Midseason NFL Draft outlook: Wide receivers

The college football season continues to churn on, so there’s no better time to take an early look at the top five players position-by-position eligible for the NFL Draft and two other players to watch.

We move on to wide receiver.

NFL Draft outlook: Quarterbacks | Running backs

Recruiting: Weeks before his senior season, Williams committed to Clemson over South Carolina as those two were mainly the finalists. Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Tennessee were others involved.

Stats: Williams leads the Tigers in receptions with 27 catches and in yards with 432 yards while scoring three touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: Heading into this season Williams was in a similar situation to Laquon Treadwell in that he’s a super-talented receiver who had injury questions to overcome. While Treadwell landed in round one, he wasn’t the top receiver because of his 40 time. Williams is a bit longer and has better body control and should run a little better, but he's not as physical. He was a raw, skinny wideout with amazing upside out of high school in 2013 and right now he’s the top guy in a weak wide receiver draft.

Recruiting: Oregon, Notre Dame and UCLA were serious contenders in Smith’s recruitment, but there was always a sense USC would be tough to beat, especially as it got closer to National Signing Day. Smith has starred at receiver for the Trojans, but many argued safety was his long-term better position.

Stats: Smith-Schuster leads the Trojans with 31 receptions for 433 yards and half of USC’s receiving touchdowns with five so far this season.

Farrell’s take: Could we be looking at Keenan Allen part two? The two don't compare physically, but both were highly rated at safety and ended up being great wide receivers in college. Unlike Allen, we felt more comfortable that Smith-Schuster could be an offensive threat – Allen surprised us, not sure why looking back – and it’s no surprise to see him as a possible first-rounder in the 2017 NFL Draft while Allen slid a bit. In high school, Smith-Schuster was similar to what you see today, a physical, strong receiver who could outmuscle defenders or beat them deep.

Recruiting: A former Louisville commit under then-coach Charlie Strong, Ford selected Virginia Tech on Signing Day. South Carolina, Florida and Louisville were also considered in the final days before picking the Hokies.

Stats: Ford leads the Hokies in the three main statistical categories with 24 catches for 376 yards and four scores in five games.

Farrell’s take: Ford was a bit overlooked on his own team as Trinity Christian was loaded, especially at defensive back. Maybe the defensive backs were so good because they had to go against him all the time? Ford was tall and very skinny and there was some concern about how he’d fill out, but he also had very good hands while lacking elite speed. Now he’s developed into one of the most reliable threats on a week-to-week basis in college football and a guy shooting up the charts.

Recruiting: Davis committed a few weeks before National Signing Day to Western Michigan over Illinois State, his only other offer. Numerous Big Ten schools had been showing interest but none offered.

Stats: Davis leads the team with 36 catches for 589 yards and eight touchdowns, more than double the scores from any other receiver so far this season. He’s averaging more than 98 receiving yards per game.

Farrell’s take: Western Michigan and Illinois State were the only ones who wanted Davis as many in the Big Ten failed to pull the trigger and are paying the price now. He was a tall, rangy and raw prospect out of high school who might have been more heavily recruited had all his academics been in order. Now he’s a touchdown machine and tremendous red zone threat.

Recruiting: A three-star safety in high school, Sutton had BYU, Colorado and Fresno State as his three favorites just a few weeks before National Signing Day but a late visit to SMU switched up his recruitment and he landed with the Mustangs.

Stats: Sutton is second on the Mustangs with 30 catches but leads SMU with 590 yards and four scores. He’s averaging 19.7 yards per reception.

Farrell’s take: We had Sutton projected as a defensive back with his tall frame and good range. He also played some linebacker as well but he has developed into a great wide receiver at the next level. He was a big play threat at wide receiver in high school, although not nearly as polished as he is now. Most wanted him as a defensive back, but his ball skills have transitioned well and his size, speed and hands make him one to watch for the draft.

Recruiting: Lightly recruited out of high school, Washington picked Oklahoma State in the summer before his senior season. His only other reported offer was from Texas State.

Stats: Washington leads Oklahoma State in the key receiving categories with 36 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns. He’s averaging 20.3 yards per catch and 121.8 receiving yards per outing.

Farrell’s take: Washington was a very fast, straight-line receiver from a small school who can be billed as a “diamond in the rough” recruiting find for Oklahoma State. We liked his speed enough to make him a low three-star, but he has turned into something fun to watch at the next level. Not only is he fast but he’s elusive and sneaky strong. He could be this year’s Corey Coleman, a slot guy at the NFL level who lands in round one and can still do work outside.

Recruiting: A junior college transfer, Reynolds ended up picking Texas A&M over Oregon in December. TCU and Boise State were also recruiting him.

Stats: Second on the Aggies with 25 catches, Reynolds leads Texas A&M with 488 receiving yards and is tied with sophomore Christian Kirk (40 catches) with four receiving scores. Reynolds averages 19.5 yards per reception.

Farrell’s take: Reynolds had to take the JUCO route as a full qualifier just to get noticed by FBS teams and he still emerged late after his freshman season at Tyler J.C. despite scoring 11 touchdowns through the air for a run-heavy program. As a low three-star, we saw the height and frame and he was a deep threat, but he wasn’t a very good route runner nor possession receiver. That has changed as he’s developed in college and is becoming a complete receiver who still needs to fill out.