Best Landing Spots to Maximize 2023 NFL Draft's Top Sleeper WR Prospects
There seems to be a wide range of opinions on the 2023 NFL draft class as the draft (April 27-29) approaches. Evaluations of this group of prospects seem to be all over the place, and that could result in a few sleepers winding up in just the right situation to make an impact.
The Bleacher Report Scouting Department has three receivers in the top 31 of its most recent big board. Quentin Johnston (No. 11), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 13) and Jordan Addison (No. 22) all have de facto first-round grades from our panel of scouts.
However, Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy recently noted that "numerous teams" have Smith-Njigba as the only first-round receiver on their board.
Then there's a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Zay Flowers' stock is surging and he could be the top receiver picked.
It's all a good reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to receiver.
To be eligible for sleeper status, the prospect had to be outside of the B/R Scouting Dept.'s top 63 (that's how many picks are in the first two rounds this season). Based on scheme, quarterback and existing need, here are the best pairings for the sleeper wide receivers in this year's class.
Kayshon Boutte, LSU
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B/R Big Board Ranking: No. 121
Best Team Fit: Cincinnati Bengals
Few players have seen their draft stock free-fall quite like Kayshon Boutte's over the last season. Boutte was a 5-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class and appeared to have the tools to become a top-10 talent heading into last season.
Instead, just about everything went wrong. Boutte looked great during his 2021 season before an ankle injury ended it after six games. He had 38 receptions for 509 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the offseason, he had multiple surgeries to fix the issue. Then he only had 48 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns.
Athletic testing didn't help matters. Boutte scored a 4.91 relative athletic score, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network. He had poor explosion testing at the combine with OK agility.
It's also unclear why he was "unavailable" for LSU's bowl game.
Still, there's a world where his focus drops and inconsistent effort are a product of some immaturity and lingering recovery from his ankle injury.
If that's the case, the 5'11", 195-pound receiver needs to go to a franchise that can offer mentorship and stability.
The Cincinnati Bengals can do just that. The LSU connection could help foster a good relationship with Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. Matt Miller of ESPN compared Boutte to Tyler Boyd. He would be a perfect veteran mentor.
Both Higgins and Boyd are in the final years of their contracts. The Bengals would do well to take a swing on a high-upside receiver in the middle rounds who could replace one or both of them.
Boutte is that guy.
Josh Downs, North Carolina
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 67
Best Fit: Green Bay Packers
Josh Downs is ranked just outside of the top 63 but could wind up being one of the most productive receivers in the class.
That's because he's a slot maestro who excelled at getting open and getting first downs at North Carolina. He was 12th in the nation with 50 first-down receptions and caught 93.1 percent of his catchable targets, per Matt Miller of ESPN.
Downs has questionable size (5'9", 171 lbs), but he's one of the best route-runners in the class and has great hands. With the right offensive coordinator and role, he can become an asset.
Once again, there are a lot of mocks and analysts calling for the Green Bay Packers to take a receiver in the first round. It hasn't happened since Javon Walker in 2002.
The Packers identified two young talents in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs who have promise on the outside. But with Randall Cobb unsigned, the Packers don't have a receiver who can specialize in working from the slot.
Downs can be that player. With the team transitioning to Jordan Love, it's going to be important for them to surround him with reliable targets. That's exactly what Downs is, and he would thrive from Matt LaFleur's coaching.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
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B/R Big Board Ranking: No. 108
Best Fit: Cleveland Browns
No one has a more interesting blend of size, strength and speed in this receiver class than Bryce Ford-Wheaton. Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen called Ford-Wheaton a "discount DK Metcalf" in his scouting report of the 6'4", 221-pound burner.
Ford-Wheaton ran a blazing-fast 4.38 40-yard dash and has the straight-line speed to blow by defenders.
His receiving production at West Virginia is a little disappointing. His final season was his most productive with 62 receptions and 675 yards on 110 targets. With a 25.9 percent target share, per Player Profiler, you would like to see better numbers.
Then again, he was getting passes from JT Daniels, who is set to play at Rice next season. It will be his fourth school in six years of college football.
The Cleveland Browns would have been a logical destination for Brandin Cooks. His 4.33 speed would have been a welcomed alongside Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, he would have been an upgrade over Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Cooks landed with the Cowboys, and the Browns could still use a field-stretching receiver to complement Cooper as WR1 and Moore as the primary slot option.
Ford-Wheaton could push Peoples-Jones for playing time and provide Deshaun Watson with a big-bodied deep threat.
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Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 88
Best Fit: Houston Texans
Jalin Hyatt ran "only" a 4.40 40-yard dash. But there's enough film of him pulling away from SEC defenses to believe that he's among the burners in this class.
Hyatt's comparisons range fairly widely. At 6'0", 176 pounds, he's on the small side for an NFL receiver. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein sees DeSean Jackson. Derrik Klassen made a Paul Richardson comparison in his scouting report for B/R.
An NFL general manager speaking to Matt Miller of ESPN heaped on the praise when making his pro comparison.
"I hate comparing people to Tyreek [Hill], but he has that Tyreek ability to turn a screen into a score. And he'll be a nightmare on vertical routes," the GM noted.
So Hyatt is a bit unconventional given his lack of size but has game-changing speed that can be utilized in different ways. Obviously, he could flourish in an Andy Reid/Eric Bieniemy style of offense, but the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree isn't a bad match either.
New Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will be tasked with building his offense around a new quarterback but comes from a Shanahan coaching tree marked by creativity.
If the Texans were to add Hyatt to the fold, he would instantly become the team's fastest wide receiver and a fun gadget for Slowik to employ on screens, jet sweeps and shot plays.
Hyatt has the ceiling to be a true building block and enough pure speed that his floor isn't bad either.
Trey Palmer, Nebraska
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 112
Best Fit: Minnesota Vikings
Trey Palmer is a one-year wonder. He never emerged in LSU's offense but transferred to Nebraska and became the go-to guy with 71 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.
Palmer has speed for days and ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at 6'0", 192 pounds.
Unlike some of the other burners on this list, Palmer has notable route running. Derrik Klassen wrote that he was "snappy, quick and explosive" while working in a limited route tree for the Cornhuskers.
That combination of deep speed and route running is just what the Minnesota Vikings need as they continue to evolve their receiving corps. Justin Jefferson commands the attention of opposing safeties, and the Vikings could use a deep threat to take advantage of that.
Adam Thielen clearly didn't fit in that role. That's partially why he'll be playing for Carolina this year.
K.J. Osborn will be expected to take a step forward. He's a versatile receiving threat who offers some blocking. T.J. Hockenson was the de facto No. 2 receiver by the end of the year.
Palmer can bring it all together.
A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 64
Best Fit: Baltimore Ravens
Wake Forest's A.T. Perry is one of the few receivers in this class who could go outside the first two rounds and still become a team's top receiver one day. He's just outside of the top 63 on B/R's big board, but the tools are there for him to develop into something special.
He's a tall, lanky receiver with a big catch radius at 6'3½", 198 pounds. He ran a 4.47 40 and registered a 35-inch vertical, so he has all the athleticism he needs to be a downfield threat in the NFL.
His route running isn't bad either. He's not going to be the most slippery receiver in the league, but he isn't stiff.
Early in his career, his biggest contribution might be as a red-zone weapon. Perry had 26 touchdowns over the last two seasons and can go up and get jump balls.
Essentially, he's a perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens as they continue to build an offense around Lamar Jackson. They just signed Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year contract worth up to $18 million, but that's not a long-term plan.
The Ravens were also one of the league's worst red-zone teams in 2022. They scored touchdowns on just 44.4 percent of their trips inside the 20.
Perry would immediately give them another go-to option who can beat smaller defensive backs in the end zone. As he develops, he could become the Ravens' No. 1 wide receiver.
Michael Wilson, Stanford
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 116
Best Fit: New England Patriots
This draft has a lot of undersized slot-type receivers. What it doesn't have are a ton of big-bodied targets who can be vertical ball-winners.
That's why it shouldn't be surprising if the 6'2", 213-pound Michael Wilson gets drafted a little earlier than expected.
He didn't light the 40-yard dash on fire. He ran just a 4.58 at the combine. But his other testing numbers included a 6.81 three-cone drill time, a 37.5-inch vertical and a 10'5" broad jump. In other words, he has good agility and explosiveness, especially for a bigger receiver.
The problem for Wilson is that his age and injury history will probably take him off some boards entirely. After playing in 25 games during his first two seasons at Stanford, he played in just 14 over the last three years due to injury.
Because of the prolonged collegiate career, he's now 23 years old. For teams with age guidelines, that's too old to be drafted.
Wilson's spotty availability makes him a potential diamond in the rough. It's interesting that the New England Patriots brought him in for a top-30 visit, per Ryan Fowler of the Draft Network, potentially tipping Bill Belichick's hand that he likes what he sees.
He would make a lot of sense with the Patriots. Their top outside receivers are DeVante Parker, who is 30 and has an injury history of his own, and Kendrick Bourne. Neither is exciting enough to keep the Pats from looking.
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