We can now see the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon. It’s officially April, which means the draft is this month. Before you know it, dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts will be underway—some already are. With the NFL Scouting Combine and free agency in the rearview mirror, now is a great time to check in on our latest 2025 dynasty rookie wide receiver rankings.
Top Rookie Wide Receivers To Draft in Dynasty Leagues
1) Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
The more I study Luther Burden III, the more I like him. Some may ding Burden for the drop in production from his sophomore to junior year. In 2023, he had six 100-yard games. This past season, he had only one.
However, that’s not entirely Burden’s fault—maybe not at all.
Missouri had injuries at quarterback, which played a major role in Burden’s lack of gaudy numbers. As a reminder, he caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.
Landing spot will be key for Burden. As a primary slot receiver, he’ll need the right offense and the right quarterback to maximize his potential. But it’s hard to imagine any team not scheming ways to get him the ball. He was the best receiver in the nation at forcing missed tackles last year. It’s hard to see him failing.
2) Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Tetairoa McMillan will likely be the WR1 of this class. I have Burden ahead of him for now, but it’s close. McMillan’s talent was clear the moment he stepped on Arizona’s campus.
As a true freshman, he led the Pac-12 in yards per reception (18.0). He took a huge leap as a sophomore, catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a junior, he led the Big 12 in receiving yards with 1,319, including five 100-yard games.
At 6-foot-5, McMillan has all the makings of a classic X receiver. But he’s not just a jump-ball guy—he’s a polished route runner who should win right away in the NFL.
Don’t worry about McMillan’s 4.53 40 time. It’s fine for the position. He just needs to not be unathletically slow, and he isn’t. It would be a surprise if he didn’t start Week 1.
3) Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
At this time last year, Emeka Egbuka was seen as a first-round dynasty rookie pick. Then he returned for his senior season.
There’s a stigma around four-year players, but sometimes it’s taken too far. The reason early declarations are viewed more favorably is that they show the ability to perform at a high level sooner. Egbuka was capable of going to the NFL as a junior—he just chose not to. Chris Olave did the same.
Egbuka caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Ohio State has a strong track record of producing NFL receivers. Given Egbuka was pro-ready a year ago, he should be able to hit the ground running wherever he lands.
He didn’t need to be fast or flashy—he’s fundamentally sound. But he ran a 4.42 40 anyway, with a 97th-percentile speed score. I trust Ohio State receivers, and you should too.
4) Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado
We’re a month from the NFL Draft, and we still don’t know exactly what Travis Hunter will do position-wise. We haven’t seen a prospect like him in decades—maybe ever. He’s expected to play both cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL. The question is: what’s the split?
If you want to argue Hunter is the WR1 in this class, I won’t stop you. Just look at his reception perception from Matt Harmon.
NEW Travis Hunter's #ReceptionPerception is now up on the site 🔥
Highlights:
– 92nd percentile success rate vs. man
– 97th percentile success rate vs. zone
– 97th percentile success rate vs. press
– Rare catching ability
– Frequently makes the first defenders miss after the… pic.twitter.com/YZt4Xda0CK— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 31, 2025
Talent-wise, it’s all there. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He led the Big 12 in receptions and receiving scores. The main concern for fantasy is that true two-way players just don’t exist in today’s NFL.
We’ll learn more soon about how teams plan to use the Heisman winner. For fantasy, we don’t want him playing much defense. If teams see him as a better corner than receiver, and he only plays offense part-time, he could be a wasted pick.
Hunter’s dynasty rookie draft value is still up in the air. If he said tomorrow he was playing only wide receiver, I’d rank him WR1. But the range of outcomes is massive. Right now, this is where I’m willing to take the gamble.
5) Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Maybe I’m falling into groupthink here, but Matthew Golden is intriguing. He skyrocketed up draft boards with a 4.29 40, which all but locked him in as a first-round pick.
On the plus side, he’s an early declare—always a good sign. He led the SEC in touchdown receptions as a junior, despite playing with the more hyped Isaiah Bond.
On the downside, he only had one year of real production, and it wasn’t that strong—58 receptions, 987 yards, and nine touchdowns. He averaged just 1.82 yards per team pass attempt.
I struggle with wideouts who rise mainly because of speed. It just hasn’t translated well historically. Sub-4.30 guys often underwhelm. I’ll do a deeper dive post-draft, but for now, I’m reluctantly slotting Golden at the back of the first round.
6–18) The Rest of the Rankings
6) Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
7) Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
8) Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
9) Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
10) Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
11) Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
12) Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
13) Jack Bech, WR, TCU
14) Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
15) Savion Williams, WR, TCU
16) Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
17) Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
18) Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon