The 2023 NFL Draft class is loaded with wide receivers with a handful expected to get selected in the first round but first they’ll show off their skills at the scouting combine.
The 2023 NFL scouting combine is in Indianapolis this weekend and 50 of the nation’s top wide receiver prospects are scheduled to attend. Headlined by playmakers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State and Zay Flowers from Boston College, the incoming rookie wide receivers will look to impress NFL coaches, general managers, and other team personnel when they take the field for drills on Saturday, March 4th.
Below you’ll find the top five wide receivers in the 2023 draft class that every fantasy football player needs to know. For a deeper look into 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 pop 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’ll be an ideal X receiver for a team in need at the position. The Texans could look to land him at No. 12, but he likely won’t fall past the top 15.
2. Jordan Addison, USC: Like Johnston, Addison’s 2022 totals aren’t eye popping (875 yards, eight TDs), but his 2021 stats at Pittsburgh (100 catches, 1,593 yards, 17 TDs) tell a different tale. While he’s not a big wideout at 6-feet and 175 pounds, Addison is a playmaker with good route-running skills who is a lock to be picked on Day 1. He could become a nice fantasy selection for the Chargers.
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State: Smith-Njigba missed most of last season due to an injured hamstring, but he was a stat sheet stuffer 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 his college quarterback CJ Stroud, he’ll be a first-round selection and could be on the radar for the Chargers, Ravens or Saints.
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4. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee: Hyatt is coming off a career season that saw him put up 67 catches, 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Volunteers. While his route tree was limited in college, he earned the 2022 Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best wideout. He’s an explosive, vertical threat with field-stretching skills who might sneak into Round 1 but might be more likely 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, posting 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Eagles. NFL teams like the Panthers or Titans could have Day 2 interest in planting Flowers.
