Time to take a look at the wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL draft from the Ravens perspective. Previous position reviews are as follows:
Offense:
Tight end prospect analyses are available here.
Offensive tackle reviews are located here.
Guard prospect reviews are located here.
Defense:
Inside linebacker prospects are here.
Defensive tackle prospects are reviewed here.
Cornerback prospects are available here.
Safety prospects are located here.
Edge linebacker prospects are located here.
The Ravens Wide Receiver Room
The Ravens wide receiver room has three spots definitively filled with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins. Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker currently man slots four and five. There’s room for improvement in those final two slots.
It’s hard to imagine the Ravens spending significant draft capital on a wide receiver this year. Rounds one and two seem likely to be off-limits. Round three might also be unlikely. Beyond that, I’d be surprised if they don’t draft at least one wideout. The reviews below exclude first and second round wide receiver prospects. Let’s take a look at what might be available.
The 2025 Wide Receiver Prospects
Jack Bech
Bech is 22.4 years old, 6’1 and 214 pounds from TCU with 9″ hands. He didn’t run a timed forty. Bech is the tough receiver who will catch the ball in heavy traffic and take the hit. In the Senior Bowl practices he was dominant, getting open in a wide variety of ways and making fantastic catches. He has excellent footwork and is quick out of his breaks. Bech has gifted hands, knows how to use them to get open, and high points the ball as well as anyone.
Bech is not an incredible blazer down the field but is elusive enough after the catch to pick up yards. He will have to learn how to adjust to NFL corners who will sit on him until he proves he can hit the long ball. He’s a hard man to bring down. Bech will also block in the run game, even away from the ball and down the field. He has alignment versatility. Bech was very productive against zone schemes and knows where to exploit them.
Bech would be an excellent complement to what the Ravens already have. He’s not the explosive home run hitter to match Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman, but he is the guy who does everything else, and should be able to help move the chains with regularity. He’s a very good football player and an excellent wide receiver prospect. Round 2-3. Ravens – Yes.
Jalen Royals
Royals is 22.2 years old from Utah State, is 6’ and 205 pounds with 9.5” hands and a very small wingspan. He ran a 4.42 forty. Royals was a bit of a mixed bag at the Senior Bowl practices. He flashed excellent hands, catching everything in sight, and made the contested catch, just as he did on tape. But he also had some difficulty getting off the line of scrimmage and was not particularly twitchy.
Royals is a smooth and savvy route runner, and he possesses straight-line explosiveness. He’s not perfect as a route runner and there’s more work to do up the stems. But he is a three level threat and does a good job varying his speed. If he’s hit in stride on a crosser, he can take it to the house. He seems naturally fluid. Royals isn’t the guy who gets “wide” open. But he gets open.
Royals can play in the slot or outside and is able to maintain his speed through his breaks. He’s been very effective on shorter throws when hit in stride. When given space Royals is tough to defend. But he has to work on his releases from tight man coverage, and he needs to clean up his footwork. He runs hard after the catch and has very good ball tracking, is good (though note elite) on the contested catch, and has good high point ability. Royals is strong to the football.
A lot of what Royals ran last year were hitches, screens and in routes (47 of his 81 targets). Utah State only asked him to run six go routes. But he is physical enough where he can do more. Royals tracks the ball well. He can make players miss, as well as shake them off.
Royals has not proven to be a consistent blocker.
Royals is more of a jack of all trades receiver than elite in any particular way. He only played 21 games at wide receiver in college, so he has comparatively less experience than most of his peers, implying there’s a reasonable chance for more growth. If drafted at the right slot, however, he could be very good value in this draft class. Round 3. Ravens – Yes.
Tre Harris
Harris is 23.2 years old from Mississippi, 6’2 and 205 pounds with 9.625” hands and ran a 4.54 forty.
Harris brings good size and knows how to use it on inside routes. He’s not the most explosive, nor elusive or twitchy receiver, but was able to go deep when called upon.
One of the big issues for Harris is his ability to get releases against press-man coverage in the NFL; he faced virtually none of that in college. Pro Football Focus calculated that his separation rate against single man coverage was less than 20%, a red flag for success against man coverage in the NFL. He created separation in college by using his hands to push, and that won’t play too well at the next level without more precision. Harris’ strength is his ability to get the football, and he can take a hit and keep on going. His skillset is well suited to play against zone packages once he understands where to sit.
Harris had huge production at Ole Miss, gaining over 1,000 yards last year in only eight games (he missed five with a groin injury). I’m not squarely on the Harris train. He could become a number two receiver, but from the Ravens perspective I just don’t think he adds all that much to the receiver room for where he will have to be drafted. Round 3. Ravens – No.
Elic Ayomanor
Ayomanor is 21.9 years old, 6’2 and 206 pounds from Stanford. He ran a 4.44 forty, has 10” hands and a 78.375” wingspan. He is a physical player who plays through contact and will make difficult catches, though his contested catch rate is a bit low.
Ayomanor lacks top level explosiveness. What he brings is high level smarts, as illustrated by the variety of releases he has mastered and the nuanced routes that he runs. As a result, he is well suited to be very effective against zone coverages. Ayomanor struggled more getting space against man coverage (per PFF, his separation rate was only 37%). He needs to improve his release technique.
Ayomanor will attack in the middle of the field. He is very physical and aggressive against corners. Ayomanor tracks the ball well and has excellent body control. His hands have allowed too many drops and he needs to improve. Ayomanor’s route running tree needs a few more branches but I have high confidence he will grow it. He is a big-time blocker, a major plus.
Ayomanor brings a level of toughness and grittiness that I like. I think he fits in well with the Ravens current receiving room; his skills are definitely not duplicative of Flowers and Bateman and there’s a role for that. I can envision him in the slot manning the middle of the field and making those traffic catches. Round 3. Ravens – Yes.
Isaiah Bond
Bond is 21.1 years old, 5’10 and 185 pounds from Texas. He brings tiny hands at 8.5” (smallest hands in the draft class), a small wingspan at 75.5” and ran a 4.39 forty. Bond is your classic home run hitter who is fast and explosive. He has tremendous burst, including out of his breaks, and creates tons of separation. There are occasions when his breaks get sloppy and he has wasted motion. He is possessed with outstanding short area agility. Bond tracks the ball very well and has the ability to score any time he touches the ball.
Bond has a very good change of direction ability. He uses his hands well to get separation off the line. Bond is very good at tracking the ball and will make catches as he’s about to get hit. He can play in the slot or on the boundary.
Bond is willing to be more physical than his frame infers; he plays bigger than his stature with the ball in his hands. But, and this is a big negative for me, he can get knocked around and he’s not going to be your contested-catch star; he had exactly one such catch last year. His play strength is suspect, and I have some doubts about his ability to get through traffic. There were instances on tape where he lacked effort when the ball was not coming his way.
Bond’s route tree needs more work. A lot of what he ran in college were hitches and screens.
Bond might be characterized as a boom or bust player. Notwithstanding his explosiveness, there’s too much about his game that I don’t like. Round 3. Ravens – No.
Kyle Williams
Williams is 22.5 years old, 5’10 and 190 pounds from Washington State. He has 8.75” hands, only a 73” wingspan, and ran a 4.40 forty. Williams generally had a mixed week at the Senior Bowl practices, where he dropped some easy tosses (matching to his tape) and seemed to run his routes at one speed (no variance in tempo). He did make some tougher catches. He played very fast and was often wide open.
Williams runs a somewhat limited route tree that needs to expand at the next level. But he is a good route runner who could improve his tightness coming out of his breaks. He’s able to move corners with jabs and good body and foot work. He is skilled at getting releases off of the line. Williams knows how to sink those hips at the top of his routes. He has quick feet to create separation against man coverage, and top end speed. Williams was not as productive at the catch point as he should be. He’s a physical runner with the ball in his hands, and can be elusive. He knows how to attack zones and finds the holes.
Williams possesses excellent home run potential, both deep and in stride on shorter throws. He can play on the inside or on the perimeter. His catch radius is a bit concerning. He will have to play through physical corners in the NFL and he’s not the biggest prospect. Williams will not be the guy to lay the wood when blocking.
On balance, there are things to like about what Williams brings. Round 3. Ravens – Maybe.
Savion Williams
Williams is 23.4 years old from TCU, 6’3 and 222 pounds with 10.25” hands and an 80.875 wingspan. He ran a 4.48 forty. Williams is a big, powerful receiver with surprising speed for a man his size. He doesn’t have the greatest hands (always a big negative for me; he had a 10% drop rate in his career) and didn’t develop much of a route tree. For that matter, his route running is a bit sloppy and in need of refinement, and his releases off the line can be inconsistent. He uses his hands well (perhaps too well) to create space.
Williams’ greatest strength is what you might expect; his strength and power to get the football. He uses his large and powerful hands to high point the ball and make the contested catch in traffic. He’s a tough runner with the ball, and he is explosive.
Williams is a tantalizing prospect who has not yet put it all together. He has to improve his footwork and his route running, as well as significantly enhance is route tree. He’s not instinctive. And he’s not the blocker (so far) that his body suggests he should be. But Williams is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He’s more elusive than one might expect and will also run you over. Williams should be an excellent red zone target, and he will present some matchup problems. He’s also versatile and can line up in the backfield.
In all, there are enough negatives, and needs to grow, with Williams that I wouldn’t pick him where he probably will go. Plus, I just don’t like receivers who lack good hands. Round 3-4. Ravens: No.
Tory Horton
Horton is 22.4 years old, 6’2 and 196 pounds from Colorado State. He ran a 4.41 forty, has 9” hands and a 77” wingspan. Horton is a fluid receiver and has plenty of speed to threaten all parts of the field. He suffered a season ending knee injury in 2024.
Horton has very good feet and knows how to use his strong hands to get free. He transitions smoothly in and out of his breaks. Like Rashod Bateman, he has the ability to stop and then cut past defenders in space, and is generally elusive with the ball in his hands. He is a nuanced and advanced route runner. Horton can play on the perimeter and in the slot. He’s athletic enough to win at the high point, but his frame is thin, and press cornerbacks can punch him into a quick reroute. But he goes across the middle with crossers, slants, and in routes (38 targets last year, 11 of which were of these varieties with very high productivity).
Horton has excellent hands and will win the contested catches. He’s physical against corners on the perimeter, but I wouldn’t call him a physical player overall. He will have a learning curve developing the consistent ability to get releases against press corners in the NFL. His separation percentage against single coverage was 57%. But he’s very explosive, and is an excellent vertical threat.
Horton is not primed as a run blocker. I wouldn’t expect much from him in that regard. He’s willing, but not all that able. He’s more likely to be the receiver catching a bubble screen than blocking, and I wouldn’t run towards his side too often if he’s tasked with blocking out his corner.
Horton also has good punt return experience. He was voted team captain twice. Assuming his medicals check out, Horton is a good prospect with significant upside if he can add some strength. Round 3-4. Ravens – Yes (if medicals check out).
Jaylin Lane
Lane is 23 years old, 5’9 and 191 pounds from Virginia Tech and ran a blazing 4.34 forty. He has 9.875” hands and a 77.25” wingspan. Lane is a receiver who has not had much experience against press coverage given how he was used at Virginia Tech. He played almost exclusively in the slot. His bread and butter has been shorter routes where he can catch and run.
Lane’s route running is largely undeveloped. He takes too many steps too often, and that was seen at the Senior Bowl practices too. As a result, he has a more difficult time getting separation at the top.
Lane is not going to be a big winner on contested catches as he doesn’t have the necessary physicality. Nor is Lane the one to consistently make tough catches in heavy traffic. But he is tougher than one would think with the ball in his hands. He has deep speed that defenses will have to respect, and runs with more power than his frame suggests. Lane has work to do to become a threat at all levels of the field.
Lane has good experience as a punt returner. He is fairly well undeveloped and wasn’t tremendously productive at Virginia Tech (79 catches across 22 games). Round 4-5. Ravens – No.
Chimere Dike
Dike is 23.4 years old from Florida, 6’ and 196 pounds with 9.125” hands and a 77” wingspan. He ran a very fast 4.34 forty. He was a team captain and is known as a hard worker. Dike’s pass drop rate is a red flag (over 10% for his career).
Dike lacks a well developed route tree, and has not developed nuanced pacing in his route running. He’s not especially twitchy as he is explosive with that speed, which allows him to stack defenders and get deep. However, he glides instead of running all the way through some routes. Dike has not mastered the ability to get consistent releases against man coverages. He’s not the best at breaking out of his routes. He has been most effective in the intermediate areas of the field, and with motion sets. And he should be effective against zones.
Dike played in the slot and on the boundary. But the free releases he often gets in the slot have served him better. And he’s not a great blocker.
Given his age and lack of fundamental development, I’m not a huge Dike fan. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Tai Felton
Felton is 22.1 years old, 6’1 and 183 pounds from Maryland. He ran a 4.37 forty and has 9” hands and a very small 72.375 wingspan. Felton’s lean physique limits his ability to handle physical play from corners. It affects him at the catch point on contested balls, which he hasn’t won with any degree of regularity. Felton had an incredibly productive final year at Maryland, with 96 catches and over 1,100 yards. However, a lot of that productivity was against the leaner competition on Maryland’s schedule. He’s a real threat with the ball in his hands to break big plays and can make tacklers miss.
Felton is likely headed to the slot in the NFL given his very thin frame and athletic ability. He’s blessed with a lot of twitchiness, leading to separation. Plus, his speed at the top can keep defenders wary. But he will likely struggle against physical man coverage. And he’s not going to give you much by way of blocking in the run game. However, he has a well-developed route tree at this point.
In all, I don’t think Felton brings anything new to the Ravens receiving group. There’s nothing he does that Zay Flowers doesn’t already successfully do. Round 4-5. Ravens – No.
Tez Johnson
Johnson is almost 23 years old, 5’9 and a miniscule 154 pounds from Oregon. Yet he ran a poor 4.51 forty, had 9” hands and a measly 73.75” wingspan. They don’t make them much smaller than Johnson. He obviously lacks play strength and will not be able to consistently win in traffic, or at the catch point, or as a blocker, on a regular basis in the NFL. His hands are not exceptional, and he will let the ball get into his frame.
Physical press man coverage will likely also be a problem for Johnson, as he generally needs a clean release to get to his routes. Whoever selects him will have to scheme him accordingly. He functionally has a tiny catch radius. At the Senior Bowl practices Johnson showed excellent route running skill though some inconsistency. He won virtually all of his one on one matchups. Johnson never came back for the ball, but was very smooth and showed off fast play speed.
Johnson can be special with the ball in his hands. He is very shifty, nimble, and slippery, and made to excel in short areas. Johnson is destined to play in the slot, where his short-area quickness can be most effective. He brings very good footwork and has shown more speed on tape than he tested in his forty, as he consistently ran away from defenders in the open field.
At the NFL level, Johnson’s utility will largely be from motion structures where he can get free releases. Although an interesting special situation type of receiver, his limitations reduce his utility to a team like the Ravens. Round 4. Ravens – No.
Arian Smith
Smith is 23.5 years old, 6’ and 179 pounds from Georgia. He ran an excellent 4.36 forty, has 9” hands and a 77” wingspan. Smith plays like the world class sprinter that he is, with great acceleration. However, he also has a terrible drop rate in his one productive season last year. The ball gets into his chest with regularity, and he just isn’t a hands catcher to this point. To no surprise he’s not strong enough to free himself consistently from bullying defenders who can throw him off his route. And he isn’t going to win contested catches too often, lacking the physicality to win through contact.
Notwithstanding his speed, Smith is not an elusive receiver and is not a tackle breaker. He has a very limited route tree, relying primarily on go routes utilizing his blazing speed. That speed has to be respected and he’s capable of taking the top off against anyone. But his route tree and route running still need a lot of work, as he loses some of that speed coming out of his breaks.
At the Senior Bowl practices he showed off his quickness and was able to easily separate at all levels of the field. But there was not enough to alter my general view of Smith, as his catch mechanics remained mediocre. Plus, he had the expected difficulties with jams at the line.
Smith just isn’t the player for me. Again, it’s a fatal flaw for me to have a receiver who has difficulty actually receiving. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Keandre Lambert-Smith
Lambert-Smith is 23.5 years old from Auburn, 6’ and 190 pounds with 9.125” hands and a 78.625” wingspan. He ran an excellent 4.37 forty. He’s a very good athlete. Like some of his other smaller peers, Lambert-Smith’s challenges come out of his lack of physicality. He just doesn’t have the play strength to handle jams at the line, and his play can be altered by physical corners throughout the route stem. Lambert-Smith also has challenges in run blocking.
He is very quick off of the line though not explosive, and ran a route tree largely focused on comebacks; there’s a lot of work to be done to expand that tree. As he does so, he will need to expand his release package. Lambert-Smith is good at selling the vertical route and is able to gear back down to work back to the ball and to break to the middle. His hands improved over his career, with his drop rate in 2024 at 5%. He has very good change of direction ability, and has demonstrated an ability to vary his speed within his routes to create separation.
Lambert-Smith is sophisticated in some ways, and still raw in other ways. He can take the top off the coverage but a team that drafts him must try to get him free runs off the line. There’s a lot he needs to add at age 23.5. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Thornton is 22.4 years old, 6’4 and 205 pounds from Tennessee (out of Baltimore’s Mt. St. Joe). He ran a blazing 4.30 forty, has 9.635” hands and a nice 79” wingspan. He led the nation last year on yards per catch, but only caught 65 passes over his four year career.
Thornton is a physical specimen. He has the elite raw tools of length, speed, and height any team looks for. He has the natural ability to accelerate all the way down the field, yet can sink his hips and get back to the football. Thornton is a serious deep ball threat, with a dynamic ability to create separation and get down the field. He also possesses elite explosiveness and he’s going to run by almost anyone once he’s in his long stride. Thornton has enough play strength to handle a press. But, he is not elusive and lacks short area quickness.
Thornton is tough at the catch point. Unfortunately for Thornton, he was tasked with a very narrow route tree and is fairly raw beyond the deep ball routes. Tennessee is one of the most open passing offenses in college, and the fact that Thornton didn’t do more is implicitly revealing. To ever be more than a deep ball threat or diversion, Thornton has a lot more work to do. He’s a high risk proposition that has me questioning how high the return might be. The Ravens drafted Devontez Walker as a speed demon last year, and even though Walker hasn’t proven anything yet, I’m not sure Thornton offers as much. Round 6. Ravens – No.
Isaac TeSlaa
TeSlaa is 23.2 years old, 6’3 and 214 pounds from Arkansas. He ran a 4.43 forty, has 10” hands and a 76.75” wingspan. TeSlaa is an outstanding athlete who offers a lot of twitchiness in his big body and has very good and strong hands; he never dropped a pass to go along with his 62 receptions at Arkansas, and some of those catches were quite difficult and away from his body.
TeSlaa is naturally gifted. He was underutilized at Arkansas, where he worked primarily in the slot. As a result, his route running needs more work as he has nowhere near mastered the necessary nuances. TeSlaa has to improve how he stacks defenders. The tops of a lot of his routes are sometimes too loose. He clearly needs development. But make no mistake, at his size and speed he’s a dynamic weapon if he can master the craft. Right now TeSlaa can be utilized with slants and crossers to exploit his dangerous abilities.
TeSlaa is very tough, and used to working the middle of the field where he fights until the end. He can handle the physicality. TeSlaa has very little experience against press man coverage, given his primary usage in the slot. He did not yet show a consistent ability to beat a quick jam. He has the body size and power to deal with it, but undoubtedly there will be needed refinement.
TeSlaa uses his size well as a blocker, where he really excelled. TeSlaa’s use in the run game can’t be understated. And, he’s played a lot of special teams.
TeSlaa is a player I like quite a bit. If he never winds up on the boundary and remains only in the slot, I think he can make a major impact for an offense. Yes, he’s a bit older than you’d like given the necessary development as a perimeter receiver, but he’s a high character guy who will do the work. Round 5. Ravens – Yes.
Others
Jordan Watkins, Mississippi – He’s 23.2 years old, 5’11 and 196 pounds with a small wingspan and average sized hands. He ran a 4.37 forty. He’s adept at getting a quick release, is smooth, and is able to stack corners. His catch radius is very small and he’s not particularly elusive. He offers some value if played in the slot. Round 6-7. Ravens – Maybe.
Dominic Lovett, Georgia – He’s 22.5 years old, 5’10 and 185 pounds with 4.40 speed. Frankly, there just wasn’t anything I saw to recommend him. Ravens – No.
Jimmy Horn , Jr., Colorado – He’s 22.6 years old, 5’8 and 174 pounds and ran a 4.46 forty. He has dynamic potential with the ball in his hands, but it’s difficult to see him as a regular impact player on offense. He has experience running back kicks and punts, which is where his future probably lies. Ravens – No.
