by The 2023 NFL Draft class is loaded with wide receivers, with a few expected to be selected in the first round, but first they will show their skills at the scouting combine.
The 2023 NFL scouting combine is in Indianapolis this weekend, and 50 of the nation’s top wide receivers are scheduled to attend. Headlined by playmakers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba out Ohio State and Zay Flowers from Boston Collegeincoming rookie wide receivers will impress NFL coaches, general managers and other team personnel when they take the field for drills on Saturday, March 4.
Below are the top five wide receivers in the 2023 draft class that every fantasy football player should know about. For a deeper look at this year’s draft prospects, be sure to check out Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 Big Board 1.0.
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2023 NFL Combine: Wide Receiver Rankings
1. Quentin Johnston, Texas Christian: Johnston’s college numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s a freak athlete at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He can use his size to shed defenders and his speed and strength to make plays in the vertical passing game. He will be the ideal X receiver for a team with a need at the position. The Texans could look to take him to No. 12, but likely won’t crack the top 15.
2. Jordan Addison, USC: Like Johnston, Addison’s 2022 totals aren’t impressive (875 yards, eight TDs), but his 2021 stats in Pittsburgh (100 catches, 1,593 yards, 17 TDs) tell a different story. While not big at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Addison is a playmaker with good route-running skills and is a lock to be picked on Day 1. He could make a nice fantasy pick for the Explosives.
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State: Smith-Djigba missed most of last season with a hamstring injury, but was a fill-in player in 2021 with 95 catches, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. A strong route runner with impressive ball skills, he could be a PPR dream as a slot receiver in the NFL. Like college quarterback CJ Stroud, he will be a first-round pick and could be on the radar for the Chargers, Crows the Saints.
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4. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee: Hyatt is coming off a career season that saw him have 67 catches, 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Volunteers. While his route tree was limited in college, he won the 2022 Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best wideout. He’s an explosive, vertical threat with field skills who could sneak into Round 1, but is more likely to be selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
5. Zay Flowers, Boston College: Flowers isn’t a big receiver at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, so he’ll project as a slot receiver at the next level. He had a career year in 2022, making 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns for the eagles. NFL teams like the Panthers the Titans could be of interest in planting flowers Day 2.
