The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the wide receiver position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's First Look
1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
2. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
3. Luther Burden, Missouri, 6-0, 206 lbs.
4. Emeka Ebuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs
5. Jayden Higgins, Iowa State, 6-4 1/8, 214 lbs.
Dale's Second Look
1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
2. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
3. Luther Burden, Missouri, 6-0, 206 lbs.
4. Emeka Ebuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs.
5. Jayden Higgins, Iowa State, 6-4 1/8, 214 lbs.
Dale's Thoughts: If you add Colorado's Travis Hunter to his group, it peps it up quite a bit. But barring that, it's kind of pedestrian, especially at the top. That doesn't mean some of these players won't emerge, but for most, their ceiling is as a nice No. 2. … Higgins and teammate Jaylin Noel should both be selected on Day 2 of the draft and offer upside. In fact, any team that misses out of McMillan who is looking for a player with nice size outside the numbers could do far worse than to take Higgins, who is a matchup issue Noel, meanwhile, is a slot who is built like a running back and offers 4.39-second speed and kick and punt return ability. They're both good players. … Kyle Williams of Washington State ran better (4.40) at the Combine than I think a lot of people expected. He gets open quickly against man coverage, but has some focus drops. … McMillan isn't a blazer at the top of the board, but he's fast enough. He'll never be a big separator, but with his size, he can overpower defensive backs. … The Steelers might have told us how they feel about this group of wide receivers when they decided to trade their second-round draft pick for DK Metcalf. Certainly, Metcalf upgrades the offense in a big way, but the Steelers were willing to take the sure thing rather than rolling the dice in this receiving group.
Matt's First Look
1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
2. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
3. Luther Burden III, Missouri, 6-0, 206 lbs.
4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs.
5. Elic Ayomanor, Stanford, 6-1 3/4, 206 lbs.
Matt's Second Look
1. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
2. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
3. Luther Burden III, Missouri, 6-0, 206 lbs.
4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs.
5. Elic Ayomanor, Stanford, 6-1 3/4, 206 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts: The one change I made in my top five was moving Golden to the top spot. That isn't entirely due to his great 40 time, but rather Golden's exceptional all-around game. He has excellent stop/start ability, competitiveness, and ball skills. While he might not play as fast as his recorded time, Golden plays much bigger than his size. It is difficult to spot any of his clear weaknesses. ... As I was the first time around, I was extremely tempted to bump Ayomanor out of the top five in favor of Iowa State's Jayden Higgins. But I just couldn't do it. That isn't a knock against Higgins nearly as much as it how excited I am about what Ayomanor could become in the NFL before long. Ayomanor is big, nasty, highly athletic and should have his best football ahead of him. ... Higgins' college teammate, Jaylin Noel, is also a very noteworthy player in this group. He has short arms and has problems with drops, but Noel can excel as a vertical slot player and maybe as an outside option at the next level. ... Two similar players to Noel that aren't getting enough publicity are Virginia Tech's Jaylin Lane and Florida's Chimere Dike. Neither possess prototypical size, but Lane and Dike are highly explosive players with a refined skillset. Both can become impact players in today's NFL. ... Kyle Williams from Washington State is another wide out that doesn't seem to be getting enough attention as a player that can really help an offense from the start. He is an excellent route runner that can win at all levels. ... Overall, compared to recent years, this wide receiver class doesn't blow your doors off. It is just okay rather than exceptional. But there is value to be mined from this group, particularly in the third and fourth rounds.
Mike's First Look
1. Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-0, 188 lbs.
2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs.
3. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
4. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
5. Luther Burden III, Missouri, 6-0, 206 lbs.
Mike's Second Look
1. Travis Hunter, Colorado (6-0, 188 lbs.)
2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, 6-0 7/8, 202 lbs.
3. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 219 lbs.
4. Matthew Golden, Texas, 5-11, 191 lbs.
5. Jack Bech, TCU, 6-2, 215 lbs.
Mike's Thoughts: Bech replaces Burden at No. 5, after further review, in part because Bech embraces blocking and oozes intangibles. He was also more productive in 2024 … Iowa State's Jayden Higgins (6-4 1/8, 214) is a big guy who can move. He also has a huge catch radius. No wonder he makes so many big plays … Higgins' running mate at Iowa State, Jaylin Noel (5-10 1/4, 194 lbs.) is, likewise, an explosive, productive pass-catching talent. And Noel also excels on special teams. He thinks he knows what he's doing, too. "If you want a guy who's gonna be in the right place at the right time and make smart decisions at all times, then I'm your guy," Noel has maintained … Maryland's Tai Felton (6-0 5/8, 186 lbs.) upped his receptions from 48 to 96 and his receiving yards from 723 to 1,124 from last season to this season. The first half of his 2024 campaign was particularly impressive (604 receiving yards through his first four games, an average of 151 per game). He can play inside or outside and he can catch it in a crowd … Ja'Corey Brooks (6-1 1/2, 191 lbs.) amassed 1,013 receiving yards at Louisville in 2024. Prior to that he blocked three punts while at Alabama, where he also caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young in the final minute of regulation against Auburn (the Tide rolled in OT) … Mississippi's Tre Harris (6-3, 210 lbs.) went over 1,000 yards receiving (1,030) and averaged 17.2 yards per catch in eight games (lower body injury) in 2024. He's the only FBS player to average 17 or more yards per catch and score at least seven receiving TDs in each of the last two seasons … Miami's Xavier Restrepo (5-9 3/8, 200 lbs.) reportedly ran an unofficial 4.83 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Restrepo attributed the slow time to a tight hamstring and said he thinks he can run in the 4.53-4.58 range. We know Restrepo caught more passes in his career at Miami (200) than Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Michael Irvin or anyone else who ever played for the Hurricanes … Tennessee's Dont'e Thornton (6-4 5/8, 205 lbs.) authored a 4.30 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Thornton averaged 21.9 yards per catch on 65 career receptions in two years at Oregon and two with the Vols … Bond, Isaiah Bond (5-105/8, 180 lbs.) is one of multiple Alabama transfers available for selection. His production (34 catches, 540 receiving yards and five TDs in 2024 at Texas) has yet to match his potential. But the 4.39 40 he ran in Indianapolis suggests he's capable of changing that narrative … Utah State's Jalen Royals (5-11 3/8, 210 lbs.) produced 1,080 receiving yards and 15 TDs in 2023 and then 834 yards and six scores in seven games (foot injury) in 2024. He brings physicality along with production.
