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Wide receivers
1. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
2. Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
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3. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
4. Chris Olave, Ohio State
5. Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU
Just missed the cut: Jahan Dotson (Penn State), Elijah Moore (Ole Miss), Marlon Williams (UCF) & Amon-Ra St. Brown (USC)
Nothing about him physically really screams out top wide receiver, with a rather thin frame, average size and there are always receivers on Alabama that would beat him in a race, but Smith still has 2330 receiving yards 26 touchdowns over these last 21 games. This guy really put his name on the map with that game-winning touchdown in overtime in the National Championship game versus Georgia three years ago, but he has become more involved every season. Smitty catches pretty much everything thrown his way and while he is “only” 6’1”, he plays the catch point as if he was 6’6” and he routinely embarrasses defenders. He is already a master at stutter releases, he does a great job of stacking his man on vertical routes and I love how he works back to the ball. Smith was the only receiver I saw give freshman sensation CB Derek Stingley Jr. trouble and he badly won that matchup.
Number two was a tough choice here, but I think the guy who can dominate the competition more so than anybody else at that position is Wallace. Whenever I check the measurements and see than he is only six feet tall, I scratch my head, because all I see is him towering over defensive backs when the ball is in the air. That 2018 season was special, when Wallace caught 86 passes for just under 1500 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season he got hurt after nine games (right around 100 yards and a TD per) and he is right at that pace again this season. His ability to adjust mid-air and dominate in contested catch situations have resulted in a lot of chunks on downfield threats and made him a beast in the red-zone. The inability to consistently separate and not having faced a ton of press, will be question marks for his transition into the pros, but at the collegiate level only injuries have really been able to slow him down.
After that, I went with a prospect I’m very high on, but we have only seen in five games this season. Bateman originally opted out for 2020, but then came back only to decide it was better to prepare for the upcoming draft, since Minnesota took a big step back as a program. As a sophomore, Bateman kind of stole the show away from Tyler Johnson, who still led the team in all the major receiving categories, but the young guy was so impressive winning vertically and running away from people after the catch. Bateman is a very fluid mover and he really ate up the middle of the field in 2019. However, he is also an alpha with the ball in the air and displays highly trustworthy hands overall. The one thing he has to improve upon is getting through challenges off the line, since he got to operate a lot out of the slot for the Gophers.
Olave is another guy who only measures in at six feet, but when you put on the tape, you feel like you have to add like four inches. A lot of people got to eat in that 2019 Buckeye offense, but this young man led all receivers with 840 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air on 48 catches. That scoring total had a lot to do with the ability to pluck the ball off the head of defenders in the end-zone. Olave comes off the ball with some urgency, consistently catches the ball away from his frame and is very competitive after the catch. I like how he can counter those downfield routes with the ability to quickly stop his momentum on routes back towards the quarterback, but he whiffs on some blocks by not breaking down in space accordingly.
And finally, another receiver who just decided to opt out for the remainder of the season, thanks in large part to how much the reigning national champs have struggled this season. Still, Marshall put in some good work when he was out there, catching 48 passes for 731 yards and ten touchdowns in seven games. Those are right around the numbers he posted last season in 12 contests, even though he was the number three option behind JaMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Marshall presents ideal size and great play strength at 6’3”, 200 pounds. He is physical off the line and at the catch point, while fighting himself free downfield with his arms and subtle push-offs. While he comes off the ball a little lethargic at times, he can win at all three levels and quickly brings the ball into his body.
For the four extra names here – Dotson has been the one true bright-spot for a struggling Penn State program with his highlight reel grabs, I had to mention the nation’s leading receiver in Moore, who has been beating SEC defenses over the top all season long, Williams is the number one option in maybe the most explosive aerial attack in college football, with over 1000 yards and 10 TDs already in eight games, and St. Brown has made that transition from slot to Michael Pittman’s role look very smooth so far.
