‘If only Jeremiah Smith were in this draft.’
I’ve heard that from at least two teams in the top 10 this year about the Ohio State wide receiver. Unfortunately, Smith isn’t draft eligible until 2027. Based on how he’s performed in each of his first two seasons with the Buckeyes, that kid might be the best draft prospect at the position in many moons, and while it’s a ways away, would have my vote as the best player in college football at the moment.
Alas, for those teams, and for everyone else, this year’s class doesn’t possess a show-stopping pass catcher. But don’t mistake that for this being a weak group. It’s deep; there are a handful of guys who could make significant impacts at the next level. But not every player will work for every system. In fact, I’d say this crop might be even more team/scheme-specific than any in recent memory.
TIER ONE: Carnell Tate, Ohio State (6’2”, 192); Denzel Boston, Washington (6’4” 212); Makai Lemon (5’11”, 192), USC; Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State (6’2”, 203)
Full disclosure: Tyson is the best player in this lot. But a litany of injuries (ACL, collarbone, and lingering hamstring) could have him slide further down the board in round one than his talent says he should. He’s a borderline craftsman with his route running and smoother than butterscotch pudding (You like what you like. I like what I like. Don’t judge).
Tyson eats up man coverage (well-schooled by ASU WR coach Hines Ward) and can succeed inside or out. Will catch the ball over the middle, but doesn’t seem to like contact all that much.
Tate is likely the first to go off the board as another in a long line of Buckeye wideouts. Definitely plays faster than the 4.53 40, and he is very efficient with his movements. Knows how to stack the defenders and runs crisp routes. Smart and detailed with his approach and execution.
Boston didn’t run the 40 at the combine or at Washington’s pro day, saying he did so on the advice of his agent. You know why? Because he’s not fast or an elite athlete. But he does have an elite skill – no one in the draft gets the ball as Boston does. He’s got excellent hands, and when the ball is in the air, if he can get to it, it is almost always his. Red-zone weapon.
If you’re following this process, you know Lemon has drawn comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown. That’s both good and bad because St. Brown was a day three pick. Obviously, that evaluation was off, but is that profile – not the biggest nor the fastest – worthy of a top-15 pick, which is where Lemon seems destined to go?
He’s got small hands (8 3.4”) but damn good ball skills, and a thickness to his body (and not thick like my head or midsection) that’s allowed him to survive and thrive coming out of the slot. Not much after the catch, but man, does Lemon catch everything. He’s a different kind of cat (see his combine podium interview), but no one is worried about his love for the game
TIER TWO: Chris Brazzell, Tennessee (6’4”, 198); KC Concepcion, Texas A&M (6’0”, 196)
Hard not to look at Brazzell and think, “Could he be Tee Higgins? Could he be something more?” At least, that’s how I view him. And I’m not alone.
“You see the speed (4.37 40) and think he’s just one of those burners who can only go vertical,” one scout told me. “You’d be wrong. He is an excellent route runner and has a great feel for how a defender is playing him.”
“I love how he sets guys up with his release and then how he runs routes,” a wide receiver coach texted. “He can make it all look the same, and that’s not easy to defend.”
Brazzell isn’t perfect. If he were, he’d be in my tier one. He’s lean, and while he will try to fight through contact, he will have issues with more physical corners until he gets a little stronger. That lack of strength is evident when Brazzell is challenged at the catch point. He also doesn’t love the shallow stuff, especially underneath linebackers or a safety diving down.
One of the twitchiest pass catchers of the bunch, Concepcion creates separation with his quick release, 0 to 60 acceleration, and razor-sharp cuts. Once the ball is in his hands, he runs hard and with surprising physicality (as seen in his punt returns as well). However, that willingness goes out the window when he doesn’t have the ball or when Concepcion is asked to put his body in the danger zone (i.e., over the middle). He has 20 career drops, 15 over the last two seasons.
