NFL Player News

The Raiders selected Mellott in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 213th overall.

Mellott was considered a borderline draft prospect by many outlets, but he found a home with the Raiders before the sixth round came to a close. Mellott played quarterback at Montana State and put his athleticism on display last year, rushing 123 times for 1,050 yards and 15 touchdowns in addition to throwing for 2,783 yards and a 31:2 TD:INT ratio. He'll make the conversion to wide receiver at the NFL level and reportedly ran a 4.39 40-yard dash after being listed at 6-foot, 208 pounds last year. He'll aim to carve out a role on the 53-man roster and will likely be asked to play special teams as well.

The Panthers selected Horn in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 208th overall.

Horn (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) was mostly a bit contributor at Colorado and will likely need to serve in the same role in the NFL, but he has deep speed to work with and is elusive with the ball. Horn was a productive starter for two years at South Florida before transferring to the Buffaloes for his final two years, and in Colorado it was a little harder for Horn to stand out in a wideout rotation where he was overshadowed by Travis Hunter and LaJohntay Wester. Indeed, Horn's production fell off upon him arriving to Colorado, with Horn specifically struggling to thrive in traffic. That's a problem, because even with his plus speed Horn probably can't threaten downfield regularly at just 5-foot-8. Receivers this short need to win on short routes from the slot to see more than decoy work, but slot targets come with the most collisions. Horn will most likely end up settling in as a long-time gadget player and returner in the NFL.

The Ravens selected Wester in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 203rd overall.

Wester was a longtime contributor at Florida Atlantic before linking up with Colorado for his final season. He caught 26 touchdowns over his final three years in college, including a career-high 10 in 2024 while also posting a career high in yards per target (9.9). Wester is small and speedy at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds with a 4.46 40. He can function on short routes or make plays deep down the field. Wester wins in similar ways to fellow Raven Zay Flowers and could occupy that type of role in a pinch. As it stands, though, Wester has a big hill to climb to see playing time in Baltimore. Wester's ability in the return game is likely his best path to seeing the field early in his career.

The Seahawks selected Horton in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 166th overall.

There's always a reason when a player falls further than expected in the draft, but Horton is a player who always produced in college and demonstrated plus NFL speed with a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds. Horton stood out in a crowded Nevada rotation from 2020-21, at which point he transferred to Colorado State and torched for all of the next three years. Horton is light for his frame and missed the last six games of 2024 due to a knee injury, but if Horton's light frame isn't a problem and if the knee checks out fine then there's nothing obvious to stop Horton from eventually establishing himself as a quality boundary receiver in the NFL.

The Chargers selected Lambert-Smith in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 158th overall.

The Chargers went wide receiver for the second time this draft, previously taking Tre Harris in the second round. Lambert-Smith transferred to Auburn for his fifth collegiate season and was the clear top receiver with team highs in receptions (50), receiving yards (981) and touchdowns (eight). The 23-year-old boosted his draft stock further at the 2025 NFL Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and an above-average 79-inch wingspan at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. With 19.6 yards per catch last season, he has the tools to make splash plays in the NFL, but he joins a crowded receiver room in Los Angeles.

The 49ers selected Watkins in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 138th overall.

Watkins was overshadowed by bigger names in the wide receiver corps at Ole Miss throughout his time in college, but he was still a significant contributor. He tied for the SEC lead in touchdown receptions with nine in 2024 and was also productive as a punt returner during his time with the Rebels. Watkins is likely to be buried on the depth chart even with the 49ers losing Deebo Samuel and potentially being without Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to begin the season, but he should have a chance to make the roster as a special-teams contributor.

The Titans selected Ayomanor in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 136th overall.

Ayomanor was almost universally expected to go a round or more earlier than this, and at the very least Ayomanor was expected to go well ahead of fellow rookie wideout Chimere Dike, whom the Titans selected with the first selection in the fourth round. Ayomanor (6-foot-2, 206) is a bigger wideout from Stanford who was a highly productive pass catcher and blocker both. Ayomanor has excellent hands and rugged running ability, which combines with his 4.44 speed to make a standout all-around big-play threat. Ayomanor should push for a starting role in Tennessee even as a rookie, because the main competition after Calvin Ridley is just Tyler Lockett, Treylon Burks and Dike.

The Chiefs selected Royals in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 133rd overall.

Royals spent his three-year college career at Utah State, and as a starter in his final two seasons he accumulated 126 catches for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns over 20 games. He was named to the First Team All-MWC roster in 2023 after leading the team in receiving yards (1,080) while setting a single-season school record with 15 receiving touchdowns. Royals suffered a season-ending right foot injury in October but was able to recover in time to participate in the Senior Bowl. He led the FBS with 10 catches of 50-plus yards over the past two seasons, and that big-play ability should translate well to the Chiefs' high-powered offense. Patrick Mahomes gets another offensive weapon in Royals, who will look to establish a role for himself in the passing attack alongside Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice (knee), Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce.

The Commanders selected Lane in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 128th overall.

Lane was a dominant receiver at Middle Tennessee State during his junior season before jumping to the ACC and producing 1,004 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over two seasons at Virginia Tech. While he didn't lead the Hokies in receiving in either season, Lane showed versatility by adding 167 yards and two scores on the ground in addition to averaging 10.2 yards per punt return during his final season, finding the end zone once as a returner. With a 4.34 40-yard dash under his belt, Lane could slot in immediately as the Commanders' punt returner while he tries to earn a role in the offense.

The Jets selected Smith in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 110th overall.

Smith waited his turn in a crowded Georgia receiver room and rarely played through his first four seasons. However, he racked up 48 receptions, a team-high 817 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his fifth season. His 4.36 40-yard dash and 19.9 yards per catch during his career signal that he'll be a deep threat at the next level, although his route running and hands need some polish. The Jets have no clear order after No. 1 wideout Garrett Wilson, so Smith could have a role immediately, even if it's in a decoy capacity at first.