Top 5 wide receivers in college football for 2019
Having finished up on the quarterbacks and running backs, we now move on the college football's premiere pass-catchers. This is a stacked group, with some players not even making the cut, even though they will likely be first-round NFL draft picks down the road.
As I have said with the previous two positions, I tried to judge the players individually and based on what they have put on tape up to this point, while considering their potential for 2019. We have a lot of different body types and styles of play but in the end a talented group of receivers.
#1 Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
In only his first season as a starter, Jerry Jeudy won the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver in the country, as he caught 68 passes for over 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns, giving him an average of 19.3 yards per reception.
Jeudy is a very smooth route-runner with the hips to make any quickly and the speed to quickly burn defenses. He understands how to pace his routes and truly attacks the ball in the air. You set up defenders with jab-steps and leave them behind in the dust, he can be the X single receiver, line up in the slot or even as the number three receiver.
Jeudy is very advanced in his hand-work, has a feel for creating separation and uses subtle push-offs if he does have a defender on his hip, while also quickly stacking his corner on go-routes.
He displays excellent ball-tracking and comfort in tight spaces to go with the timing he utilizes. Jeudy is a highly creative open-field runner who makes some ridiculous jukes, including backwards jump-cuts, dead-legs and all that kind of stuff.
He is amongst the highest graded 2020 draft prospects of all eligible players and should be the first receiver off the board next April.