The 2022 Rookie WR1 Is…
In 2021 there was no contest for wide receiver 1 (WR1 for those of us looking to save time) in rookie drafts, Ja’Marr Chase. Everyone knew it and he backed it up. In 2020, there was some debate, but most were split between Ceedee Lamb and Jerry Juedy. I was big #TeamCeedee, even though we all should’ve had Justin Jefferson WR1, sorry Philly. In 2022, I think it’s a 2020 year, more than a 2021 year. Now in less than a month (can’t come soon enough), I’m sure the landing spot can change things. But pre-draft, I have it as a 4 horse race. All these wide receivers are pretty different, so maybe it’s more of a battle royale than horse race? I’ll start with some background.
| Name | Height/ Weight |
40 yd dash | Vertical | Broadjump | High School rank |
| Garrett Wilson | 5’11” & 183lbs | 4.38 | 36” | 10’3” | 5 star, WR2 2019 |
| Treylon Burks | 6’2” & 225lbs | 4.55 | 33” | 10’2” | 4 star, WR16 2019 |
| Drake London | 6’4” & 219lbs | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 star, WR35 2019 |
| Jameson Williams | 6’1” & 179lbs | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 star, WR13 2019 |
We have 2 groups, the ones who tested and the ones recovering from injuries. Drake London is suspected to test at the USC April 5th Pro day. Jameson Williams did not run at Alabama’s pro day but is expected to be running by draft day, April 28th.
Treylon Burks, Arkansas
The junior out of Arkansas was the presumptive WR1 heading into the combine from what I saw. His testing numbers weren’t poor, but the performance was disappointing for many. However, if you think he’s not fast, watch his game versus Alabama. He’s a very large man, often plays like it, and certainly has a case for WR1.
→Treylon Burks Player Page
Here’s why he’s WR1
He is very strong with the ball in his hands and can turn nothing into something as good as anyone in this class. His production was strong his senior year, 6/12 games over 100 yards, 66 catches, 1104 yards, 11 TDs. He has good hands, seems like a natural catcher. I think his best trait is playing above the rim. Watch his game versus Ole Miss going full disrespect on back to back plays. He’s very good at leveraging his body into a great position to go up and Moss people for contested catches. My comp for him is Demaryius Thomas.
Here’s why he’s not WR1
He lacks versatility; Burks played almost exclusively from the slot and doesn’t have much tape with him against press coverage. His route running leaves something to be desired because he doesn’t set up defenders well. Some of this could come down to what he was asked to do versus what he can do. Due to this, I personally feel like he’s raw and his role could be limited early on in the pros.
Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
Garrett Wilson is a silky smooth athlete that has always had to face a crowded WR room. Even as a junior, he still didn’t put up the best numbers on his team. However, unless you’re looking to ignore context, that’s no slight. The last 2 seasons he had 113 catches, 1781 yards, and 18 TDs in 19 games. He’s on the smaller side, but he left dynasty managers drooling seeing that 4.38 40 time to go with the rest of his game.
→Garrett Wilson Player Page
Here’s why he’s WR1
The man is very quick and twitchy. His bag of releases are already defined and he does the subtle movements in a route to keep defenders off balance. Watch that game versus MSU in 2021 and just feel sorry for those defensive backs (Jaxon Smith-Njigba & Olave got theirs too). He absolutely has make-you-miss to his game, and along with the impressive route running, he can win at all levels. I personally think intermediate is where he eats the most, but he has plenty of wins deep and short too. He has a good catch radius despite his size, adjusts to the ball well, and makes catches outside his frame. My comp for him is a fellow separation specialist, Diontae Johnson.
Here’s why he’s not WR1
He is only 183 lbs and you can tell at times. I think this is most notable on contested catches. Now he does turn incompletions on inaccurate balls into catches as well, but compared to a player like Burks or London? He’s not in their class. While I don’t think his hands are a weakness, they’re not exactly reliable. Far from never trusting a fart levels, but I certainly saw enough plays where I expected him to pull it in and did not. Another reason he reminds me of Diontae Johnson.
I started with the WRs we have the testing measurements for because there are fewer questions about them. The other 2 WRs suffered injuries during the season and weren’t able to perform at the combine. Drake London fractured his ankle in October. Jameson Williams tore his ACL during the Chip in January. Both I think still have cases for being the top gun.
Drake London, USC
This lanky junior was absolutely tearing UP college football through 8 games (88 catches, 1084 yards, 7 TDs). Like Wilson, had some real WR competition to fight with early, but showed he could hang. What he runs at his pro day could help him more than hurt him in my opinion. Guessing it’s in the late 4.5’s because speed isn’t why he’s in this conversation.
→Drake London Player Page
Why he is WR1
Production. He was over 100 yards in 6/8 games he played and was well on his way for 7/8 before his injury. More than that, he was over a buck-3o in those 6 games. He came to eat in 2021. Which will line up with my comp, but I’ll get to that soon. London is phenomenal after the catch. USC’s offense at points was just hey, take this and go at the LOS. He has plenty of wiggle and loves contact. Dude is a DOG! He was looking to send guys to the Shadow Realm against Notre Dame. The man would plow into them, push them off, and laugh. He also imposes his will on jump balls. He excelled near the sideline with body control, Mossing defenders or with toe drag swag. You will definitely hear about his hooper background. On his deeper routes, he did a good job setting up defenders knowing his limitations as an athlete. For my comp, he reminds me of Brandon Marshall.
Why he’s not WR1
He’s not a special athlete, and that was before a bad ankle injury. He’s not a separation specialist, and took a lot of volume to produce how he did. What if he doesn’t get that target share? His hands were suspect at times, but they seemed like concentration lapses. Again, similar to B-Marsh having a few drops every season. He lined up plenty from the slot and outside, but he wasn’t asked to run a diverse route tree.
Jameson Williams, Alabama
Last but not least, the junior transfer from OSU who blew up with Alabama. He had incredible production before his late season injury (15 games: 79 catches, 1572 yards, 15 TDs), very notably versus Georgia’s elite defense (7 catches, 184 yards, 2 TDs). Williams is the burner of the class who will strike fear into defenses at the next level.
→Jameson Williams Player Page
Why he’s WR1
Speed. Speed. Speed. Williams has possibly the best long speed in the class and likely would’ve tested in the low 4.3’s/high 4.2’s at the combine. He knows he’s faster than you and uses that knowledge well. He had over 100 yards 7/14 games he finished, and really took off halfway through the season with 6 of those happening in the last 9. He will have a defined role at the next level, and if not for the injury, would’ve most likely been the first WR drafted on April 28th. He has quality hands and can go up and get the ball in contested catches despite his slender frame. He has versatility to line up wherever and has YAC ability. If you think you have the angle on him, think again. His game reminds me of DeSean Jackson in my (super original) opinion.
Why he’s not WR1
Why did he have 15 catches in 10 games his first 2 years at OSU with a QB who loved the deep ball (Justin Fields)? Was it the coaching staff just not using him correctly in a crowded WR room? Was he just a late bloomer? We don’t know for sure, but it’s not like he transferred to a scrub school… It’s Alabama. Then, the January ACL tear pushes his timeline back farther than you’d want with an early dynasty pick. Does that take away some of that speed he relies on? What about his landing spot? Will he get paired with a QB that can maximize his strengths? The recent track record for burners isn’t great.
Final Verdict
So that’s how I see each of these guys. I think they’re all first round NFL picks and first round dynasty picks. None are the clear-cut WR1 like Ja’Marr Chase was last year, as I said at the beginning.
Do you take the prospect with the best frame, good speed, but also the rawest one? Do you take the savvy route runner who’s a little small? Do you take the volume king, but the worst athlete? Do you take the guy who only needs one, but might not get a QB who can get him that one consistently? I think all are very close and landing spots are immensely important to three of them. The one I don’t think the landing spot is as crucial is my WR1 pre-draft in part due to that.
It’s Garrett Wilson as my WR1. He is the most pro ready of all 4 in my opinion, and he has the safest floor due to his versatility. I think he will succeed in any offense that drafts him right away; even if he might not have the highest ceiling. My ranks are fluid, like everyone’s should be, and would round out as Wilson, London, Williams, and Burks. With all 4 prospects being in the same top tier.
→2022 Rookie Draft Guide
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