Wide receiver might be the most popular position in football. Everyone loves watching receivers and wants a star wideout on their squad. It also happens to be one of the biggest needs for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Many fans want a true No. 1 receiver, and while I don't necessarily think that's a need, the Raiders don't have anyone outside of Myers and Tucker that should even be a wide receiver 3 or 4.
Some may disagree, but there is not a WR that should be taken No. 6 overall. While there are some intriguing players who could be available in the third and fourth rounds, the Raiders may need to walk out of this draft with two receivers.
Some of these mid-round prospects could be fun selections. These three in particular stand out among their peers.
3 wide receivers the Raiders can't overlook in 2025 NFL Draft
Tai Felton, Maryland
Felton was extremely productive this past year at Maryland with 96 receptions, 1,124 yards, and nine touchdowns. The former Terrapin is a very good route runner who has a varied release packages off the line of scrimmage. He specializes at separating at the top of his routes, using tempo and shoulder fades while exploding out of his breaks.
Felton was excellent creating yards after the catch, showing excellent speed and the ability to make cuts at top speed without slowing down. He forced 26 missed tackles in 2024, which ranks fifth of any WR in this class.
That speed also shows up down the field. He can track the deep ball and has great ball control with the ball in the air. I see Felton as an ideal Z receiver, who can win in the shallow game, and also threaten vertically.
Dont'e Thornton, Tennessee
Sometimes, there are players that, for whatever reason, don't get to shine too much in college, but make much better pros. Thornton fits that bill to a tee.
At 6-5 and 205 pounds, Thornton ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a receiver 6-3 or taller in the entire history of the NFL Combine. That is literally generational athleticism.
Thornton doesn't have a ton of production, but he was Tennessee's leading receiver this past year. The former Volunteer plays with good physicality to beat press coverage. That physicality does not waver at the catch point. He has very strong hands and only had two drops in 2024. He ran a limited route tree, but showed multiple releases while understanding leverage and finding holes in zone. If you can get this guy in the open field, nobody is going to catch him, and he can win the 50/50 ball. Thornton might be the best fit with Geno Smith in the draft, as he is a big, vertical threat who can play the X position.
Elijhah Badger, Florida
I was expecting to have a sixth- or seventh-round grade on Badger but walked away ranking him as my No. 14 receiver in this class.
Badger has gone over 700 receiving yards in each of the last three years. Before transferring to Florida, Badger's production largely came on manufactured touches at Arizona State. He had the most missed tackles forced per reception for a WR in 2023. He morphed into a deep threat at Florida, averaging a whopping 20.7 yards per catch.
Over the past two years, Badger had only two drops. He also had the second-best contested catch rate of all receiver prospects, checking in at just over 68%.
In a vacuum, Badger is an explosive deep threat with excellent hands who uses tempo to lull corners to sleep. He has decent size at 6-1 and 203 pounds, and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He is a excellent deep ball tracker, and that would pair extremely well with Geno Smith, who is one the most accurate deep passers in football.