NFL Analysis
3/18/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Draft: This Year's Best Height-Weight-Speed Receivers
This year's draft may not be top-heavy at wide receiver, but there are still a handful of physical freaks in this draft class that could become legitimate weapons in the NFL.
Multiple teams will be seeking a big-bodied, athletic game-changer at wideout in the 2025 NFL Draft. Most of those teams were likely in the market for DK Metcalf, as the Seattle Seahawks fielded trade offers before sending him to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Unfortunately for the teams that couldn't land Metcalf, there aren't many true height/weight/speed options that could be as productive as him at the pro level. Still, there are a handful of interesting options, so let's dive into five of the most physical freaks at the position in this year's draft.
physical freak wrs in 2025 NFL Draft
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State 
For such a productive big-bodied receiver in this year's draft, there were a lot of questions about just how athletic Jayden Higgins was heading into the NFL Scouting Combine.
Higgins erased any of those concerns in Indianapolis. Along with a strong 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, he also posted an elite 39-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad jump, making him one of the most athletic WRs in this draft class.
Those are terrific metrics for a 6-foot-4 wideout, and the tape is even more impressive. He's capable of winning with play strength and body control but is also a savvy technician as a route runner and knows how to attack leverage to win vertically.
It's a rare skill set for such a big receiver, and that could help Higgins sneak into the first round of this year's draft.
Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Despite a football career that featured separate knee injuries in high school and college, Elic Ayomanor doesn't look like someone to be worried about when he's healthy.
Ayomanor isn't as big as Higgins at nearly 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, but that's still good size for an outside receiver. He put up a strong 4.44 40-yard dash time while also posting elite jumps with a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-7 broad jump.
The tape backs up Ayomanor's explosive scores because he has some legitimate quick twitch to set up cornerbacks expecting him to run a short route before burning them deep. He also has legitimate play strength to body defensive backs as a blocker, using his size to his advantage.
Elic Ayomanor is a damn menace lmao https://t.co/IRgObiAX1a pic.twitter.com/WQvjVoYfnh
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) March 17, 2025
Teams looking for a WR who can be an asset in the run game while still providing twitch and route-running ability on the outside will take a long look at Ayomanor on Day 3.
Savion Williams, TCU
If you want a truly unique offensive weapon in this draft class, then TCU's Savion Williams is probably going to be your best bet.
Williams was a productive target playing opposite Jack Bech, catching 60 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns. However, he also played a significant role in TCU's run game, carrying the ball 51 times for 322 yards and another six scores, then went 3-of-3 passing with another TD.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 17, 2024
At nearly 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Williams is one of the most physically imposing receivers in this class. He backs this up with explosiveness and long strides. He's also difficult to bring down once the ball is in his hands, which explains why TCU was so eager to give him so many rushing opportunities.
There's so much refinement that Williams needs to become a true wide receiver in the NFL, but a creative offensive coordinator could help him fulfill his upside as a potential Cordarrelle Patterson clone.
dont'e Thornton, Tennessee
If you're looking for the closest thing to a DK Metcalf clone in the 2025 draft, then Dont'e Thornton might actually be your guy.
The problem with that comparison is that Thornton was nothing more than a rotational player for Tennessee during his college career, playing no more than 348 snaps in a single season. For reference, the Volunteers had 998 offensive snaps in 2024.
Still, Thornton made the most of his opportunities, averaging an absurd 25.4 yards per catch. The testing matches the big-play potential on tape, with the 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver running a blazing 40-yard dash in just 4.30 seconds.
That top-end speed and explosiveness show up on Thornton's limited opportunities, but Tennessee had such a limited role and route tree for him that it's hard to project him at the NFL level. That's awfully similar to what DK Metcalf was like coming out of Ole Miss.
Thornton doesn't have nearly the pedigree of Metcalf as a prospect, however, so it's more than likely he'll be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona 
There are a few prospects every year where the athletic testing isn't that important. Tetairoa McMillan is one of those prospects.
Despite such a down year for the Arizona Wildcats, McMillan continued to turn heads with his unique and absurd play style on the outside. A big-bodied wideout at 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, he consistently showed elite body control and highlight-reel catches with absurd hands while defenders were draped over him.
The speed doesn't match up with many of the other receivers on this list, but it's not like it's a huge weakness for him. He reportedly ran somewhere in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, but he still showed ways of separating against defenders, especially after the catch.
McMillan is such a unique talent at his size that he belongs on this list and has a good chance of being the first receiver taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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