Top Five Wide Receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft class of wide receivers is a loaded bunch with five players earning a first-round draft grade on my board. We are currently seeing a battle to see who will be the first wide receiver selected between Alabama’s DeVonta Smith and LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, and it would not be a surprise if both of these players were selected among the top six players in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The class also offers several playmakers in Jaylen Waddle, Kadarius Toney, and Rondale Moore.

2021 NFL Draft top 5 receivers

1. DeVonta Smith, Alabama

The number one wide receiver on my draft board is Alabama’s DeVonta Smith for a couple of reasons with the first one being his outstanding production.

Last year, Smith set SEC records for yards with 1,856 and touchdowns with 23 and became the first wide receiver since 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy. Smith was also able to put up strong numbers in 2019 despite playing with the first two wide receivers taken in the 2020 NFL Draft in Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy.

As a prospect, the first thing that stands out with Smith is his excellent hands. He does a terrific job of catching the ball with his hands and can catch both the poorly thrown ball or a pass thrown into coverage.

To go along with his outstanding hands Smith is also one of the best route runners in the class. He does a great job of getting separation in his routes as he shows impressive quickness in and out of his breaks.

One more positive thing with Smith is he has outstanding character and he is someone you can count on doing everything in his power to become a great wide receiver.

The only real weakness with Smith is his lack of size. At only 175 pounds he lacks the bulk you want to see out of a player you take at the top of the draft. In fact, the only two receivers drafted over the last 20 years under 180 pounds have been Tavon Austin and Ted Ginn and neither one of those wide receivers lived up to where they were drafted at.

However, it must be noted both Austin and Ginn were drafted off of potential as neither receiver was very polished. That is not the case with Smith.

In terms of where Smith will go in the 2021 NFL Draft, I project him to be the third selection of the draft. If the Dolphins trade down or pick someone else with their pick, I would have a hard time seeing Smith fall past the Philadelphia Eagles pick at number six.