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The Carolina Panthers, at least according to general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales, are fine with what they currently have in their wideout room. But do we really believe them?
As of now, quarterback Bryce Young's top weapon at the position will be a 35-year-old Adam Thielen. He's followed in the pecking order by Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, both of whom are in their second seasons, and veteran David Moore.
So, yeah, they could stand to add another receiver or two through the upcoming NFL draft.
And if they do, let's keep our list of the class' top ten wideouts handy . . .
Grade valuation: Early first round
Some may view Hunter strictly as a cornerback, but the Heisman Trophy winner is at his best when he's playing both sides of the ball.
His rare ball skills are part of what makes him so electrifying on the perimeter or in the slot. He also exhibits elite run-after-catch ability and short-area explosiveness to win in space.
Grade valuation: First round
Egbuka comes in as the true No. 1 receiver in the class.
While he may not have an elite standout trait, the former five-star recruit is a highly-developed route runner with great separation, quickness, hands, run-after-catch skills and quality blocking ability. Egbuka has the toolkit to not only work from the slot, but also as a potential X-receiver.
Grade valuation: First round
Golden's vertical speed, three-level separation ability and release packages make him a fun player. He will need to improve his consistency and play strength against physical defenders in the contact window before assuming a No. 1 playmaking role.
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
McMillan is still a quality prospect with an incredibly high-ceiling who is worth taking in the top 20 selections. You can't teach a player with his 6-foot-4 frame, wide catch radius, contested-catch ability, impressive short-area quickness and high-end ball skills.
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Like McMillan, Burden isn't the cleanest route runner and hasn't shown the ability to consistently win from the line of scrimmage. Still, his explosiveness and creativity as a ball carrier make him the best run-after-catch receiver in the draft.
Grade valuation: Second round
Higgins is a favorite for plenty in the draft community, and rightfully so. The former Eastern Kentucky transfer has outstanding body control and twitch at the top of his routes, and boasts a big frame to handle middle-of-the-field targets.
While he is learning to be more consistent with his release packages, he offers the inside-out versatility to be an effective X-receiver at the next level.
Grade valuation: Second round
The Cyclones are offering two quality wideout prospects that should have immediate contributions at the next level.
Noel is the explosive playmaking type that teams will be intrigued by. He's a bit smaller—but is a snappy and crisp route runner who can generate separation quickly and routinely.
Grade valuation: Second round
Harris is your prototypical X-style receiver, as he has great body control at the catch point to adjust to all sorts of passes thrown his way. The redshirt senior shows impressive run-after-catch ability and has the short-area quickness to be an effective route runner.
Grade valuation: Second round
Bech may not have the high-end explosiveness you're looking for, but he is a straight baller. He's a good route runner on all three levels, posseses enough twitch to gain space and has sufficient ball skills.
Grade valuation: Third round
Williams is the best press-man beater in the draft, as evidenced by his unique variation of releases at the line of scrimmage. His skill set allows him to generate big plays, especially in the screen game.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Ranking the top 10 wide receivers of the class
Continue reading...
As of now, quarterback Bryce Young's top weapon at the position will be a 35-year-old Adam Thielen. He's followed in the pecking order by Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, both of whom are in their second seasons, and veteran David Moore.
So, yeah, they could stand to add another receiver or two through the upcoming NFL draft.
And if they do, let's keep our list of the class' top ten wideouts handy . . .
No. 1: Travis Hunter, Colorado
Grade valuation: Early first round
Some may view Hunter strictly as a cornerback, but the Heisman Trophy winner is at his best when he's playing both sides of the ball.
His rare ball skills are part of what makes him so electrifying on the perimeter or in the slot. He also exhibits elite run-after-catch ability and short-area explosiveness to win in space.
No. 2: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Grade valuation: First round
Egbuka comes in as the true No. 1 receiver in the class.
While he may not have an elite standout trait, the former five-star recruit is a highly-developed route runner with great separation, quickness, hands, run-after-catch skills and quality blocking ability. Egbuka has the toolkit to not only work from the slot, but also as a potential X-receiver.
No. 3: Matthew Golden, Texas
Grade valuation: First round
Golden's vertical speed, three-level separation ability and release packages make him a fun player. He will need to improve his consistency and play strength against physical defenders in the contact window before assuming a No. 1 playmaking role.
No. 4: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
McMillan is still a quality prospect with an incredibly high-ceiling who is worth taking in the top 20 selections. You can't teach a player with his 6-foot-4 frame, wide catch radius, contested-catch ability, impressive short-area quickness and high-end ball skills.
No. 5: Luther Burden III, Missouri
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Like McMillan, Burden isn't the cleanest route runner and hasn't shown the ability to consistently win from the line of scrimmage. Still, his explosiveness and creativity as a ball carrier make him the best run-after-catch receiver in the draft.
No. 6: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Grade valuation: Second round
Higgins is a favorite for plenty in the draft community, and rightfully so. The former Eastern Kentucky transfer has outstanding body control and twitch at the top of his routes, and boasts a big frame to handle middle-of-the-field targets.
While he is learning to be more consistent with his release packages, he offers the inside-out versatility to be an effective X-receiver at the next level.
No. 7: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Grade valuation: Second round
The Cyclones are offering two quality wideout prospects that should have immediate contributions at the next level.
Noel is the explosive playmaking type that teams will be intrigued by. He's a bit smaller—but is a snappy and crisp route runner who can generate separation quickly and routinely.
No. 8: Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Grade valuation: Second round
Harris is your prototypical X-style receiver, as he has great body control at the catch point to adjust to all sorts of passes thrown his way. The redshirt senior shows impressive run-after-catch ability and has the short-area quickness to be an effective route runner.
No. 9: Jack Bech, TCU
Grade valuation: Second round
Bech may not have the high-end explosiveness you're looking for, but he is a straight baller. He's a good route runner on all three levels, posseses enough twitch to gain space and has sufficient ball skills.
No. 10: Kyle Williams, Washington State
Grade valuation: Third round
Williams is the best press-man beater in the draft, as evidenced by his unique variation of releases at the line of scrimmage. His skill set allows him to generate big plays, especially in the screen game.
Honorable mentions, in order:
- Jalen Royals, Utah State
- Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
- Isaiah Bond, Texas
- Isaac TeSlaa, Arkansas
- Tory Horton, Colorado State
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Ranking the top 10 wide receivers of the class
Continue reading...
