NFL Draft 2019: Midseason look at top WRs and TEs

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

About midway through the college football season is a great time to take stock of players who will be eligible for the NFL Draft. Here are two players among wide receivers and tight ends whose stock is up, steady and down:

MORE: Where QBs stand at season's midpoint | RBs

Recruiting: Arcega-Whiteside was born in Spain because both of his parents played pro basketball there and he moved to South Carolina when he was six years old. He committed to Stanford over finalists Michigan State, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

Stats: The 6-foot-3, 225-pound receiver leads the Cardinal with 30 catches for 541 yards and he has eight of Stanford’s 12 receiving touchdowns this season. Arcega-Whiteside has been nearly unstoppable in the red zone.

Farrell’s take: Arcega-Whiteside was a huge wide receiver coming out of high school who had to answer questions about his speed and ability to get open consistently. He was great at using his size to dominate defenders and box them out, but we questioned his ability to get downfield. We still had him ranked as a top 70 player at his position and a high three-star but he has played beyond that ranking so far.

Recruiting: After playing at Santa Clarita (Calif.) College of the Canyons, Brown picked Oklahoma mainly over West Virginia, but TCU, Tennessee, USC and others were also involved.

Stats: Brown leads the Sooners in basically every receiving category with 33 receptions for 675 yards and seven touchdowns. “Hollywood” also averages 20.5 yards per catch, another team-high for players with more than eight catches this season.

Farrell’s take: Size was a question mark when it comes to Brown, but not much else as he had the speed and home run potential to be a star after dominating at the JUCO level. A slot receiver with catch-and-run speed, we liked Brown as an instant impact guy for the Sooners. His quickness was evident, and he has added a good 20 pounds from his high school days, when he was a 5-foot-10, 155-pounder on a bad high school team. Size might hold him back, but he will get some serious looks in round two because of his dynamic abilities.

Recruiting: In November of his senior season, Harry committed to Arizona State over Texas A&M, Washington and others.

Stats: The former five-star receiver leads the Sun Devils with 34 catches for 481 yards and five touchdowns this season. Harry is averaging 14.1 yards per reception.

Farrell’s take: The first time I saw Harry at one of our Rivals Camp Series events in Vegas I knew he was a five-star. He was big, strong and very fluid, and he had an extra gear rare for a 200-pound high school receiver, which allowed him to gain great separation. The No. 1 wideout in the 2016 class, he has adjusted to college very early and one can only imagine the numbers he would have at Arizona State with an above-average quarterback. He’s a potential first-rounder for sure.

Recruiting: A high four-star prospect from Mississippi State’s hometown of Starkville, Miss., Brown committed to Ole Miss over the Bulldogs and Alabama on National Signing Day.

Stats: With 44 receptions and 586 yards, Brown leads the way for the Rebels and he’s second in receiving touchdowns with four, one behind D.K. Metcalf so far this season. He’s averaging 13.3 yards per catch.

Farrell’s take: Brown had a breakout season last year, for sure. He was a big and thick receiver with great physical skills coming out of high school. He was our No. 9 wide receiver and No. 53 player overall in our 2016 Rivals100 and there were some internal arguments that he should have been ranked higher.

At Under Armour week, he was one of our top performers all week, showing excellent hands and a great ability to make big catches in traffic. He may be the most complete receiver in the country when you consider his size and power, and is still my clear No. 1 at wide receiver for April's draft.

Recruiting: After an impressive showing at summer camp and a big senior season, Samuel earned an offer from South Carolina and quickly committed to the Gamecocks. North Carolina, NC State, Vanderbilt and others were involved.

Stats: Samuel leads the Gamecocks with 26 catches but he’s second on the team with 294 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In a 37-35 win over Missouri last weekend, Samuel had four catches for 88 yards and a score.

Farrell’s take: Samuel was a burner out of high school who didn’t have great size, but had that extra gear to beat anyone he needed. It’s unclear why he wasn’t recruited a bit heavier and we certainly underrated him as a high three-star. He showed excellent route-running ability as well as reliable hands and excelled at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, where he probably should have earned that fourth star. He entered the season with high expectations but hasn’t had a huge year and is sliding a bit on some boards.

Recruiting: The first player Stanford offered in the 2016 class, Smith committed to the Cardinal in the spring before his senior season over Alabama, Texas, Baylor and others.

Stats: Smith is tied for second in receptions on the team with 27 catches for 382 yards but he has not scored a touchdown yet this season. Stanford’s other top tight end, Colby Parkinson, has three TDs. Smith is averaging 14.1 yards per grab.

Farrell’s take: Smith had elite pass-catching skills coming out of high school, and could work outside or inside and stretch the field. He had good hands, was fluid as an athlete and he showed last year he can be a downfield threat. However, his yards-per-catch average is way down this season and he hasn’t found the end zone so he’s dropping a bit on some boards.