NFL Draft
3/21/25
10 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Ranking This Year's Best Route Runners
It’s true. The 2025 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory. There is a good chance that only two or three receivers end up being picked in Round 1 and the entire class lacks depth. However, this is one of the better classes when it comes to route running.
The group doesn’t have very many premier athletes, but it does have several excellent route runners who should be able to contribute right away. But who are the best route runners in the class? Here are eight of our favorites going into the draft:
Ranking 2025 NFL Draft's Top Route Runners
Honorable Mentions
- Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
- Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
- Jalen Royals, WR, Utah
- Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
8. Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Matthew Golden is one of the most interesting players in the entire 2025 NFL Draft. While he is not a defined or nuanced route runner, he is so athletic and twitched up that he can create easy separation against even the best defensive backs. He has all of the traits to be an elite route runner at the next level, but the consistency just isn’t there.
Having said that, it’s hard to ignore just how much separation he creates running underneath routes. His speed forces defensive backs to give him a cushion, and then he can sink his hips and stop on a moment’s notice. He's incredibly explosive out of his breaks, and that's what allows him to get open so frequently.
It’s not all that dissimilar from Garrett Wilson, who had the same type of concerns coming out of Ohio State. And like Wilson, Golden is a supreme athlete, and his quickness will get him open alone at the next level.
But if Golden wants to become a No. 1 receiver in the NFL, he’ll need to work even harder on his craft. The tools are there, and he’s already an effective player. If he can figure it out, the sky is the limit for this former Longhorns receiver.
7. Jimmy Horn Jr., WR, Colorado
You would expect the son of a four-time Pro Bowl receiver to be a good route runner, and that certainly is the case. He has incredible quickness and burst off the line of scrimmage, and he needs it after measuring in at only 5-foot-8, 174 pounds at the NFL Combine.
Horn does a great job of making crisp cuts and running precise routes that keep defensive backs on their heels. He hasn’t faced a lot of press coverage in his football career, and that’s because he’s so much faster than his opponents. That’ll change on the next level, and it’ll be fascinating to see if he has the upper-body strength to separate from cornerbacks.
But his great feet and long speed make it nearly impossible to defend him on deeper routes. Expect Horn to get drafted sometime late on Day 3, but he'll probably hang around the NFL as he’s already a pretty polished route runner.
6. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
You can make a strong case that Colston Loveland should be even higher on this list. He might be the best route-running tight end to enter the NFL in the last two decades. His ability to snap his hips and create quick separation at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds is rare to see.
Michigan used him all over the formation, and there isn’t a route that he can’t run at a high level. But he is at his best on in-breaking routes, such as slants and digs, where he can show off his explosiveness.
He’s not the athlete that Tyler Warren is, and he doesn’t have the same power after the catch. However, his superpower is his route running by winning with quickness and efficiency. Look for Loveland to post big numbers during his rookie season, as he is already a very polished route runner with NFL size and ball skills.
5. Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
Watching Tez Johnson carve up defensive backs at the Senior Bowl was pure joy. The 155-pound receiver can create instant separation. His burst off the line of scrimmage is incredible, but his ability to start and stop his routes on a dime is what is truly impressive. There is a suddenness to his game that most NFL receivers don’t have, and it’s what has allowed him to be so productive despite very poor measurables.
The biggest concern for Johnson is how he’ll handle press coverage in the NFL. He didn’t see it often at Oregon, but when he did, he could use his speed and quickness to out-athlete the defensive back. But as we saw at the Senior Bowl, it's really hard to press someone who you can't touch.
His weight and play strength could make him a slot-only player in the NFL, but Johnson is a dynamic route runner who should still get drafted in the first four rounds despite a less-than-stellar combine performance. We've seen several comps to Tank Dell, and it's awfully hard to ignore them when you see just how explosive he is on the football field.
4. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Did you really expect Ohio State’s all-time leading receiver to be a bad route runner? Of course not. Emeka Egbuka isn’t anywhere near the caliber of athlete we are used to seeing come out of Columbus, but there is a reason why he was so productive during his collegiate career, and that’s because he’s an excellent route runner.
Egbuka is easily the best zone route runner in the class. He has a fantastic feel of where the soft spots of the zone will be and does a good job of anticipating openings rather than reacting to them. Another strength of his is his ability to differentiate his speed to keep defenders on their heels.
Too many receivers play at one speed, and it makes them easy to defend. That’s not the case with Egbuka, who has a herky-jerky playstyle that keeps defensive backs guessing.
The biggest question for Egbuka at the next level is if he can win outside. Most of his routes came from the slot, and Ohio State did a good job of keeping him clean and off the line of scrimmage.
He’s such a refined player, and that should allow him to succeed within nearly any offense at the next level. Egbuka might not have the highest ceiling, but you can bank on him being productive at the next level because of his size, strength, and route running.
3. Jack Bech, WR, TCU
There are very few receivers on this list that win with strength and power in their routes. But that’s the case for Jack Bech, who can use his upper-body strength to shed defensive backs when needed. But he isn’t just a physical route runner. He is really efficient when on his routes, and there isn’t a lot of wasted movement.
There is some real nuance to his route running that you don’t see from college receivers very often. He doesn’t always create quick separation like a few players on this list, but he does a good job of getting open at the top of his routes, making it easy for the quarterback to deliver him the ball.
Bech posted a 6.84 3-cone drill at the NFL Combine, and that shows up on tape. For a bigger receiver, he does an excellent job of sinking his hips and getting in and out of breaks. His lack of long speed (he didn’t run the 40 at the NFL Combine) is the only reason he’s not higher on this list, but he still should be able to win with his route running and strength at the next level.
2. Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
There might not be a player in this class whose tape is more enjoyable than that of Kyle Williams. He won’t be one of the first receivers selected, but he’s one of the best receivers at beating press in the entire class.
A few defensive backs tried to jam him at the Senior Bowl during practices, and he made them look silly, as they could barely even get a hand with him.
He’s so quick off the line of scrimmage and has no wasted movements in his routes. Here is a package of plays that our own James Foster put together, with Williams beating defenders off the line of scrimmage.
Williams is another undersized receiver who may struggle with the strength of NFL defensive backs. But he’s so good at creating quick separation from his routes that it might not matter. Williams projects as a player who can play all three receiver spots in the NFL, and quarterbacks will love to target him because of how much early separation he creates in his routes.
1. Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
There is a reason Xavier Restrepo caught 200 passes during his Miami career despite less-than-stellar measurables. Restrepo measured in under 5-foot-10 at the NFL Combine and chose not to run, which is pretty telling. He has sub-30-inch arms, and his hands are below average (9 1/8”) for the position. And yet, he’s one of the most productive receivers in this class because of his route running.
Restrepo played mostly from the slot while at Miami, but he’s mastered the art of route running from the inside. He does a great job of not showing any tells at the top of his route, and his ability to sink his hips in either direction makes him a terror to defend. He’s also incredibly effective in zone coverage, knowing where to settle down and how to make himself available to his quarterback.
There is a good chance he could fall a bit during the NFL Draft because of his smaller frame and limited size. But you can count on him being a productive player at the next level because he’s such an elite route runner. He should be a Day 1 starter in the slot and could eventually have a Khalil Shakir-like impact on the right team.
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