Top 10 wide receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft
Continuing our series of NFL draft breakdowns, let's delve into an impressive group of wide receivers.
As we move more and more to wide-open passing attacks at the collegiate game, the quality of players at the receiving end continues to improve. This year, we once again have some tremendous talent and depth in the NFL draft class.
My WR20 could be a day-two pick in some other year, and it would depend on flavor and scheme fit, where some of these names ultimately go. Make sure to check out all my other positional breakdowns here and on my Youtube channel.
On that note, let’s have a look at the top ten wide receivers in the 2021 NFL draft. Let's get started.
#1 2021 NFL Draft Pick: Ja’Marr Chase (LSU)
6’ 0”, 210 pounds; RS SO
A top-100 overall recruit in 2018, Ja' Marr Chase didn’t get a ton of work as a freshman, registering just over 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns. But then he turned into the top receiver in college football as a sophomore.
In 2019, the 2021 NFL draft prospect recorded almost 1800 yards and 20 TDs through the air, doing so on 21.2 yards per catch. That won him the Biletnikoff award and made him a unanimous All-American on the way to the LSU national championship, outshining the top rookie receiver in the NFL last year, Justin Jefferson. Chase opted out of the 2020 NFL season, with nothing to lose.
Also check out: Complete 2019 NFL Draft Results
As crazy as that may sound, despite all the talent that was available, the 2021 NFL draft prospect would have been the top receiver in the 2020 NFL draft already. He is a threat catching the ball underneath the RPOs, his ability after the catch and his plays.
Chase has an instant burst off the ball, and he makes it look so easy. The way the 2021 NFL draft prospect hesitates and slides his feet makes him a tough match off the line, and he uses his double-hand swipes to get the hands of corners. He has a step on that guy just a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage.
Ja'Marr Chase utilizes a ton of split release to allow himself to go inside or out effectively. What really stands out with him as a route-runner is how he comes off the ball in off-coverage at just around 80% and then beat his man by hitting the switch.
The 2021 NFL draft prospect shows impressive explosion and ability to bend off his inside foot on speed-outs, which he has run a ton of, and he was an automatic five yards for the Tigers. He may not be super-refined with different hand-combats, but Chase can stab at DBs with the near hand or reduce his shoulder to avoid getting hung up with contact.
He is smooth getting around flat defenders and to that honeyhole spot against cover-two. The 2021 NFL draft prospect already has a pretty good feel for drifting and settling in space. But even more so, Chase can sit down in the chair to get out of his breaks. He is already tremendous in selling double-moves with varying speeds. Despite such great production, it’s very surprising that only five of his catches came on screens.
Chase perfectly frames the ball as a catcher, and he is very natural with that process, especially when you watch Joe Burrow put the ball on Chase when the latter comes out of his breaks. The 2021 NFL draft prospect's ball-tracking and ability to put his body between the defender and the ball are outstanding.
He displays incredible concentration. When you think he is running out of room, he somehow manages to get his feet down. When you watch him operate on jump balls, you almost won't believe he is only six feet tall. The 2021 NFL draft prospect attacks the ball at its highest point, and he can elevate to where he has that basketball-like hang time to stay up there.
Moreover, on purposefully underthrown deep balls, he makes it look easy by getting his body in front of the defender. And this is not a negative in any way – the 2021 NFL draft prospect can feel the safety coming over when the ball is in the air, but he instantly pulls the ball into his body and is able to protect it before bracing for contact.
Only Alabama’s Devonta Smith and North Carolina’s Dyami Brown have more than 20+ yard receptions against single coverage (19) since the start of 2019, and Chase didn’t even play in 2020.
He would have had ten deep catches (24) more than all returning receivers last year. Chase plays the game with an attitude, which you see with what he does after the catch. He gets around defenders quickly after having his back turned to them or slips off DBs trying to wrap him up as he gets upfield right away.
When he is on the run, the 2021 NFL draft prospect is difficult to be stopped, as he dips away from pursuit defenders, using the off-arm to push guys away. He is able to bounce off hits and beat his markers across the field with his speed. Overall, he broke 22 tackles in 84 catches in 2019. He also does a pretty good job landing his hands inside the chest of cornerbacks and walling them off away from the play.
As far as the negatives go, there simply aren’t many. However, Chase lacks dynamic explosiveness like my number two, for example, and his measurements aren’t elite.
It remains to be seen if that dominance at the catch point would translate to the next level. Most importantly, he certainly benefitted from playing in one of the most explosive passing attacks we have seen (along with Alabama in 2020), where he caught passes from Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, who was smashing records left and right.
There were a lot of beautifully placed balls, which 'threw him open'. He could use those ball-skills, rather than just running by defenders all the time. We have to consider Ja'Marr Chase was only 19 years when we last saw him, but he was roasting would-be NFL players.
Chase has played his best in the biggest moments. He went off in the 2020 National Championship game against Clemson with nine catches for 221 yards and two scores. He was arguably the best receiver on the field despite having several talents on either side.
Ja' Marr Chase just ran sub-4.4 on his pro day and had a 41-inch vertical to cement his WR1 status even more. While he could be an All-Pro outside receiver, he produced 558 yards from the slot on just over 100 snaps from that alignment, so he could also be a nightmare on the inside.
Also check out: What channel is the NFL Draft on today?