Continuing our new Summer Scouting series here at NFLTR, I’ll be going position by position breaking down my preliminary top prospects to set the table for the upcoming collegiate season and 2025 NFL Draft cycle. You can find the other positions done so far here: Next up, we have wide receivers, the most popular position outside of quarterback. Every year NFL teams are looking to become more dynamic and keep up with the offensive arms race across the league, and every year the college ranks supply more elite receivers. This year is no different with a number of exciting prospects. Let’s take a look at the early top receivers in 2025:
- Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Luther Burden III, Missouri
- Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
The tall, wiry McMillan became the highest-rated recruit in Arizona history when he arrived on campus for his freshman season in 2022. That year, he secured 39 catches for 702 yards and 8 touchdowns, living up to his massive hype coming into the year. 2023 marked his ascension to the college football elite when he recorded a whopping 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a sophomore, McMillan was recognized as an All-American and built up steam for his draft stock as one of the top receivers in the 2025 draft. Now heading into his true junior season, he’ll look to make his case to be the first receiver taken off the board come April. McMillan stands at an eye-catching 6-5 and 210 pounds, towering over most corners he faces. As you’d expect, he has great length and uses his wingspan effectively to create a massive catch radius. McMillan also has the best hands of this class. He gives his quarterbacks tremendous security throwing the ball deep or over the middle of the field, as he naturally creates larger throwing windows and can corral inaccurate passes. Even when adjusting mid-route, he redirects to chase down errant throws or alters his trajectory to find spaces in the defense. He gets off press coverage well, using his long arms and smart hand placement to ward off corners trying to jam him and create separation at the beginnings of his routes. Athletically, McMillan has adequate straight-line speed, but where he stands out is with his short-area quickness and agility. Despite his height, he has incredible fluidity in his movements, able to run precise routes with subtle nuances to create separation. He accelerates out of his stance quickly and can stop and turn on a dime, allowing himself to run the full route tree. Part of why he’s such a good route runner is his natural movement ability, but he’s also a smart player who puts the work in to refine his craft, and it shows up on tape. This also translates to his work after the catch where his frame and agility allow him to pick up extra chunks of yards.
With many of last season’s college receiving stars now in the NFL, Burden enters his junior year as one of the faces of the sport and has a chance to stamp his name on the college football world. He’s in play to be the first receiver taken in 2025 if he puts together another great year. A former five-star recruit with offers from every major college program, Burden surprised many when he chose to attend Missouri. He hit the ground running as a true freshman in 2022, recording 346 receiving yards and six touchdowns. As a sophomore last season, he stepped up his production considerably, becoming one of the most electric receivers in the country — 86 catches for 1,212 yards and 9 touchdowns. Burden was awarded first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors. At 5-11 and 208, Burden is a well-built receiver with some punch to his game. He plays with a physical force and isn’t afraid to run through contact. In contested catch situations, he knows how to high-point the ball and use his strong frame to box out defenders. Even more impressive than his power, however, is his speed and acceleration. Though he’s not often used in the return game, he’s been effective there in a limited sample, including scoring a punt return touchdown as a freshman. His ability to stop and start on a dime is a big reason why. Burden is incredibly dynamic after the catch, for a variety of reasons. He has excellent body control, translating to agility in space, both in his routes and after the catch. When he has the ball in his hands, he’s at his best and he should thrive in the NFL when given opportunities to create after the catch. He has exceptional vision, allowing him to break down zone coverages and find holes in the defense for big gains. It’s a deadly combination of speed control, fluidity and intelligence that makes him tough for cornerbacks to guard. Although Burden is a versatile and accomplished receiver, he’s not a particularly adept route runner. His routes tend to be choppy and undisciplined. That might fly in college, but in the NFL, he’ll need to become more precise to succeed. He’s not going to dominate in the NFL through his pure speed or athleticism. That’s not an indictment on Burden, few players can succeed at that level without further refining their game. Ultimately, Burden is an elite after-the-catch threat with sure hands and a physical profile that will entice NFL teams. Route running is an area he needs to grow in, but he’ll have that opportunity this season. I have a first-round grade on him, and he could very well push to be a top-ten pick in April’s draft. Without improvement in his route running, he could slip toward the back end of the first round, however. He has a wider range of outcomes than you might expect, and this college season will be important for him to stamp out any doubts scouts might have.
A Canadian speedster with a sprinter’s background, Ayomanor may not be a household name yet, but he’s an incredibly dangerous football player. After redshirting in 2021, he suffered a major knee injury that ended his 2022 season almost before it began and required extensive recovery. As he worked his way back in 2023, he regained his form, and by the end of the season was playing freely and without restrictions. He recorded over 1,000 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, looking better and better as the season went on. 2024 will be his redshirt junior season, as he looks to break out in a major way across college football. Even coming back from injury, Ayomanor’s athleticism popped on film. When he wants to blow past defenders, he will. He can get up to top speed quickly and outrun the secondary, whether that’s to get behind them on a route or with the ball in his hands. He has soft hands with good grip strength, able to pluck the ball out of the air from a variety of angles and positions. As a contested catch receiver, he’s confident and decisive, showcasing good timing and an innate feel for positioning and beating defenders to the ball.
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