The 2023 NFL Draft is nearly upon us. And with that comes the final edition of the PFF NFL Draft Guide, which comes loaded with scouting reports and advanced data on the class' top draft prospects.
Here are the top 10 wide receivers in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide and big board.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
BIG BOARD RANK: 9
Smith-Njigba missed almost the entire fall with hamstring issues but was Ohio State’s leading receiver in 2021 as a sophomore. That year, he caught 95 passes for 1,595 yards and nine scores. He provides the uncoachable route-running ability and ball skills that will always have a role in the NFL.
2. Jordan Addison, USC
BIG BOARD RANK: 23
Addison was the Biletnikoff Award winner with Pittsburgh in 2021 before transferring to USC. He’s a crafty route runner with the kind of bend to run a full route tree. He caught 159 passes for 2,468 yards and 25 scores over the past two seasons.
3. Quentin Johnston, TCU
BIG BOARD RANK: 25
Johnston is a force of nature at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He is your vertical route tree X receiver in this class. For his college career, Johnston averaged 18.8 yards per reception.
4. Zay Flowers, Boston College
BIG BOARD RANK: 33
Flowers is the best pure separator in the draft class. Defensive backs won't be able to stick with him across on his route breaks unless they're holding him. He racked up 1,077 yards and 12 scores this past season.
5. Josh Downs, North Carolina
BIG BOARD RANK: 38
Downs is a slot weapon that you can feed schemed-up targets to and watch go to work. He racked up 195 catches for 2,364 yards and 19 scores across the past two years. The only problem is that he’s probably never going to be much more than a slot at his size (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), with only 81 routes on the outside in his career.
6. Tank Dell, Houston
BIG BOARD RANK: 45
Dell’s size — 5-foot-10, 165 pounds — won’t be for everyone, but he’s an easy separator with another gear to stride away from defenders. He had a monster 2022 campaign for Houston with 108 catches, 1,399 yards and 17 scores.
7. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
BIG BOARD RANK: 55
Hyatt possesses elite juice to stretch the field. That helped him house 15 scores this past season. It was a massive breakout year, as he finished with 67 catches for 1,267 yards.
8. Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
BIG BOARD RANK: 61
Tillman is the most physical receiver in the draft class. He's a safe bet as a possession receiver, as he dropped only five of his 104 career catchable targets.
9. Rashee Rice, SMU
BIG BOARD RANK: 72
Rice has some of the best body control in the draft class. That shows with his work at the catch point (16 contested catches last fall) and after the catch (19 broken tackles).
10. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
BIG BOARD RANK: 75
Mims is on the smaller side for the position but is the type of athlete who can make up for it. He went for more than 1,000 yards last season and averaged 19.5 yards per catch for his career.
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