Rookie

Under the Radar | 2023 WR Prospects to Watch

March 23, 2023

Jayden Reed

Chalk – WR7
ECR – WR16

A sleepy prospect who has been comp’d to Stefon Diggs is being overlooked by many pundits but the NFL seems to have him on their target list. After an impressive week at the Senior Bowl, Reed is creeping up draft boards and could find himself drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft. The former Michigan State Spartan clears almost all of Jax Falcone’s anatomy thresholds and scored fairly well in JJ Zachiariason’s Z-Prospect model with decent projected draft capital, an age 19 breakout, dominator rating close to 30%, and solid receiving production numbers. You can say he broke out early because he played at small school Western Michigan but he balled after transferring to Michigan State, outplaying teammate Dee Eskridge who ended up being drafted in the second round. Reed may become a versatile chess piece in the NFL with an ability to pay outside, in the slot, and even returning kicks. Some say that he lacks elite speed but a speed score of 95 checks out and supports the notion that he possesses yards-after-catch ability.

Jayden Reed and Cedric Tillman now become “My Guys” in this NFL Draft class.
Reed shows SO MANY shades of Diggs. pic.twitter.com/6G4CIqODFG
— Air Raid | Buffalo (@TheBillsGuys) March 15, 2023

Rashee Rice

Chalk – WR8
ECR – WR10

Rashee Rice is a late breakout WR but possesses good size. With that said, he ended up producing big numbers as a senior and enters the NFL Draft with momentum on his side as he set the SMU single-season receiving yards record with 1,355 last season. You could argue that this was a product of a spread offense but Rice has improved each year as a collegiate WR and should continue to develop in the pros. Rice has shown to be a good route runner but some have questioned his route tree. He may have dispelled those concerns during his Pro Day which received attention from scouts. The former Mustang has good athleticism for his size and has shown to be problematic for defenders after the catch, similarly to Brandon Aiyuk. Rashee has also been comp’d to Chris Godwin so the potential for NFL success is evident.

Being able to stem your route to reset leverage is key for WRs. DB is shaded inside Rashee Rice.
I love how he attacks and squared him up to create a new line of scrimmage. Moved him off the spot, then tracked the ball! #ratedrookie pic.twitter.com/07MONZTuO0
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) February 6, 2023

A.T. Perry

Chalk – WR12
ECR – WR17

A.T. Perry is one of Jax Falcone’s favorites in this WR class and after running his numbers through the Anatomy framework I can see why. Perry is a prototypical X at 6’4″ who plays up to his size and excels at contested catches with a nice catch radius and basketball background. This should provide him upside in the red zone once he hits the pros. Although the natural size and talent is there, he wasn’t an early producer which has been a knock on his analytical profile. Where he lacks in separation and nuance to his game, Perry makes up for it with his speed and burst which is supported by a 9.23 RAS score.