2012 NFL Draft Position Rankings: The Top 10 Wide Receiver Prospects

Danny FlynnJul 29, 2011

The 2011 NFL wide receiver class is made up of some future stars like A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Titus Young, who are all expected to be prominent offensive pieces as rookies this season.

And then there are plenty of other players from this year’s group like Randall Cobb, Greg Little and Jonathan Baldwin, who should be key contributors as well.

This year’s top rookie receivers all have the chance to make a huge impact this season, so they’re probably going to leave a pretty hard act to follow.

Green entered the 2010 season as the consensus favorite to be the first wide receiver off the board, and he managed to make it a reality when the Cincinnati Bengals took him with the fourth pick of the draft.

This year, there is no undisputed No. 1 receiver like Green in college football. Instead, there are five names in the discussion.

Right now, Alshon Jeffery, Justin Blackmon, Ryan Broyles, Jeff Fuller and Michael Floyd are the most coveted eligible receivers for next year’s draft, but the problem is, none of them have yet to separate themselves from the pack.

Blackmon is coming into the year with the most momentum after a sensational season in 2010, in which he led the country with 20 TD catches.

But Blackmon only has one year of true dominance under his belt. Guys like Broyles, Jeffery and Floyd all have longer resumes and more productive backgrounds, and they may be just as talented as the Oklahoma State playmaker.

Going into the upcoming season, everybody seems to have their own favorite receiver and opinions tend to vary when the, "Who’s the best?" question gets asked.

Still, unless some under-the-radar receiver can make an unforeseen charge up the boards with a spectacular season, it’s likely that one of those five will be the first receiver to come off the board next April.

The question now becomes, "Who will it be?"

Well, it’s still just guesswork at this point, but here’s a look at how I'd personally rank the top receivers for the 2012 NFL draft.

10. Chris Owusu, Stanford

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Most of the offseason talk surrounding Stanford’s offense has revolved around star quarterback Andrew Luck, who most are pegging to be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft. But Luck isn’t the only future pro lining up for the Cardinal offense this season.

WR Chris Owusu, who battled through an injury-plagued season last year, will be Stanford’s top offensive weapon this season, and he’ll also be Luck’s most trusted target.

Owusu is a dynamic athlete who can shine as both a receiver, as well as a returner.

At this point, the 6’2’’, 200-pound senior is still a better athlete than he is a receiver, but all it takes is one season of being the top dog to change all that.

Osuwu certainly has the type of talent that can alter the complexion of an entire offense.

If he’s fully healthy, there are very few corners in America who will be able to stay with the speedy Stanford receiver for more than 10 or 15 yards this season.

9. Joe Adams, Arkansas

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Last year’s Sugar Bowl showed us why we should feel excited, yet also cautious, about WR Joe Adams.

Although Adams inexcusably dropped three crucial passes, he still manned up and played through his struggles, finishing the game with nine catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

It’s those types of performances that keep pro scouts scratching their head.

They all know Adams can play; they just have to see more consistency.

Last season, there were six games when the 5’11’’, 190-pound senior failed to catch more than three passes.

Adams still managed to finish the year with a respectable 50 receptions and six touchdown catches. But if he wants to receive the same type of recognition as fellow Arkansas receiver Greg Childs, Adams will have to bring his A-game each and every week this season.

There’s no doubt that Adams has the skill set to be a solid and trustworthy No. 3 receiver in an NFL offense, he just has to prove to scouts that he has what it takes to be a consistent threat in every game.

8. Jermaine Kearse, Washington

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QB Jake Locker’s struggles sadly overshadowed all that his main receiver, Jermaine Kearse, was accomplishing throughout the 2010 season.

Locker relied on Kearse to get him out of more than a few jams last season, and it seemed like the senior receiver always somehow came through for this quarterback.

Kearse broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in 2010, and he enjoyed the type of statement season that made onlookers take notice.

Over the course of his career, the 6’3’’, 205-pound senior has now accumulated 133 catches for over 2,100 yards and 22 TDs, and he's already solidified himself as one of the best receivers to ever come through the Huskies program.

Kearse is the type of receiver who can go deep over the middle and hit the home run or cut at 12 yards and catch the ball on the sidelines to pick up a crucial 3rd-and-10.

His production may slip up a bit now that new QB Keith Price is under center, but Kearse has already established himself as a difference-making receiver who can be counted on as a safety valve when things start to break down.

Those kind of receiving prospects are always valued at a premium.

7. Greg Childs, Arkansas

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Arkansas might just have the best receiving corps in college football this season and the most notable name out of the bunch is Greg Childs.

Before a season-ending patella tendon injury sidelined him for the last five games of the year, Childs was a crucial component to the Razorbacks' high-powered passing attack.

Over the last two seasons, Childs has caught 94 passes for over 1,500 yards and 13 TDs.

The 6’3’’, 215-pound senior is a big, athletic possession receiver who would fit in perfectly with a West Coast based offense.

Childs may not possess game-breaking speed, but he’s a superb intermediate target who is as reliable as any receiver in the country.

If he can show he’s back to full health this year, Childs should catch the attention of a lot of scouts.

Expect Arkansas to have a lethal passing offense yet again in 2011.

6. Kendall Wright, Baylor

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QB Robert Griffin III isn't the only Baylor Bear who Big 12 defenses will have to worry about this season.

Griffin’s top target, Kendall Wright, one of the fastest receivers in the country, should also give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares this season.

Wright, a former high school track star, relies on his speed to make big plays in the passing game, and so far, he’s been wildly successful.

The 5’9’’, 190-pound senior has led the Bears in receiving each of the last three seasons, accumulating nearly 2,700 yards of offense and 18 total TDs during that time.

Unfortunately for Wright, he has to deal with the fact that he plays in the Big 12, a conference full of high caliber receivers like Ryan Broyles, Justin Blackmon and Jeff Fuller, so he''ll have to be prepared to fight for attention once again in 2011.

When NFL teams turn on Wright’s tape, they won’t just see your average track star turned wannabe football player. They’ll see a lightning-fast receiver who knows how to use his natural gifts to his advantage and make game-changing types of plays.

5. Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

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At 6'4", 215 pounds, Jeff Fuller definitely passes the eyeball test. And if you’ve seen some of the Aggie receiver’s highlights, you know that he’s got the substance to back up his intimidating physique

Fuller is your classic tall receiver who possesses sneaky athleticism and quickness for his size.

The Texas native hauled in 72 passes for over 1,000 yards in 2010, and he'll have the opportunity to have an even more productive encore season this year with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback.

Fuller and Tannehill are capable of creating a dangerous aerial assault in 2011, and the senior receiver should be able to prove to Big 12 fans that Ryan Broyles and Justin Blackmon aren’t the only receivers to be afraid of.

If Fuller can put together a full season’s worth of consistent production, he should be a first-round pick in 2012.

4. Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

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Oklahoma will enter 2011 as the top ranked bully of college football, but if the Sooners actually want to survive the season unscathed, they’re going to need another big effort out of their most talented and productive offensive weapon, WR Ryan Broyles.

Broyles led all receivers with 131 catches last year, and he’s proven to be one of the most productive offensive players in all of college football.

At 5'11", 185 pounds, Broyles doesn’t necessarily have the desired size that pro scouts are looking for, but it hasn’t stopped the senior receiver from running around and running through opposing defenses on a regular basis.

Broyles doesn't have the same type of pure speed as current Philadelphia receiver DeSean Jackson, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him develop into a similar type of receiver.

Ryan Broyles will probably never be a bona fide No. 1 receiver for an NFL offense, but he’s got the skill set to be a highly productive secondary threat, who puts pressure on defenses with his ability to get open and make things happen once he gets the ball in his hands.

3. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

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Michael Floyd could have entered the 2011 NFL draft and it’s very likely that the stud Notre Dame receiver would have been taken somewhere in the mid-to-late first round. But Floyd felt he had something left to prove in South Bend, so he made the decision to return.

It's a choice that was quickly second-guessed after a DUI charge jeopardized Floyd’s future with the program and kept him out for the spring.

Coach Brian Kelly has since made it clear that his star receiver will have a chance to return to the team if he handles his responsibilities and stays on a straight path to redemption.

If Floyd can put his off-the-field incident behind him, he should be in store for a monster senior season now that he knows his role in Kelly’s spread offense.

The 6’3’’, 225-pound senior had his first 1,000-receiving yard season of his career in 2010, and he’s expected to put up similar and possibly even bigger numbers this year.

Floyd has a knack for making spectacular catches look routine, and it seems that he hauls in everything thrown in his general direction.

The sure-handed receiver is adept at reading passes and plucking the ball out of the air.

If NFL teams can look past the one DUI incident, they’ll see that Floyd is a perfect receiving package who has all the tools to be a No. 1 receiver at the pro level.

2. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

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Alshon Jeffery may not be a chiseled specimen in the mold of some ripped NFL receivers like Calvin Johnson and Terrell Owens.

Still, just because Jeffery isn’t rocked with muscle, it doesn’t mean that he’s any less dominant.

With A.J. Green and Julio Jones now off to the NFL, it’s time for a new superstar receiver to emerge in the SEC, and Jeffery is the guy who is set to take the torch.

After leading the conference with 88 catches and 1,517 receiving yards in 2010, Jeffery is now ready to make a name for himself on the national stage.

The 6’4’’, 230-pound junior isn’t the fastest receiver in the country, but he’s got the hands, vision and route running instincts to make any secondary he goes up against look foolish.

The former 4-star recruit out of South Carolina’s Calhoun County High School has made good on his high school hype and developed into an impact player for his home state squad.

Jeffery is the ultimate red-zone weapon, and he’s going to be one of the key players in South Carolina’s run to an SEC Championship in 2011.

1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

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If it weren’t for Cam Newton, Justin Blackmon would have been the biggest breakout star of the 2010 season.

Blackmon came into the year with fairly moderate expectations, but it quickly became apparent that he had been drastically undervalued.

As the featured weapon in Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid attack, Blackmon finished the year with over 100 receiving yards in all 12 games he played in.

The 6’1’’, 205-pound junior led the country with 20 TD catches and finished the season with over 1,700 receiving yards, a far cry from the 260 yards he put up as a redshirt freshman in 2009

There are questions about Blackmon’s long speed, and some have wondered about how much playing in pass-happy system helped benefit him last year.

However, all you have to do is watch what he did on the field last year to realize that Blackmon is a true playmaker in every sense.

Blackmon has no trouble getting vertical and separating himself from coverage, and when the ball does get thrown his way, it rarely ever touches the ground.

He may only run a 4.55 40-yard dash, but when Blackmon gets on the field, there isn’t a defensive back who can contain him or even slow him down for all four quarters.