2023 NFL Draft – Wide Receiver Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – WR:

You are currently viewing the best wide receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Our top WR prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented pass catchers in college football. Even though only about 30 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft stars, WR sleepers, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2023 NFL draft wide receiver prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 25, 2023)

2023:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Jaxon Smith-Njigba dealt with an injury all season, playing less than 50 snaps on the season. In his 2021 season, however, he was probably the best wide receiver on a team that included Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, the two best NFL rookie receivers this past year. Smith-Njigba may not have an imposing frame at 6’0" 195 with relatively little muscle tone, but he is an insane athlete. He generates separation at a very high level and is a refined route runner with a wide route tree. He has trustworthy hands and is dangerous in the open field, and can play either in the slot of out wide. The nagging injury will be a question mark, but his 1600 yard sophomore season is enough of an exclamation point for teams to overlook that.

2021 Stats*

13 games: 95 receptions, 1606 receiving yards, 9 receiving touchdowns, 16.9 receiving average, 32.4% receiving yardage accounted for

*2021 stats used as he was injured most of 2022

Quentin Johnston can do things that other people in this class simply can’t. His explosive athleticism immediately catches your eye on film, and he has the big frame of a true #1 receiver (6’4" 215 pounds). After flashing heavily in 2020 and 2021, he put it all together during TCU’s magical season, eclipsing 1000 yards receiving and averaging an impressive 17.8 yards per reception. Johnston dealt with an injury down the stretch that slowed his production, but he did a surprisingly good job of creating separation for a receiver of his size, is strong at the catch point, and is very difficult to bring down in space. He’s the only receiver in the draft that I think every team will view as a first round prospect, but his high drop rate is a concern that he hasn’t shaken, and is enough to narrowly drop him from the top spot.

2022 Stats

14 games: 60 receptions, 1069 receiving yards, 6 receiving touchdowns, 17.8 receiving average, 27.2% receiving yardage accounted for

Zay Flowers doesn’t play in as pass-heavy of an offense as the other top receivers, so it took him a bit longer to be noticed by NFL scouts. Everyone who sits down to watch him will quickly realize his elite route running and separation ability, combined with big time acceleration and consistency. Zay was used all over the field by BC, including a dozen rushing attempts. He has a somewhat narrow frame but is hard to get your hands on as a press corner, and plays stronger than his weight indicates (5’10" 175 pounds). Flowers stuck with his commitment to the East-West Shrine Game even after the Senior Bowl came calling, and was uncoverable throughout practice.

2022 Stats

12 games: 78 receptions, 1077 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, 13.8 receiving average, 36.3% receiving yardage accounted for

Jordan Addison exploded onto the season as a true freshman back in 2020 at Pitt, and turned in an All-American performance in 2021 with Kenny Pickett. After transferring to a packed receiver room at USC this past season, Addison put up good but not eye-popping numbers for Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley. Addison has a narrow frame, but has been extremely productive against both press and man coverage. Like the other top prospects, his game is all about route running and separation. He has very good late hands, and sets up his routes will with impressive timing. He has good but not elite athleticism, but is more agile than he is fast.

2022 Stats

11 games: 59 receptions, 875 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns, 14.8 receiving average, 18.6% receiving yardage accounted for

Jalin Hyatt is a legitimate speed threat who demands safety help over the top. After two quiet seasons to begin his career, Hyatt exploded in 2023 and cemented himself as an All-American. Hyatt was near the top of the FBS with over 1250 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns this past year, and had a ton of explosive touchdowns of longer than 40 yards. His big play threat is something that helps the entire team, and he offers more than just speed when running his deep routes. He a natural glider who has shown glimpses as a route runner, but is still a little lacking in deception on underneath routes. His lean frame could also limit him, but his size isn’t even particularly small compared to some of the other receivers in the class.

2022 Stats

12 games: 67 receptions, 1267 receiving yards, 15 receiving touchdowns, 18.9 receiving average, 29.9% receiving yardage accounted for

Complete 2023 WR draft rankings

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2023:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

It’s no secret that the top of the 2023 wide receiver draft class isn’t very strong. But man, the depth in this class in pretty impressive. In the weeks leading up to the combine, I had a draftable grade on about 40 wide receivers. Usually only about 30-35 receive that grade. While opinions will shift heavily once official athletic measurements are recorded, we saw so many receivers help themselves already with strong performances during the All-Star game period. The Senior Bowl was especially strong at the WR spot, despite not having an expected top 5 receiver in attendance. The top of the wide receiver class is led by guys like Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Zay Flowers. Each have shown a great ability to separate and convert contested catches. But don’t be surprised if players outside the top 50 like Michael Wilson, Tank Dell, AT Perry, and Jayden Reed turn into star receivers too.