwell High School in Rockwell, Texas, and played receiver on the varsity squad in all four years. The 6A State Player of the Year and Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba totaled 5,414 yards and 82 touchdowns in his high school days. That made him a five-star recruit, and Smith-Njigba chose Ohio State over several major schools after visiting the Buckeyes in his junior season. Smith-Njigba had just 10 catches on 13 targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in 2020, but he absolutely blew up in 2021 with 95 catches on 112 targets for 1,595 yards and nine touchdowns. He was limited to just four catches on eight targets for 39 yards last season, as he missed 10 games with a left hamstring injury.
In 2021, his primary season of productivity, Smith-Njigba had 562 snaps in the slot, 80 out wide, two inline, and one in the backfield.
Stat to Know: In 2021, Smith-Njigba caught 13 passes of 20 or more air yards on 18 targets for 424 yards and five touchdowns.
Strengths: Smith-Njigba’s movement skills in short spaces, and the way he uses them to get and stay open, are as good as they are for any receiver in this class. He’s an angular expert who can just eat up press coverage, and do the same to off-coverage cornerbacks when they come up to deal with him. Smith-Njigba can also easily extrapolate those skills to gain yards after the catch. This textbook example against Penn State is particularly enlightening; he put Tariq Castro-Fields in the dryer.
Smith-Njigba also has an excellent sense of how to work zone coverage — whether he’s inside or outside, he’ll find open space. He’s especially effective with this in bunches and stacks, where defenders have to take that extra millisecond to discern where he’s going. That millisecond is all Smith-Njigba needs.
And when you’re facing up to Smith-Njigba in any kind of coverage, you don’t want to get fooled by his feet, because if he turns you around, it’s all over. He’s too quick to allow defenders to recover from missteps most of the time.
All three of these examples have Smith-Njigba winning from more of an outside role, and that’s an important delineation, given the fact that he played so much in the slot at Ohio State. I do not believe that he’s limited to that role at the next level, but all those attributes certainly project well inside, as well. He can make everyone else look as if they’re a step behind all the way through the defense.
Weaknesses: Smith-Njigba cam get on top of defenders with his route awareness and movement skills, but he doesn’t have the kind of pure burner speed that will allow him to consistently get and keep away from those defenders in a straight line at the second and third levels.
And at his size, he’s not going to break tackles with pure power, He’s an exploiter and creator of open space as opposed to a bigger guy who’s just going to crash into people for extra gains.
Conclusion: As long as Smith-Njigba is fully healthy, allowing him to be the player he was in 2021, he’s one of the best receivers in this draft class because he can take a small window and make it bigger for his quarterback. His ability to do so is unusual for a receiver coming into the NFL. Smith-Njigba’s game is as much about refinement as it is about pure athleticism, and he combines those two larger attributes in ways that allow him to won consistently all over the field, from anywhere in the formation.
NFL Comparison: Cooper Kupp. The Rams stole Kupp in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Eastern Washington, and Kupp made it clear pretty quickly that he was going to define Sean McVay’s passing game, regardless of the quarterback, with his route precision, his awareness of defenders around him, and his ability to move away from them despite decent (but not amazing) straight-speed. The NFL team adding Smith-Njigba to its roster will benefit from all of this at a very high level.
3. Jordan Addison, USC
Height: 5′ 11⅛” (26th percentile) Weight: 173 (3rd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.49 (56th)
10-Yard Split: 1.56 (46th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 34″ (32nd)
Broad Jump: 122″ (56th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 74½” (28th)
Arm Length: 30⅞” (20th)
Hand Size: 8¾” (9th)
Bio: Addison played quarterback, receiver, and defensive back at Tuscarora High School in Frederick, Maryland. The four-star recruit got an offer from Notre Dame, which was an early preference, but at defensive back, which was not. Eventually, Addison chose Pitt in favor of receivers coach Chris Beatty. After two seasons with the Panthers in which he racked up kudos ranging from Freshman All-American in 2020 to the Biletnikoff Award in 2021, Addison transferee to USC — a decision cemented by coaching changes, and quarterback Kenny Pickett’s graduation to the NFL.
In two seasons with the Panthers and one with the Trojans, Addison totaled 219 receptions on 310 targets for 3,130 yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2022, Addison had 422 snaps outside, 102 in the slot, nine in the backfield, and four inline.
Stat to Know: Addison’s Catchable Catch Rate of 95% (the percentage of receptions on catchable targets) tied him with North Carolina’s Josh Downs and Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt for tops among 2023 receiver prospects.
Strengths: Whether you’re watching him at Pitt or at USC, the first thing that stands out about Addison is how well he can manipulate defenders with routes — not just the routes in total, but how he’s able to bend the stems and attack opponents with them. He’ll shake prominent cornerbacks right out of their cleats. Utah’s Clark Phillips III is one of the best cornerbacks in this class, and Addison gave him no shot at all on this filthy vertical route.
Addison’s speed and suddenness make him a weapon in a straight line, sure, but it really shows up when he needs to take those short-area movements and make them explosive. If you’re handing him off through coverage, any mis-step could be fatal for your defense.
NFL teams that like to employ their receivers on sweeps are probably already dreaming of how well Addison has already proven to fit that particular paradigm.
Weaknesses: It’s good that Addison has all that speed and quickness, because he’s not going to win any physical battles. He’s not an effective blocker at his size, and bigger, more aggressive press cornerbacks could give him fits… if they can keep up with him.
Conclusion: Whether from the slot or outside, Addison has proven in multiple offenses and with two different major college programs that he can tie defenders in knots with his specific, highly-practiced skills. In an NFL that is becoming more and more about creating explosive plays on offense and preventing them on defense, Addison’s creative skills make him a highly valuable asset at the next level.
NFL Comparison: Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks took Lockett in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Kansas State, and he’s become one of the league’s most difficult receivers to consistently defend because he can beat you in so many different ways. Like Addison, the 5-foot-10, 182-pound Lockett isn’t going to win any strength battles, but you don’t buy a Ferrari to tow your boat. Put Addison on the field, and your NFL passing game immediately becomes more of a problem for every opponent.
4. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Height: 6′ 0⅛” (35th percentile) Weight: 176 (5th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.40 (86th)
10-Yard Split: 1.50 (86th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 40″ (92nd)
Broad Jump: 135″ (97th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 77⅝” (61st)
Arm Length: 32½” (65th)
Hand Size: 9″ (20th)
Bio: Hyatt attended Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, South Carolina after serving as a ball boy for the football program in his younger years. The three-year varsity star also burned up the track at an All-American level, and participated in strength contests despite the fact that he weighed just 155 pounds as a high school senior. Perhaps it was the weight that had Clemson and South Carolina, the two prominent schools in his home state, looking elsewhere. Eventually, Hyatt committed to Tennessee over Penn State, Michigan, and Miami (Fla).
In three seasons with the Volunteers, Hyatt totaled 108 catches on 151 targets for 1,769 yards and 19 touchdowns. In 2022, as the featured weapon in Josh Heupel’s field-stretching Air Raid/Veer offense, Hyatt had 311 snaps in the slot, seven out wide, two in the backfield, and one inline.
Stat to Know: Hyatt’s 13.9 yards per target leads all receivers on this list by a large margin; TCU’s Quentin Johnston ranked second at 10.9.
Strengths: Very few receivers have ever done to Alabama’s defense what Hyatt did to it last season. He caught six passes on eight targets for 207 yards and FIVE TOUCHDOWNS, and his tape against the Crimson Tide is as frightening as any you’ll see from any receiver in this class.
Obviously, Hyatt’s speed is game-changing, and it’s a constant threat. Even the balls he didn’t catch against Alabama showed a danger any defense has to account for. Had Hendon Hooker not been pressured to throw this ball short on Hyatt’s vertical sweep, Hyatt would probably have had another touchdown. He’s just so scary in open space.
Teams would press other Tennessee receivers in man and zone coverage last season even when they wouldn’t press Hyatt because they were petrified of his deep speed. Often, the results turned out the same with that more cautious approach. You’re going to want safety help more often than not when you’re on him — especially if he’s dusting your cornerbacks with any kinds of switch releases.
Hyatt isn’t a yards after catch receiver in the sense that he’ll beat contact to gain yards after it. What he is, is a dominant yards after catch receiver because he can turn on that Road Runner gene, go all “meep meep” on a defense, and that’s going to be that.
Weaknesses: Hyatt faced very little press coverage in that offense, and you’d expect that he’ll get a lot more of it in the NFL. That’s a tough projection, because there just isn’t a lot of press tape to watch, He lived in a constant state of free release, and he certainly won’t at the next level. Even the few guys who did press him did so with some trepidation.
Conclusion: Debiting Hyatt too much because he’s not a “traditional” receiver with this or that route tree might betray a lack of understanding not only of his specific assets, but also a lack of understanding of how these kinds of receivers are deployed at the NFL level right now. If Hyatt was beating press all the time and running 20 unique routes (he had 12 last season, per Sports Info Solutions), he would be the lead-pipe No. 1 receiver in this class, and probably a top-five pick. That’s not who he is, and maybe it’s not who he’ll ever be, but if he can develop the things he wasn’t asked to develop in college, you’re talking about a Tyreek Hill-level field-tilter who will just waste a defense, and automatically change how those defenses are forced to play.
NFL Comparison: DeSean Jackson. Jackson came out of Cal and was selected by the Eagles with the 49th overall pick in the 2008 draft as Andy Reid’s vertical element in his West Coast-based passing game. Jackson had burner skills from his first minicamp, and over time, he developed an underrated ability to alter his routes and movements to further create issues for defenses. Hyatt has a lot of that same profile, and whichever speed receiver he most reminds you of, he is absolutely That Guy.
5. Quentin Johnston, TCU
Height: 6′ 2¾” (76th percentile) Weight: 208 (64th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 40½” (93rd)
Broad Jump: 134″ (97th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 81⅝” (96th)
Arm Length: 33⅝” (91st)
Hand Size: 9⅝” (68th)
Bio: Johnston was a basketball and track star at Temple High School in Temple, Texas, but football was his primary avocation. A four-star recruit, Johnston originally committed to Texas, but repeated entreaties from then-TCU head coach Gary Patterson and receivers coach Malcolm Kelly had Johnston changing his mind in favor of the Horned Frogs. Over three seasons with TCU, Johnston caught 115 passes in 199 targets for 2,158 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 412 snaps out wide, and 35 in the slot.
Stat to Know: 533 of Johnston’s 1,069 receiving yards came after the catch in 2022, the most YAC for any receiver in this class. Even a cursory look at his game tape will leave you completely unsurprised by this particular metric.
Strengths: Johnston’s size/speed profile forced defenses think more than twice about giving him single coverage; you really needed a bracket to deal with him when he was on point. As a deep crosser/post weapon, he is a real problem.
That’s also where the after-catch magic comes in; unless you’ve got your shoulders square to attack Johnston when he’s got the ball, you are in for a rude education.
Not that Johnston is limited to after-catch magic. This 51-yard catch against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game saw him shaking cornerback Julius Brents out of the picture, and adjusting to a pressured throw from quarterback Max Duggan.
Weaknesses: Johnston’s much-discussed issues with drops are definitely a thing. He had eight last season, and most of them were either simple focus drops, or instances in which he was so into turning and getting upfield, that he forgot to bring the ball with him. Oops.
And for a receiver his size, with his physicality as a pass-catcher, you’d certainly want him to be a more consistent and willing blocker.
Conclusion: Johnston profiles as a legitimate WR1 at the NFL level from a size/speed/traits perspective, but there are elements to his game that are lacking at this point, and he’s going to have to firm them up before he can really be that level of asset for his next team. Not that he can’t be a contributor in the NFL right away, but early on, there might be as much frustration as there is expectation until and unless he cuts down on the drops, expands his route palette, and plays in a more physical style that befits the archetype.
NFL Comparison: Tee Higgins. Selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 draft (the same draft that gave the Bengals Joe Burrow with the first overall pick), Higgins came into the league as a big (6-foot-4, 219 pound) receiver with all the traits, but gaps in consistency. Higgins has been incredibly productive in the NFL, especially over the last two seasons, and like Higgins, Johnston could be the same in any offense where he’s not the alpha dog, with the point of defensive focus on him every week. He could be part of a hellacious one-two punch, as Higgins is with Ja’Marr Chase, pretty quickly.
6. Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
Height: 6′ 3″ (81st percentile) Weight: 213 (77th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.54 (37th)
10-Yard Split: 1.53 (68th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 37″ (70th)
Broad Jump: 128″ (86th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 32¾” (72nd)
Hand Size: 10″ (86th)
Bio: A three-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, Tillman was high school teammates with eventual UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, among other notable names. He was lightly recruited, though, and it wasn’t until then-USC head coach Clay Helton told his brother Tyson, then Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, about Tillman that things got going. Tillman accepted the Vols’ offer for the 2018 class. In five seasons with Tennessee (two with serious playing time), Tillman caught 109 passes on 167 targets for 1,622 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Stat to Know: Tillman caught just three passes of 20 or more air yards last season, but two of them went for touchdowns.
Strengths: Tillman doesn’t have anything approaching home-run speed (the Vols had Jalin Hyatt for that), but he is capable of creating big plays with route nuance, after-catch toughness, and a nice awareness of the catch point.
Spread offenses are amplifiers for guys like Hiatt; Tillman may actually be more effective at the NFL level where his brand sheer determination after the catch is more valued in the short to intermediate game. There aren’t many receivers in this class who can drag defenders after the catch like he can — and is eager to.
That physicality extends to an ability to beat aggressive press coverage, as Tillman did here against Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. NFL cornerbacks who are used to pushing rookie receivers around might be surprised to see Tillman striking the first blow more often than not. In an NFL where quick game is the thing, and defenses are responding with more press coverage, this is an important next-level asset.
Weaknesses: Tillman does not have separation skills to any great degree — his speed is what it is, and he has a lot of assets to make up for it, but it’s just not his game. He’s also not going to make amazing plays that expand his catch radius.
Conclusion: Tillman’s athletic limitations will have some NFL teams wondering if he can be a credible starter in their offenses. If you want to run a track team on the field, that concern would be entirely legitimate. But if you have a need for a tough, smart receiver who is going to bail your quarterback out of some ugly situations and can be a plus in quick-game situations, Tillman might feast on your playbook. He is not spectacular, and he is not scheme-transcendent, but Tillman absolutely has a place in the right NFL home.
NFL Comparison: Eric Decker. Selected in the third round of the 2010 draft by the Broncos out of Minnesota, Decker became a high-volume receiver who was especially productive in Denver and for the Jets. Like Tillman (they ran the same 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine), Decker was not a land speed wizard, nor did he create separation with anything but his wits and play strength. But Decker showed that there’s still a place for a receiver like this in today’s NFL — and again, with quick-game and RPO concepts increasing in popularity, there might be more of a place now than in Decker’s heyday.
7. Josh Downs, North Carolina
Height: 5′ 9⅛” (8th percentile) Weight: 171 (2nd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.48 (63rd)
10-Yard Split: 1.49 (93rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 38½” (83rd)
Broad Jump: 131″ (92nd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 30⅜” (12th)
Hand Size: 9¼” (39th)
Bio: Downs played his high school ball at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia (alums include Jared Cook, C.J. Uzomah, and Ja’Wuan James), and he was called up to the varsity team in his freshman year. An All-State and All-County player who finished his high-school tenure with 187 catches for 3,019 yards and 32 touchdowns, Downs also lettered in basketball and track. A three-star recruit, Downs was offered by several major schools, but decided on North Carolina after former NFL cornerback Dre’ Bly, who played for the Rams, Lions, Broncos, and 49ers from 1999-2009, was hired as the Tar Heels’ cornerbacks coach. Bly, who is now the Lions’ cornerbacks coach, is Downs’ uncle.
In three seasons with North Carolina, Downs caught 202 passes on 272 targets for 2,483 yards and 22 touchdowns. Last season, he had 815 snaps in the slot, 16 in the backfield, 14 out wide, and one inline.
Stat to Know: Sports Info Solutions defined its “Unique Routes Run” metrics as the number of distinct routes that a receiver ran at least once in a season. Downs led all receivers in this class with 23 Unique Routes Run.
Strengths: Downs is regarded primarily as a slot receiver due to his size, but he was also a pest, over and over, from the outside on all kinds of shorter routes like slants, drags, hitches, and out routes from the outside. Wherever you line him up, he has the quick movement skills to get open, and the speed to make something of it after the catch.
Of course, you really want Downs as a slot weapon in your offense, and he brings the attributes above, as well as an ability to play bigger and taller than he is at the catch point, to the inside. Downs isn’t going to bully anybody out there, but he’s not afraid of contact.
He’s also mot afraid to catch the ball over the middle, probably because he knows he can just run away from defenders before they can get a lick on him.
Weaknesses: As is the case with most smaller, faster receivers, Downs makes his after-catch bones in open space. He’s not a tackle-breaker to any great degree. And while he’s feisty enough against press coverage (you love the competitivetemperament in those situations), again, he’s a space player. He’s better at getting out of compressed situations than fighting against them.
Conclusion: Receivers like Downs are a preference as opposed to a mandatory type. You have to have a plan for him, and that plan involves the design of open-space concepts he can exploit. But in any NFL offense where such a player is valued, Downs could make immediate contributions with not only his speed and movement abilities, but also his route versatility.
NFL Comparison: Travis Benjamin. Selected in the fourth round of the 2012 draft by the Browns out of Miami, Benjamin was that same type of scooting receiver with the ability to beat defenders on all kinds of routes. At his peak with the Browns and Chargers, Benjamin could do those things both in the slot and outside. Not bad for a 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver, and Downs could also be that sort of NFL weapon.
8. Marvin Mims Jr., Oklahoma
Height: 5′ 11¼” (27th) Weight: 183 (11th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 (90th)
10-Yard Split: 1.55 (54th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 39½” (89th)
Broad Jump: 129″ (89th)
3-Cone Drill: 6.9 (63rd)
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 31⅝” (40th)
Hand Size: 9″ (20th)
Bio: Coached by his father in little-league football in Frisco, Texas, Mims switched his attention to basketball in middle school ,and played on the same AAU team as did Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Mims worked his way back to football at Legacy Christian Academy and then Lone Star High School. His 5,485 receiving yards is the most in Texas high school history, which is pretty notable. A four-star recruit, Mims first chose Stanford among a host of major schools, and then decided that he preferred Oklahoma. It went well for the Sooners, as Mims became the first Freshman All-American in school history in 2020.
In three seasons with the Sooners, Mims caught 123 passes on 177 targets for 2,397 yards and 20 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 571 snaps out wide, 220 in the slot, 12 in the backfield, and one inline.
Stat to Know: In 2022, all six of Mims’ receiving touchdowns came on passes of 20 or more air yards. He caught 13 of 33 such passes for 602 yards.
Strengths: Mims isn’t a great deep receiver just because he can run really fast in a straight line (though he obviously can) — he also tracks the ball very well at high speed, he’ll jump to win at the catch point, and he is fearless for his size when he knows he’s about to get his block knocked off.
And you have to like that Mims doesn’t fold up against aggressive coverage — he can also beat press with foot fakes and quick movement, but he’s not above putting an elbow in there to get open.
440 of Mims’ 1,082 receiving yards last season came after the catch, and he’s fully capable of basting a defense on screens or any other quick pass — especially anything with angles in which he can further use his short-area quickness to win after the catch.
Weaknesses: While Mims has a nice playing demeanor when the ball is on the way to his area, that doesn’t always transfer to blocking. He’s willing at times, but it’s not a strength.
If a cornerback gets outside leverage on Mims, he can be compressed too easily to the boundary — he would do well to learn how to shoot back to the middle of the field to make himself a more attractive target in those instances.
Conclusion: Mims may be limited to a slot role at the next level due to his size and depending on his NFL team, but I’m not ready to make him a one-trick pony based purely on his tape. He has proven the ability to win outside (especially on deep passes), his play strength is better than you might think, and in any 3×1 set, the outside slot receiver can play outside roles in crossers and switches, anyway. You put him in your offense, you design concepts that allow him to get in the open field, and your quarterback’s deep efficiency is probably in for an uptick.
NFL Comparison: Emmanuel Sanders. Selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2010 draft out of SMU, Sanders has been a smaller (5-foot-11, 180-pound) but estimable target both in the slot and out wide because of his increasing route understanding, smooth speed from the line of scrimmage and out of his breaks, and toughness when it needed to be there. Like Sanders, Mims projects well as a highly-regarded WR2 in any offense where there’s a vertical element in need of reinforcement.
