Pre-combine WR rankings: Who is WR1 in an odd class?
With the NFL Scouting Combine now here, it is time to break down some positional rankings as the Cleveland Browns look to take this opportunity to find playmakers to add to their roster in the 2023 NFL Draft. We have already covered defensive tackles and pass rushers, leaving the third main need for the Browns: wide receiver. This is an odd class, and one player who will remain under a microscope is Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba after he appeared in just three games this season, leaving all of them with a nagging injury.
As the Browns look to get more explosive in the passing game this season, here are the top receivers to keep an eye on.
Parker Washington, Penn State
Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
If you want a player who has no issue contorting his body away from his frame with strong hands and a surprising catch radius, then Penn State’s Parker Washington is your guy. Washington is not a guy that was asked to take the top off a ton at Penn State though, and he does not separate through contact and at the top of routes at a high level. Washington, however, can be a sturdy slot who is tough to bring down after the catch at the next level.
Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The best bang-for-buck wide receiver in this 2023 NFL Draft class may just be Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman. While he had an ankle injury that set him back in 2022, the game of Tillman is shockingly well-rounded for a guy coming out of a pure air raid offense. He is strong through the catchpoint, possesses a big frame at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, and has a surprising amount of hip sink to his game. A high floor, but lower-ceiling player, what you see is what you get with Tillman.
Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Back-to-back Tennessee receivers here!
Jalin Hyatt will likely go in the first round. And that is going to be a good thing so that the Tennessee alum owner of the Browns does not try to overstep and force a selection. While his speed is undeniable (Hyatt could run in the 4.2s at the combine), his route running is stiff and his tree is slim. On top of that, Hyatt faced press coverage exactly one time in 2022 for the Volunteers. He proves to be a vertical threat, but not much else beyond that.
Zay Flowers, Boston College
Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
While Boston College’s Zay Flowers is a fan favorite and a player who others rank much higher, there are very evident holes in his game. Starting with his 29-inch arms, the catch radius of Flowers is tiny, and it shows up as he dropped nine passes (10 percent of his targets) in 2022. At 5-foot-9, he does not play through contact well and struggles to create cushions of separation at the top of his routes.
Kayshon Boutte, LSU
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Boutte is an interesting prospect as his 2021 tape is dynamic. This led to him getting WR1 labels in the offseason coming into his 2022 year. However, it took Boutte weeks to get it going under new head coach Chip Kelly, and he played almost exclusively in the slot. An injury seemed to take away a bit of his juice as well. However, he understands how to hunt out green grass, tracks the football well, and has still proven to break angles and ankles in the open field after the catch. He will have some questions to answer in interviews, but the talent is still there for Boutte.
Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
By now you must be tired of seeing Tyler Scott content.
Landing Scott might be the best fit for what the Browns need to add to their offense in 2023. He is explosive, has a seamless throttle to shift and down a gear without effort to toy with the hips of defensive backs, and possesses legit game-breaking 4.3 speed. For an offense that was in the bottom quarter of the league in explosive plays through the air, Scott is the perfect remedy.
Quentin Johnston, TCU
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Some might think this is low for Quentin Johnston, but his projection is just… weird. He is a 6-foot-4 receiver who plays much smaller than that, does not utilize his catch radius as he body catches nearly everything, and is not the smoothest off of the line of scrimmage. Still, a talented player, but not the bonafide WR1 people say he is.
Josh Downs, North Carolina
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina’s Josh Downs would be at the top of my draft board of realistic draft targets for the Browns with the 42nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is explosive, elusive, and dynamic with the football in his hands. He possesses a fluid throttle to make life hard on the man across from him to stay balanced and squared up. While the majority of the routes he ran came from the slot, and while his average depth of target was low this season, Downs possesses the speed to take the top off of a defense.
Jordan Addison, USC
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner when he was at Pitt, Jordan Addison is probably the most well-rounded receiver in the class. He is a good route runner, even if he does quite get the smaller nuances like creating blindspots and using his hands at the top of routes, has good but not elite speed, and is elusive after the catch. Addison will likely be the first wide receiver off the board in the Spring.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
In a class where there is no clear-cut top talent and no clear-cut WR1, it may be the class to take the player with the highest floor. And that is without a doubt Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. While he does not possess game-breaking speed and does not have an outside receiver profile, Smith-Njigba has the best body control and is the best route runner in the class. As former wide receiver Steve Smith puts it, he has a Ph.D. in route running.
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