2025 Second-Year WR Rankings

The 2024 NFL Draft was unique in that a defensive player wasn’t selected until the 15th overall pick. Three of those top 14 offensive picks were receivers, with seven taken in the first round, and four more in the second.

Well-performing rookie receivers can be the key to a fantasy championship, but how many will continue or improve on their first-year success in year two? As I did in my second-year quarterback preview article, I analyzed film on a select number of sophomore receivers to project what their 2025 seasons may look like.

That process included watching three complete games for each guy to see how they operate throughout all four quarters, then watching most of their remaining targets to hone in on their hands and how well they handle contested situations. This is a similar process to how I’d evaluate receivers during my days as a scout.

For clarity, these rankings are how I see these wide receivers heading into year two based on their rookie year film and where their abilities should be after a full offseason of development. I’ll leave the fantasy projections to Ryan Heath, but think of these rankings similar to how your favorite team’s personnel department evaluates upcoming opponents.

Receivers are reliant on their quarterbacks (obviously), so these are closer to power rankings of how well I feel they’ll perform in year two based on my scouting background. There are a lot of quality receivers to get through, so let’s get into the breakdowns.

9. Adonai Mitchell (IND)

Mitchell was saddled with arguably the worst quarterback situation of any first-year receiver on this list last season, and his rookie-year stats reflect that. He posted just 23 catches, 312 yards, and zero touchdowns, and didn’t have a multi-catch game until Week 5. In theory, Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco should have been good for Mitchell, as both guys have impressive arms, but neither could create a connection with the rookie.

Coming out of college, Mitchell was seen as a big-play threat with a great combination of size and speed. That view holds, but his film reveals a significant amount of technical work that requires improvement. He was most effective in the intermediate at deep ranges, where he could pressure defensive backs with his speed, then throttle down and come open.

However, his short-area quickness and overall route running left much to be desired. Too often, he stumbled or wasn’t fluid at the top of the route, and he struggled to break off defenders with speed. Despite his size, Mitchell was nowhere near as dominant as he could/should be. He struggled to escape an early jam and couldn’t rely on his size to win with physicality at the catch point.

There were flashes last season (in the first Jacksonville game and Buffalo), but Mitchell’s 2025 projection is challenging given how much he needs to improve and the continued poor state of his quarterback situation. Gabe Davis comes to mind, as he has a similar body type and play style, but Buffalo’s offense in Davis’s second year was much different with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Still, Davis totaled only 35 catches, 549 yards, and six touchdowns that season. Mitchell’s numbers will heavily rely on his quarterback, and he wasn’t good enough last year to warrant a considerable target increase. I’d expect an improved but still quiet year.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

Though Mitchell’s overall average separation score was quite high as a rookie, it doesn’t sound like that was evenly applicable across his entire route tree, which makes me even less bullish than before reading Scott’s analysis. He’s no more than a stash in dynasty formats, with Josh Downs, Michael Pittman, and Alec Pierce making it unlikely he improves drastically upon his far-too-low 34.1% route participation rate.

8. Keon Coleman (BUF)

Speaking of Josh Allen with a second-year receiver… Coleman needed about six weeks as a rookie to start heating up, but he became a non-factor after a rough hit by Jordan Poyer in Week 9. There were definite flashes of the receiver the Bills are hoping Coleman can become in back-to-back games against Tennessee and Seattle, but he ended up with 29 receptions, 556 yards, and four touchdowns last year.

Coleman’s height (6’4”) and leaping ability are as advertised. One of his strongest areas was playing above the rim and winning with body position. The latter wasn’t always consistent, but this is where he’ll have to thrive going forward since he lacks legitimate twitch and speed to separate significantly.

His film is also full of tunnel screens and slants, where he was productive after the catch. The former basketball player will never be a shifty route runner who easily snaps off defenders, but he has the tools to carve out a role as Buffalo’s long-term No. 2.

Coleman had 65 targets last year (including the postseason) and will likely land around that number if he stays healthy with Joshua Palmer’s arrival. Palmer’s second year in Los Angeles resulted in 72 catches, 769 yards, and three touchdowns on 107 targets. Coleman won’t touch that target total, but the player comparison is fair, as the two have similar skill sets.

Palmer’s better route running will expand his route tree, and Buffalo’s “everyone eats” offensive mentality will find targets for both guys. Unlike Mitchell, Coleman has a great quarterback situation, so expect him to be a viable option if he’s on the field.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

A team signing a veteran WR in Palmer with a redundant skillset to their Year 2 player inspires the opposite of confidence. Bills OC Joe Brady has also always taken a committee approach at WR, and he’s never had one average 15.0 FPG (despite coaching players like Stefon Diggs and D.J. Moore). Coleman’s ceiling just isn’t high enough for me to be interested in any seasonal formats, and there’s a real likelihood that this is the last offseason he’ll carry any dynasty value.

7. Rome Odunze (CHI)

Odunze had a solid rookie season in the mess that was Chicago’s offense. He totaled 54 catches, 734 yards, and three scores on 101 targets, and is another guy with ideal size for the position. His hands, adjustment ability, and route running in the short and intermediate areas stood out on film. I won’t call him a technician in the stem, but Odunze is much more polished than the previous two guys.

He can consistently win on shorter slants, hitches, mid-level digs, and comebacks. However, he must be schemed open to take the top off the defense. He’d often end up in contested situations on deeper routes, and he doesn’t know how to use his body at the catch point yet. Guys like Mike Evans and prime DeAndre Hopkins weren’t necessarily burners, but they knew how to win with body position. I’m not saying Odunze can’t figure it out, but until he does, he’ll struggle to be a big-play threat.

Improved quarterback play will also go a long way for Odunze’s production (and Mitchell’s for that matter). In my year two quarterback preview article, I detailed my thoughts on Caleb Williams and how Ben Johnson’s arrival would benefit the offense.

Odunze was hurt by his inaccurate quarterback last season, which was not his fault. D.J. Moore is still the No. 1 receiver in Chicago, and Colston Loveland and Luther Burden will likely eat into Odunze’s target share. His rapport with Williams should keep him high on the target list, but until the quarterback gets up to speed with the new offense and improves his deep accuracy, it will be tough for Odunze to truly shine.

Drake London’s second year saw him lead the Falcons in catches (69) and yards (905) with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke at the helm. I don’t expect Odunze to lead the Bears in either category, but a competent offense and improved quarterback should get him close to those numbers, despite more mouths to feed.

Watching his film makes me think Odunze is on track to become a high-level possession receiver. That’s not a bad way to make a living, but Chicago would be hoping for more from the ninth overall pick. Don’t take this as hate — I was high on him coming out of college and was pleased with a lot of what I saw on film. But, I have a hard time seeing him ascend to a bona fide No. 1 role, at least with Chicago.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

This lukewarm evaluation of Odunze’s “in a vacuum” skills — especially as a downfield threat, where I suspect he’ll have to carve out his role as an outside X in 2025 — adds even more conviction to my belief that Colston Loveland and Luther Burden are the most attractive fantasy football bets on this team at cost. Though there’s plenty of context Scott gives above, Odunze’s lackluster raw production and efficiency stats are generally more predictive of what we see from WRs in Year 2 than their draft capital. I remain a bit lower than consensus on Odunze in redraft, and far below consensus in dynasty formats.

6. Ricky Pearsall (SF)

Pearsall went through the ringer last year — to say the least — and posted 31 catches, 400 yards, and three scores in 11 games. Despite his height (6’3”), I didn’t see a physically dominant receiver on film who knows how to use his body at the catch point. However, I did see a smooth route runner who can be used all over the formation.

Trading Deebo Samuel tells me that the 49ers feel Pearsall can take over that role, at least partially. I don’t see him getting carries after aligning at running back, but he proved to be productive from any receiver alignment. He’s the same height as Jauan Jennings, so the comparison is fair. However, Jennings is more of a downfield route runner, whereas Pearsall can do the dirty work.

I think it’s unfair to compare Pearsall’s second-season projection to another player since he’s played only 11 games, but he should end up just short of Jennings’s 975 yards from a year ago.

Odunze is a more explosive player, but I have Pearsall over him because I trust San Francisco’s offense and quarterback more in year nine under Kyle Shanahan than Chicago’s in year one under Johnson.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

Pearsall remains one of the toughest fantasy evaluations this year — I still prefer Jennings for his top-tier per-route metrics in 2024, but it’s hard to place a limit on Pearsall’s upside from the small (and arguably not-so-meaningful, given the circumstances) sample we have. However, I would remind readers that the “Deebo role” hasn’t actually been that lucrative for fantasy football since Christian McCaffrey arrived in San Francisco. In McCaffrey’s starts, Samuel has averaged just under 2.4 rush attempts per game, adding to his receiving work to generate 13.6 FPG (~WR29) on 11.7 XFP/G (~WR38). That compares to Jennings’ 17.9 FPG (~WR8) across nine games that one of Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk missed last year.

5. Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ari)

The biggest disappointment from last year’s class ends up in the middle of this list after Harrison posted 62 catches, 885 yards, and eight touchdowns. There’s no doubt that he has the physical ability to be a dominant receiver after watching the film, but there was a clear disconnect between him, Kyler Murray, and OC Drew Petzing.

So many of Harrison’s routes were deep shots down the sideline or intermediate digs, where Murray was inaccurate. It’s fair to say that Harrison would have eclipsed 1,000 yards had he gotten better quarterback play. However, he also deserves partial blame, as his route running wasn’t clean all season.

He was sloppy with sharper, in-breaking cuts, or would just be lazy getting out of his breaks. It was frustrating to watch because it was clear how physically gifted he is. With a full offseason of work, I expect Harrison’s route running to be better, but I can’t expect much improvement from his quarterback.

If the Cardinals have him run the whole route tree, Harrison can prove he’s the best receiver in the class and easily surpass 1,000 yards. Larry Fitzgerald arrived in his second season by totaling 103 catches, 1,409 yards, and 10 touchdowns. With Murray’s inconsistency, it’s tough to say Harrison will post those numbers confidently, but he should get close.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

I remain below ADP on Harrison, largely for the reasons Scott discusses. It’s never great to be near the top of lists like contested target rates among rookies. However, if Harrison posts another mediocre season in 2025 and his dynasty stock falls further, I suspect I’ll be interested next offseason; Kyler has no guaranteed money on his contract after 2026.

4. Ladd McConkey (LAC)

McConkey needed very little time to adjust to life in the NFL and ended up as the third-most productive rookie receiver with 82 catches, 1,149 yards, and seven touchdowns. He’s seemingly a perfect fit for Jim Harbaugh’s offense as a crafty route runner who can win at all three levels. He’s consistently balanced getting out of his breaks in the short area, and McConkey has sneaky good speed to stretch the defense.

The negatives are that he’ll get hung up by a jam more often than you’d like, and he’s not the loosest athlete adjusting to tough throws. However, the Chargers moved him around the formation enough to avoid getting pressed, and he’s such a good route runner that he rarely had to make weird adjustments.

Bringing back Keenan Allen and drafting Tre’ Harris will likely eat into McConkey’s target share, but he’s proven he can align anywhere and be productive. Los Angeles’s offense is built to be efficient with its passes, so it’s fair to expect a step back from 112 targets last year with more mouths to feed.

That said, McConkey will still consistently get open and likely lead the team in receiving yards. Jarvis Landry made the Pro Bowl in his second season after totaling similar numbers to McConkey’s rookie year. That’s a worthy comparison in my book.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

I was honestly holding my breath in hopes of a more exciting comp from Scott than Landry, but if McConkey can be a higher-aDOT version of him while commanding over 160 targets as Landry did in Year 2, my stance of being in on Ladd at the Round 2/3 turn will prove correct. The Rashawn Slater injury is a minor concern (though Ladd’s target share actually increased when Justin Herbert was under pressure last year), but I remain very optimistic overall.

3. Xavier Worthy (KC)

Kansas City’s offense figured things out on the fly last year, as did Worthy and Patrick Mahomes. After Rahsee Rice’s Week 4 injury, Worthy became the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver, but managed only 59 catches, 638 yards, and six receiving scores. He added three rushing touchdowns, but never fully got on the same page as Mahomes.

Watching his film, it’s clear that Worthy can be more than a gadget guy who has to be schemed open. His deep speed is his biggest weapon, and he’s dangerous running quick screens, but Worthy’s athleticism and route running should expand his role in 2025. I saw a hyper-quick guy who struggled to throttle down early in the season, but consistently separated in the short and intermediate areas by the end of the year.

The connection with Mahomes will come, and Rice’s pending suspension will force Worthy back into the WR1 role to start the season. I wouldn’t be shocked if Travis Kelce leads the Chiefs in targets again this year, but Worthy or Rice should outgain him in receiving yards.

Worthy is a tough projection, given how Kansas City’s offense has been trending, and faster, gadget-type players tend not to take the next step to become full-blown receivers. However, Worthy can be a complete pass catcher who can become the Chiefs’ next Tyreek Hill. Hill totaled 75 catches, 1,183 yards, and seven touchdowns in his second season. Those feel like numbers Worthy should easily match.

I can’t predict that Worthy will live up to Hill’s averages of 1,338 yards and 10 touchdowns per season, but I think he has a similar skill set that can give defenses a lot of trouble. Hill has always been a shifty receiver with excellent speed at all three levels. He’s a bona fide deep threat who can also be a gadget guy.

Worthy’s usage has gotten off to a similar start, but I feel he can develop into a more complete receiver. As with Hill when he was with Kansas City, defensive coordinators across the league are telling their defensive backs not to let Worthy get behind them. The production wasn’t there as a rookie, but he should fill the role left by Hill.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

I’m not as high on Worthy as Scott, especially for any games after Rice returns to the lineup. Even in his most ideal sample at the end of the season, Worthy would have averaged just 13.0 FPG without designed targets, which he’s very unlikely to see alongside Rice, at least based on their three full games together.

2. Brian Thomas Jr. (Jax)

Plenty of big and fast guys are on this list, but Thomas’s film proved that he’s the total package. At 6’3”, 209 pounds, he’s a solidly above-average route runner who doesn’t struggle to get out of his breaks in the short and intermediate areas and has top-end deep speed. His hands are consistently good, and he earned the 10+ targets he saw each of the season's final six weeks.

I’ll admit that I’m biased, as Thomas’s late-season push was crucial to my league win last year, but he can do it all. Like the final guy on the list, Thomas fought through a below-average quarterback situation to post 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns, make the Pro Bowl, and establish himself as one of the league’s best young receivers.

Liam Coen would be making a mistake if he didn’t continue using Thomas at all three levels. However, only one receiver surpassed 1,000 yards in his two years as an NFL offensive coordinator. Travis Hunter is the only Jaguars receiver who could realistically cut into Thomas’s target share, but not enough to scare me off from thinking the second-year man will have another big season.

The next guy is flashier, but Thomas’s play style will keep him as one of the league’s best for years to come.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

Thomas’s 284 PPR points were the 4th-most by a rookie since 2010, behind only Odell Beckham, Puka Nacua, and Ja’Marr Chase. He is actually my sophomore WR1 for fantasy this year, largely because of how I think Liam Coen will use him all over the field, including in his hyper-valuable slot role at least some of the time. I’m incredibly bullish on him compared to ADP, for reasons I lay out in more detail here.

1. Malik Nabers (NYG)

Nabers challenged Mitchell for the worst quarterback situation last season, yet the rookie managed to post 109 receptions, 1,204 yards, and seven touchdowns. Rising above a bad situation is the mark of a true WR1, and Nabers has already established himself as that. His natural athleticism sprang off the screen, and he already has the savvy of a veteran.

Nabers ran the full route tree last year, winning with quickness in the short/intermediate areas and with elite speed downfield. He has the body control to make crazy adjustment catches and isn’t afraid of making catches in traffic. The only knock I could find was that he’ll get rerouted easily if the DB jams him early after the snap, but this rarely happens since Nabers is so crafty off the line of scrimmage.

It’s hard not to expect another impressive season from his guy, and New York didn’t add anyone who will significantly eat into his target share this offseason. Nabers is already unstoppable, and the easy year two comparisons are Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. I know it’s low-hanging fruit since they all went to LSU, but I don’t understand why he won’t hit at least 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns if he stays healthy.

Once Jaxson Dart takes over, New York will have its WR/QB combo of the future.

Ryan Heath’s Fantasy Takeaway

Among all rookie WRs since 2010, Nabers ranks 1st in total targets (170), 1st in receptions (109), 2nd in FPG (18.2), 6th in receiving yards (1,204), and 5th in receiving YPG (80.3). Only four unique players (Odell Beckham, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Puka Nacua) with next-season data ranked ahead of him in any of these highly predictive metrics. None of this group to which Nabers belongs finished worse than the per-game WR4 in their respective sophomore seasons, collectively averaging an insane 20.2 FPG. He’s comfortably inside my top-12 overall players.