Last year was one of the deepest wide receiver classes in NFL history with a record 13 wideouts being taken in the first two rounds.
While this year’s class may not be as deep, there is still plenty of talented options, including the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy in 29 years in Alabama’s DeVonta Smith.
Yet, Smith may not even be the first, or second, receiver taken in the draft. With such an emphasis on the passing game, receivers are a hot commodity around the league, so we look at some of the ideal landing spots for some of the top wideouts in the 2021 class.
Ja'Marr Chase - Miami Dolphins
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DeVonta Smith may have won the Heisman Trophy, but Chase is still considered to be the best receiving prospect by many scouts. There is a pretty strong chance the LSU wideout will be still be on the board when Miami makes its pick at No. 6.
Drafting Chase would allow the Dolphins to pair him with Devante Parker, Will Fuller and Preston Williams — giving Tua Tagovailoa a boatload of weapons in his receiving corps.
LSU has had quite a run at producing NFL receivers, too. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, D.J. Chark and Justin Jefferson are some of the notable LSU products in the league whose footsteps Chase could follow.
DeVonta Smith - Detroit Lions
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The Lions could very well take one of the quarterbacks with the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft, or they could trade back. But after losing both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. to free agency, the team needs some wide receiver help.
Enter DeVonta Smith. The Heisman Trophy winner could immediately become the No. 1 target in Detroit and give Jared Goff a deep threat in the passing game. Smith would play opposite Tyrell Williams and join a solid, young playmaking corp of running back D’Andre Swift and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Jaylen Waddle - Philadelphia Eagles
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The Eagles can go a number of different directions with the No. 12 pick, but at some point they need to enhance their receiving corps and there is no better person to turn to than Jaylen Waddle.
Waddle’s draft stock seems to be picking up steam as the draft nears, with some mocks even projecting him ahead of his Alabama teammate Smith. Many consider Waddle an elite route runner and Alabama running back Najee Harris has compared him to Tyreek Hill.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently wrote Waddle could take on a T.Y. Hilton-like role in the Eagles offense, running crosses, dig routes and slot fades. He may be just what the Eagles need to help Jalen Hurts succeed.
Rashod Bateman - New England Patriots
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A lot of people believe the Patriots will look to draft a quarterback in the first round, but what happens if four QBs are taken with the first four picks? The Patriots could try to trade up, or perhaps they decide to address another area of need: wide receiver.
Alabama studs Waddle and Smith likely won’t fall to the Patriots at No. 15, but Bill Belichick has a tendency to trade back and get value and one potential guy he could do that for is Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound receiver has great hands and can excel in press coverage. He is often lauded for doing the little things correctly, such as his footwork and ability to make adjustments, which should get the attention of Belichick. Bateman has drawn comparisons to Keenan Allen and could prove to be a consistent, reliable receiver, which is something the Patriots currently lack.
Kadarius Toney - Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears do not have a whole lot of reliable options outside of Allen Robinson in their receiving corps, so adding another wide receiver will be a priority in the draft.
Kadarius Toney could very well be that guy for the Bears with the 20th overall pick. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound receiver can be inserted into the slot and also used in a variety of ways — whether on special teams or designed run plays. He is still a bit of a work-in-progress with his route running but has the athleticism and playmaking ability to provide high upside talent to an offense like the Bears.
Terrace Marshall Jr. - Baltimore Ravens
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The LSU wide receiver factory does not stop at Ja’Marr Chase in this year’s draft.
Terrace Marshall Jr. is also a first-round talent and proved he could be a WR1 after Chase opted out last season by reeling in 48 catches for 731 yards and 10 TDs in just seven games.
A handful of teams drafting in the late first round could be looking at wide receivers, but the Ravens would be an ideal fit for Marshall. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver would be an excellent big-bodied option on the outside with a. wide catch radius for Lamar Jackson to target. His size and skillset would also complement fellow wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in the Ravens offense.
Rondale Moore - New Orleans Saints
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The Saints lost veteran Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, but would be nice to not only find someone to fill that void, but also bring in a young, sparkplug receiver for Jameis Winston (or Taysom Hill) at QB.
Moore stands at just 5-foot-7 but his 4.33 40-yard dash time at his pro day grabbed everybody’s attention. His size, speed and athleticism has even drawn some comparisons to Tyreek Hill.
That may be quite a high bar to set for Moore, but he would not have to necessarily carry that burden of leading an offense in New Orleans. He would insert into the slot and serve as a complement to Michael Thomas and as the type of player who can turn a quick slant into a big play with his game-breaking speed.
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