NFL Draft
2/21/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Player Comparison's For Top WRs
The 2025 NFL Draft may not be loaded with talent at wide receiver, but the top of the position group features some prospects who could be instant contributors at the next level.
Last year's draft featured 10 wide receivers going in the first 37 picks. A few of those became breakout stars, including Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., and even Ladd McConkey with the Los Angeles Chargers. While this year's class likely won't feature as many Pro Bowl-caliber players right away as rookies, there are still a handful of prospects with legitimate Pro Bowl potential.
Let's dive into the top of the 2025 wide receiver class with pro comparisons for each of the top prospects.
2025 NFL Draft WR Comparisons
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona 
Pro Comparison: Drake London with Odell Beckham's highlights
For fans wanting to see viral highlights of a player in this year's draft, no one consistently came away with crazier catches than Tetairoa McMillan.
Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, McMillan was the focal point of Arizona's offense the last two seasons, catching 174 passes for 2,721 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was also constantly targeted with a defensive back draped all over him, but he still came away with 35 receptions on 64 contested-catch opportunities.
TETAIROA. MCMILLAN. WHAT. A. CATCH. @TMAC96795 🤯🤯🤯
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) September 17, 2023
📺: Pac-12 Network pic.twitter.com/EMGwmKPrYX
That big-bodied, contested-catch specialist with a focus on linear speed over elusiveness is almost a clone of what Drake London was like coming out of USC. While he doesn't have the contact balance after the catch that London had, McMillan's tape also has for more absurd catches that look like they belong on an Odell Beckham Jr. YouTube video.
Luther Burden III, Missouri 
Pro Comparison: Randall Cobb
Some scouts are cooling on Luther Burden III as a prospect, but the 2023 tape is so impressive that he has the skill set to be a legitimate contributor in the slot at the next level.
Burden was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and became a key part of Missouri's offense almost immediately. He scored 21 touchdowns in three seasons and caught 192 passes in the process.
On top of being a quick-twitch route runner who can burn past defenders, he's just as elusive after the catch. He's also not afraid to lower his pads and use his body contact to stay upright through tackle attempts, making him a dangerous YAC threat.
That, plus Burden's value as a potential return man on special teams, brings back memories of Randall Cobb early in his career with the Green Bay Packers. He's bigger than Cobb was in his NFL career, but his skill set and slot utilization make him a natural comp.
Matthew Golden, Texas
Pro Comparison: Terry McLaurin
Matthew Golden wasn't much of a household name heading into the 2024 season. However, a breakout stretch during Texas' postseason run has vaulted him into first-round consideration.
Golden's tape from the SEC championship and College Football Playoff checks so many boxes. He has legitimate vertical speed, crisp route running, body control, and physicality to make sideline and contested catches. His best trait might be as a deep threat, with quarterbacks posting a 124.1 passer rating when targeting him 20-yards or more downfield.
Matthew Golden is a highlight machine.
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 13, 2025
His draft stock has exploded, averaging 95 yards per game in the last 6 games.
He displays awesome burst, speed, and body control as a route runner and pass catcher. Creates easy separation.
He will likely be a day 2 pick in April. pic.twitter.com/ISsWAxtkJE
Terry McLaurin has displayed a very similar skill set at the NFL level. Along with a great deep ball connection with Jayden Daniels, he's also a physical wideout who caught 25-of-38 contested-catch opportunities this past season.
McLaurin is a few pounds bigger than Golden, but the play styles and versatile skill sets are very similar.
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Pro Comparison: Adam Thielen
For teams wanting a slot receiver on the bigger side with run blocking ability and smooth route running, Emeka Egbuka will be at the top of their list.
Egbuka has been an experienced starter for Ohio State over the last few seasons and continued to develop into a well-rounded weapon. While he predominantly plays in the slot, his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame suggests that he could also be a playmaker on the outside.
The skill set of a route runner with size in the slot, along with some good tape as a blocker, is a lot like Adam Thielen's over the course of his career. Even as an aging veteran with the Carolina Panthers, he continues to be an efficient target as he sees more volume and playing time kicked inside to the slot.
That kind of production over a decade of NFL experience with inside-out versatility is a huge plus for any NFL team, and the kind of player teams will get by taking Egbuka.
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Pro Comparison: Michael Pittman Jr.
Big-bodied wide receivers who can run a full route tree are rare in the NFL. While Jayden Higgins doesn't check the "speed" box of the height-weight-speed prototype of X receivers, his skill set will still be extremely valuable at the NFL level.
A 6-foot-4, 217-pound wideout, Higgins wins with both body control and nuanced route running. He's capable of winning with body control through contact, but he also has the footwork and understanding of how to attack leverage to keep defenders guessing and maximize his separation.
The lack of play speed won't make Higgins the most consistent vertical threat, but that was the same concern with Michael Pittman Jr. coming out of college as a second-round pick. He ended up becoming a reliable chains mover at the NFL level, and that's the kind of role that Higgins could easily slot into with whichever team decides to take a chance on him.
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