NFL Player News

The Raiders selected Thornton in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 108th overall.

Thornton had modest collegiate production, though he did average 25.4 yards per catch with six touchdowns in his final year with Tennessee. The Raiders likely drafted him with a similar role in mind, as he'll be able to use his 4.30 40-yard dash speed to threaten defenses vertically, in turn opening space underneath for the likes of Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers. That may not mean a lot of production immediately for Thornton, but targets after Bowers and Meyers are up for grabs in the Raiders' wide receiver corps.

The Titans selected Dike in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 103rd overall.

Tennessee adds a wideout to pair alongside top pick Cam Ward. Dike is an interesting receiver prospect who played five years in college, beginning at Wisconsin and then finishing at Florida in 2024. The production is not eye-popping; he never reached 1,000 yards or 50 catches in a season, and he had just one year with more than two receiving touchdowns. However, a closer look shows Dike to be a bit of a technician with his routes, and he was extremely efficient at Florida with a 64 percent catch rate at 12.0 yards per target. His combine performance put him on the radar as an early Day 3 player with a 4.34 40 yard dash and a 128-inch broad jump. Dynasty players will pay attention to his age (23) but there's still some upside here, especially if Ward becomes the franchise player Tennessee envisions.

The Vikings selected Felton in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 102nd overall.

Minnesota's receiving corps gets another speedy addition in the form of Felton. The Maryland product bided his time his first two years in College Park before turning into a starter in 2023 and catching 48 of 80 targets for 723 yards and six touchdowns. He reached another level this year as the team's top wideout, racking up 96 catches for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns. The efficiency dropped from 9.0 YPT to 7.5, but that can be excused in part by a significant volume increase, in addition to Maryland having worse quarterback play. His fit in Minnesota may not be instantly recognizable, but Minnesota could use another receiver on the boundary opposite Justin Jefferson. Felton (6-foot-1, 183 pounds) is a boundary receiver by trade and has 4.37 speed. Look for him to compete with Jalen Nailor for reps this season.

The Packers selected Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 87th overall.

Williams (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) is extremely athletic for his size, boasting a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and repeatedly demonstrating rare open-field running ability at TCU. The problem with Williams is that he might be limited to gadget usage and kick return work in the NFL, not unlike his frequent comparison, Cordarrelle Patterson. Williams struggled to draw targets despite competing against a handful of non-prospects at TCU the last three years, so while his athletic tools are tempting there's not much evidence that Williams will ever develop into a viable starter.

The Texans selected Noel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 79th overall.

The Texans already took Noel's Iowa State teammate Jayden Higgins in the second round, so the dominant Cyclone duo reunites in Houston. Nico Collins and Christian Kirk might be too good to lose that many targets to the rookie duo in 2025, and Noel in particular might get the short end of the stick as the smallest of the four, but Noel's athletic testing and collegiate production indicate that he should seize whatever opportunity he's given. At 5-foot-10 with short arms Noel does not have the conventional build to line up on the boundary, though Noel's 4.39-second 40-yard dash showed he absolutely has the wheels to burn a defense deep if they aren't careful. Collins and Kirk both have had their share of durability troubles and Tank Dell isn't expected to be available anytime soon, so there's a chance Noel plays meaningful snaps in 2025 even though the Texans would prefer to keep him in a reserve role. Regardless of his short-term situation, Noel projects as a starting NFL wideout eventually.

The Broncos selected Bryant in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 74th overall.

Bryant was more expected to go on Day 3, but coach Sean Payton has a type when it comes to receiver prospects. The Illinois product is tall and lean at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds. He isn't a workout warrior with 4.61 speed but that didn't stop him from producing. His last two seasons were particularly impressive, as he combined for 17 touchdowns in those years. As a senior, Bryant boosted his YPT from 8.4 to 11.9 despite drawing 17 more targets, which is a positive indicator. It's a crowded receiver room in Denver behind Courtland Sutton with several different intriguing options with different skill sets. It's a good sign for Bryant that he was selected this high, yes, but it's difficult to pinpoint where he fits in alongside Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele.

The Lions selected TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 70th overall.

Detroit made a big move up from No.102 to get TeSlaa out of Arkansas. The production won't stand out -- TeSlaa never had more than 34 catches or 545 yards in either of his two seasons in Fayetteville. However, the under-the-hood numbers are what caught Detroit's attention. TeSlaa averaged a ridiculous 15.1 yards per target in 2024 and caught 28 of his 36 targets for 545 yards and three scores. He checks in at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds with big-time athleticism for that size, headlined by a 39.5-inch vertical and 4.05-second short shuttle. TeSlaa is raw and requires some projection, but it's clear there are tools that could be developed. Detroit giving up two third-round picks next year to grab him shows that the Lions believe they can get the most out of him. In time, he could supplant Tim Patrick for a role in Detroit's offense.

The Raiders selected Bech (knee) in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 58th overall.

Bech started out at LSU splitting time between receiver and tight end before settling in as a full-time receiver at TCU beginning in 2023. He brings tight-end-level physicality to the wide receiver position at 6-foot and 214 pounds, with film that routinely shows him running through tackles. Bech took off in 2024 with more receiving yards (1,034) and touchdowns (nine) than he had in his previous three years combined. A lot of targets in the Raiders' offense are allocated to Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, but there's still room for a third pass catcher. Bech has the talent to assume that role, especially considering Las Vegas' relative lack of competition for him currently on the roster.

The Chargers selected Harris in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 55th overall.

Harris (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) was extremely productive for Mississippi the last two years, turning 172 targets into 114 receptions for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns (66.3 percent catch rate, 11.7 yards per target) over 20 games. Harris was productive for Louisiana Tech before that, too, so his success doesn't seem entirely due to the Mississippi scheme. With that said, the Mississippi offense did tee up Harris for big-play opportunities, letting Harris gain big yardage after the catch on screens while wiling his way to big plays downfield in a very spread-out offense. Harris' NFL Combine performance was disappointing (4.54-second 40) and the Rebels' scheme makes it difficult to fully assess his numbers, but players who produce like Harris generally carve out a role at the next level. Harris will likely compete with Quentin Johnston and Mike Williams for targets from Justin Herbert behind unquestioned No. 1 wideout Ladd McConkey.

The Bears selected Burden in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 39th overall.

Burden (6-foot, 206 pounds) was a blue-chip recruit at Missouri who mostly followed through on expectations but still went into the NFL Draft with a somewhat uneven prospect profile. More specifically, Burden has demonstrated standout athleticism (4.41-second 40-yard dash) and was clearly a standout yards-after-catch threat throughout his three-year collegiate career, but Burden never conclusively demonstrated a skill set as a route runner, especially downfield. Burden has the wheels and hands to make a downfield impact, and it could turn out that his usage in the Missouri offense needlessly limited his route tree. Burden might primarily work from the slot in Chicago in the short term, if only because DJ Moore and Rome Odunze figure to claim most of the boundary snaps.