Two Buckeyes lead the way in the preseason 2022 NFL Draft wide receiver rankings.
The past two draft classes at the wide receiver position have been excellent. 2020 showed off incredible depth, and 2021 had excellent talent at the top with some gems on the second day as well. It looked like the 2022 NFL Draft wouldn’t be up to snuff with the two previous classes, but that was probably an undersell on this writer’s part.
After plenty of summer scouting, this receiver group, while not likely to beat the previous two, has plenty of good talent in it. From elite separators to undersized speedsters, and potential alphas at “X”, these wide receiver rankings have a bit of everything. Let’s dive in!
Previous Rankings
1. Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
The Buckeyes get the top spot early in these rankings with Garrett Wilson. Listed at just 5’11” and 188 pounds, it may not seem like Wilson could profile as an “X” receiver, but he certainly can be with the traits he possesses.
There may not be a real weakness with Wilson. He’s got a strong release package, and stays diverse with his pacing. He shows off the speed, stick, and shuffle release to establish leverage early in his stem. Wilson has incredible change of direction skills and sinks his hips with ease with his flexibility. He utilizes a hop near the top of his stem to freeze defenders and has great explosion off of his plant foot. Wilson uses his hands well to clear contact.
Wilson has a good pair of hands and has very good ball skills. He high points the ball well with great explosion and can slow his stride while maintaining leverage to track the ball well into his hands. Wilson can also make great adjustments and has impressive body control.
After the catch, Wilson has great agility to make defenders miss and stays tough with a stiff arm. He can hit another gear with short area burst and is good at manipulating space.
Wilson looks like he’s in his own tier for the 2022 NFL Draft at this point.
2. Chris Olave, Ohio State
Chris Olave had the option to declare last year, but opted to return to the Buckeyes for his senior season. It could prove to be worth it and there’s a good chance he leaps into the first round conversation in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Like his teammate, Olave has a good release game, showing off a very good speed release, great hesitation, and a good jab step that helps him with early leverage. Olave has the requisite straight line speed to stack corners and win vertically down the field and to eat up cushion versus off coverage. His routes are more smooth than crisp, but he’s still efficient at the top of his stem and attacks blind spots well to create late separation. He’s excellent on a vertical plane and is solid on a horizontal plane.
Olave has some of the best hands in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he tracks it well while also making plays in tough spots down the field and in the red zone. After the catch, Olave has the speed and patience to create.
Olave doesn’t have many holes, other than lacking a bit in the dynamism department and his hand usage against press, but Olave can be an elite WR2 for any team in the NFL.
3. Treylon Burks, Arkansas
Not many guys play the game like Treylon Burks does, especially at 6’3″ and 225 pounds. Burks is an incredibly fluid mover for that size, and has the play speed and functional athleticism to be dangerous in the passing game.
His usage is fun to watch, as Arkansas lines him up in the slot and outside, and he gets touches on jet sweeps and wide receiver screens to take advantage of his speed, balance, and toughness after the catch. Burks keeps that play speed through the catch point and in all phases of his game, and is a threat to score every time he has the ball. His catch radius, body control, and concentration to make highlight reel catches is impressive.
He’s physical through his stems, but seeing Burks find a role on the perimeter and create for himself will be what leads to a massive jump in the 2022 NFL Draft, and in the wide receiver rankings.
4. Zay Flowers, Boston College
This will likely be the biggest shocker on the list, as Zay Flowers is an undersized guy at 5’11” and 178 pounds. However, his ability to create on his own matches up with nearly everyone in the 2022 NFL Draft right now.
Flowers is incredibly dynamic, which shows up everywhere on the field. His speed release is excellent, as he squares up quickly and accelerates into his stem in a blink of an eye. He eats up cushion quickly, and has incredible flexibility and bend to change direction and create separation through his breaks. Flowers is a dynamic deep threat because of the stop/start quickness he has as his abilities to sell and confuse defenders with double moves, along with plus tracking.
His agility and quickness after the catch is tremendous, and he can make anyone miss in tight quarters. His speed is impressive to challenge angles and his deception makes him extremely difficult to tackle.
He needs to work on moving away from body catches and become a true plucker of the football, and his size won’t do him any favors, but separation is the name of the game in the NFL and Flowers can do it.
5. John Metchie III, Alabama
It’s like a broken record at this point, but here comes another Alabama Crimson Tide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft, and John Metchie III comes in at five in these early wide receiver rankings.
Metchie is a more technical receiver who has a great understanding of leverage and separation. He uses his head and shoulders well to deceive corners, and has an incredibly quick speed release. Metchie eats up cushion well and is a stacking extraordinaire on a vertical plane. He has the burst and hand usage to get through contact in his stem, and is always in good position with intermediate routes. He tracks the ball well while keeping good positioning and has the short area burst after the catch.
Seeing a more diverse tree will be crucial for Metchie in 2021, and he needs to work on attacking and securing the football in contested spots while also holding on to the ball.
6. Justyn Ross, Clemson
Justyn Ross had a fantastic season as a freshman in 2018, and was solid once again in 2019. Unfortunately, a neck injury forced him to miss a season and potentially not play football again. It’s great to see Ross back healthy for 2021, and he could make some noise in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ross has a good blend of size and quickness, and is an efficient route runner with crisp breaks and stays sharp on in breaking and out breaking routes, never drifting down the field and giving his quarterback an easier throw. Speaking of an easier throw, Ross has a massive catch radius and has great hands, body control, and sideline awareness. He uses his hands well to shed contact and create some separation. Ross is also more elusive after the catch at times than given credit for.
Ross won’t have the top end speed of others in this class, and is a bit of a short strider. He can afford to improve his release as well. Still, it’s just great to see him back.
7. Romeo Doubs, Nevada
Romeo Doubs could be the big riser in the 2022 NFL Draft, and there’s already talk of the step he will take this season. Doubs is a good size and speed demon with the ability to win vertically. He has the foot quickness and footwork to win at the line of scrimmage, and is dynamic to separate as a route runner with strong footwork and explosion out of breaks. Stacking comes easy to him, and he’s a dangerous player after the catch with his toughness and speed.
Doubs can afford to work on a few things. He struggles with some concentration drops and has a tough time consistently winning at the catch point. With Carson Strong as his quarterback, the opportunities will be there for another big year.
8. George Pickens, Georgia
It’s a shame we won’t get to see George Pickens this season, which could affect whether or not he declares for the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, his upside warrants a spot on the wide receiver rankings here.
Pickens is dynamic off the line of scrimmage, and shows the quickness and explosion to separate especially well on intermediate routes. His burst and speed keep defenders on their toes, and that gives him the opportunity to create space on hitch and comeback routes while also working clean over the middle. His catch radius is impressive, and he hangs on through contact despite his lean frame.
Building consistency is important for Pickens, as he still lacks some efficiency with footwork at the top of his routes and is prone to taking some plays off. His upside could entice teams should he enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
9. David Bell, Purdue
David Bell is another big bodied receiver who excels in multiple facets of the game. He excels most at the catch, as he makes excellent late adjustments to the football and wins consistently in contested catch situations. Bell is also a very good tracker of the football and has the buildup speed to be a vertical threat.
While he’s competent as a route runner with transitions, using his hands more throughout routes and developing a more diverse release package will give him the edge to become a three level threat and rise in the rankings.
10. Drake London, USC
Drake London rounds out the early wide receiver rankings, and his spot in rankings around the draft community has high variance. London has great athleticism for his size, and shows enough change of direction skills to succeed in the short passing game. After the catch is where he thrives, with great field vision and toughness to break tackles at will.
Still, London has work to do as a route runner to consistently create separation. He will get the chance as he’s expected to line up on the perimeter this season for the Trojans. Improving technically will take time. The upside and potential is a good one to bet on, but this writer isn’t as bullish just yet.
Honorable Mentions: Jalen Tolbert (South Alabama), Bo Melton (Rutgers), Jahan Dotson (Penn State)