NFL Draft 2022: the top wide receivers and tight ends
The crop of 2022 is blessed with plenty of talent at wide receiver, with Ohio State alone producing two players who could be selected in the first round of the Draft.
The class of 2022 is full of wide receivers that could be first-round picks in the NFL Draft, which takes place in Las Vegas from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 April. Two of them are Ohio State products, while Alabama is set to supply the NFL with an elite WR for the third straight year.
Garrett Wilson
Wilson is one of the two Ohio State wide receivers that could be selected in the first round. In three years with the Buckeyes, the 21-year-old registered 143 receptions, 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns, with 2021 his most productive season (70/1,058/12). One of the reasons why Wilson is so highly rated is his speed (4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash) - pace that has led to comparisons with the Los Angeles Rams’ Odell Beckham Jr.
Jameson Williams
Five Alabama wide receivers have been picked in the first round of the Draft in the last four years, and Williams could join that select club. One of the 21-year-old’s chief draws is his speed; though he did not take part in the NFL scouting combine drills, he has amply demonstrated this in his time with the Crimson Tide. A player who registered 79 receptions, 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021, he only featured in 15 games and suffered a ligament injury, which negatively impacted on his Draft value.
Drake London
6′4″ tall and weighing 219lbs, the USC product is the most physical wide receiver in this generation, and is viewed as a player who could emulate the likes of Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. London, who registered 88 receptions, 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns before fracturing his ankle in October, could be the first Trojan to be selected in the first round since Nelson Agholor in 2015.
Chris Olave
Olave is the second Ohio State wide receiver aiming to be a first-round pick. A player whose speed almost exactly mirrors that of Wilson (4.39 in the 40-yard dash), Olave is a WR who can also operate as a slot receiver. In his last year with the Buckeyes, he managed 65 receptions, 963 yards and 13 touchdowns.
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Treylon Burks
An Arkansas product, Burks brings versatility and an imposing physique (6′2″ and 225 lbs). In his last season with the Razorbacks, he registered 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as 112 rushing yards and another TD. Although he’s a prospect with the potential to emulate Deebo Samuel’s impact in 2021, Burks’ value has been reduced by his repeated on-field concentration issues.
Trey McBride
McBride is the best draft prospect at tight end, but despite this is not expected to be picked until the second round. The former Colorado State player, who is compared to the Philadelphia Eagles’ Dallas Goedert, has plenty of pass-catching prowess, but while he can contribute to the rushing offence, his blocking isn’t always up to scratch.
