Every so often college football produces a wide receiver group so deep and varied that pundits start whispering the dreaded superlative: greatest ever. That talk isn’t just noise this cycle — from sticky-handed route wizards to freakish size-and-speed combos, the upcoming draft class at receiver checks boxes that historically separate a very good class from an all-time one: elite top-end talent, multiple first-round profiles with differing skill sets, and a deep second tier full of high-upside playmakers who could outplay their draft spots.
What makes this class special is not a single unquestioned No. 1 — there isn’t one. Instead you have several players who can legitimately be argued as the top prospect depending on what an NFL team values. Add a group of under-the-radar guys who climb after the combine, and you’ve got variety, floor, and upside. Below I break down the major names, what each brings to an NFL roster, and why — come combine and pro days — any of them can rise or slip.
Ryan Williams (Alabama) — the playmaker with route polish
Profile: 6’0″, ~178 lbs; explosive after the catch and agile in short-area routes.
Ryan Williams profiles as a clean route-runner who creates separation at all three levels. He doesn’t dominate purely with size, but with suddenness — quick hips, crisp stem releases, and a knack for finishing catches in traffic. Alabama’s offense gave him chances to show route nuance, and he translated that into consistent production against top competition. NFL teams will love his tape as a perimeter/slot chess piece who can run high-value concepts on early downs and morph into a vertical threat on play action. The knock is physical ceiling — he’s not a big contested-catch target — so schematic fit matters. If his 40-time and agility numbers pop at the combine, he’s a legitimate Day 1 pick for teams that prioritize polished route craft.
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) — the top-end, complete alpha
Profile: 6’3″, 220 lbs; contested catch specialist with YAC juice.
Jeremiah Smith is the prototype every general manager dreams of: rare size, physicality, and production. He’s a big-bodied outside receiver who wins contested throws, dominates in the red zone, and can create yards after contact. Smith’s tape shows high catch rates on contested throws and consistent damage on intermediate to deep routes. Some projection questions — can he sustain separation against elite press or in tight spaces? — but his body type and play strength give him a pro-ready floor few possess. He’s the sort of player teams envision as a true No. 1 who can carry a passing game; depending on needs, he’ll be in the top-5 conversation come draft night.
Nic Anderson (LSU) — the long-armed, contested-catch vertical threat
Profile: 6’4″, 210 lbs; long frame, contested catch upside.
Anderson looks like a modern X-receiver: long, rangy, and built to win on 50/50 balls. He doesn’t flash elite separation every play, but where he matters — jump balls and vertical windows — he’s a mismatch. Scouts will love the upside in contested catch scenarios and pairing him with a quarterback who can buy time or throw into tight windows. Questions remain about route nuance and consistent separation, but his size and ball skills project well to boundary-heavy NFL roles. If he tests well in speed and explosiveness, teams will bump him into early picks.
Nyck Harbor (South Carolina) — the monster matchup problem
Profile: 6’5″, 235 lbs; a true freak athlete at receiver size.
Harbor is a walking mismatch: massive catch radius, sudden leaping ability, and surprising short-area agility for his frame. He’s one of those prospects who immediately forces defensive adjustments on game tape. NFL teams covet that sort of physical profile because with polish he becomes a two-or-three-level threat. Development is the question — refining route technique and consistency — but the physical tools are airtight. A strong combine and clean medicals could vault him into first-round territory quickly.
Carnell Tate (Ohio State) — the smooth separator
Profile: prototypical outside receiver size with fluid movement and crisp route-running.
Tate blends twitch and long speed with very clean route stems; he’s the kind of receiver who looks effortless when creating separation. His game is built on timing and body control, which projects strongly to play-action and timing offenses at the next level. He may not blow up every stat line, but he consistently makes the right plays. Teams that rely on schemed passing attacks will prize Tate’s reliability.
Jakobi Lane (USC) — the explosive YAC artist
Profile: strong hands, sudden acceleration, excellent after-catch instincts.
Lane is a contested catcher who can also threaten the defense after the catch. He runs physical routes, goes to the ball with intent, and then transforms plays into chunks with shifty movement. NFL evaluators will love that combo; concerns revolve around consistent separation and whether he’s best in the slot or outside. If he proves separation chops at the combine, he becomes a multi-role weapon.
The “Underdog” Top Receivers — players with big upside
These names aren’t sleepers for the sake of it — each has traits that can explode draft value with a strong pre-draft process. These guys would all be day 1 top picks if not for some of the generational talent ahead of them.
Jaden Greathouse (Notre Dame) — polished hands and timing; a scheme-friendly target who can play inside or out.
Kevin Concepcion (Tennessee) — quick twitch, glue hands, and contested catch willingness; a potential slot difference-maker.
Cayden Lee (Ole Miss) — speed and suddenness; a downfield threat who can grow into more complex route trees.
Ryan Wingo (Texas) — smart route technician with experienced field awareness; NFL teams will like his processing. Quicker the fast but dangerous in space.
Jordan Anthony (Arkansas) — a physical boundary option with red-zone chops and contested-catch flashes. Showed track speed but dealt with drops.
Each of these under-the-radar guys brings a specific tape trait NFL teams covet; with clean medicals and strong testing, any could soar into Day 1 conversations or even top 15 depending on team fits and positional runs.
Why this class stacks in the all-time conversation
- Top-end variance — multiple players (Smith, Harbor, Anderson, Williams) project as potential first-rounders but in very different molds: big contested targets, polished route technicians, and YAC-centric playmakers. That diversity is rare.
- Depth — beyond the marquee names there’s a long tail of NFL-ready players with clear roles (slot, boundary, Z/slot hybrid). Depth matters in drafts because teams often find long careers in Day 2 picks.
- Combine game-changers — this group contains players whose draft stock can move massively at the combine (speed for Anderson, length/agility metrics for Harbor, agility for Williams). Those volatility points can rearrange boards dramatically.
The combine — where futures are made (or stalled)
Leading up to the combine, any of these prospects can rise or fall. A blazing 40 for Anderson or a plus-vertical for Harbor flips scouts’ narratives from “high-ceiling project” to “instant boundary piece.” Conversely, a slow time, poor agility numbers, or medical flags can send a name tumbling. That uncertainty — the lack of a consensus #1 and the number of players with testable traits — is exactly why this class feels like a special one: there are multiple plausible outcomes and many paths to star power.
Final read
Labeling a class the greatest ever is always dangerous because NFL careers, fit, coaching, and injuries write the final chapters. But when you combine elite high-end talent, positional diversity (big Xs, smooth timing guys, YAC artists), and depth of NFL-ready prospects, this wide receiver group absolutely belongs in the conversation. Come late April, teams that bet on traits (and get the testing/medical confirmations they want) could walk away with perennial No. 1 receivers and a handful of long, productive starters — the recipe for a historically great class.
