As part of Fantasy Life's year-long NFL Draft coverage, I'm currently in Mobile, Ala., covering the Senior Bowl — filing reports, updates, and interviewing players. This is the third of three preview pieces I'll be writing ahead of the game. You can find the QB preview here. And RBs here.
Here's my latest NFL Mock Draft and here's my colleague Matthew Freedman's latest mock. And here is my…
2025 Senior Bowl WR/TE Preview
2025 Senior Bowl Wide Receivers
- Elic Ayomanor (Stanford)
- Jack Bech (TCU)
- Pat Bryant (Illinois)
- Chimere Dike (Florida)
- Da'Quan Felton (Virginia Tech)
- Tai Felton (Maryland)
- Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)
- Tez Johnson (Oregon)
- Jaylin Lane (Virginia Tech)
- Bru McCoy (Tennessee)
- Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)
- Jamaal Pritchett (South Alabama)
- Xavier Restrepo (Miami)
- Jalen Royals (Utah State)
- Arian Smith (Georgia)
- Isaac TeSlaa (Arkansas)
- Kyle Williams (Washington State)
- Savion Williams (TCU)
Pre-Senior Bowl WR Rankings:
- Jalen Royals (Utah State)
- Elic Ayomanor (Stanford)
- Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)
- Tez Johnson (Oregon)
- Xavier Restrepo (Miami)
- Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)
- Jack Bech (TCU)
- Pat Bryant (Illinois)
- Savion Williams (TCU)
- Tai Felton (Maryland)
- Jaylin Lane (Virginia Tech)
- Bru McCoy (Tennessee)
- Da'Quan Felton (Virginia Tech)
- Chimere Dike (Florida)
- Arian Smith (Georgia)
- Jamaal Pritchett (South Alabama)
- Kyle Williams (Washington State)
- Isaac TeSlaa (Arkansas)
2024 Senior Bowl Tight Ends
- Elijah Arroyo (Miami)
- Gavin Bartholomew (Pittsburgh)
- Jake Briningstool (Clemson)
- CJ Dippre (Alabama)
- Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green)
- Thomas Fidone II (Nebraska)
- Terrance Ferguson (Oregon)
- Jackson Hawes (Georgia Tech)
- Gunnar Helm (Texas)
- Moliki Matavao (UCLA)
- Mason Taylor (LSU)
Pre-Senior Bowl TE Rankings:
- Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green)
- Gunnar Helm (Texas)
- Terrance Ferguson (Oregon)
- Mason Taylor (LSU)
- Jackson Hawes (Georgia Tech)
- Moliki Matavao (UCLA)
- Elijah Arroyo (Miami)
- Thomas Fidone II (Nebraska)
- Jake Briningstool (Clemson)
- CJ Dippre (Alabama)
- Gavin Bartholomew (Pittsburgh)
News: Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said LSU WR Kyren Lacy will not participate in the Senior Bowl following Lacy’s arrest earlier this month. Lacy is facing charges of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle.
Most to Prove: WR Savion Williams (TCU)
Allow me introduce you to the receiver prospect who will draw the most contentious arguments on #DraftTwitter this spring. My tweet from earlier this month will give you an idea why.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Williams is a two-time member of Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List.” Over the summer, Feldman reported that Williams had a 10-6 broad jump and 40-inch vertical while squatting 600 pounds and clocking 22.5 mph on the GPS. Feldman also reported that the former high school quarterback “can throw the ball 80 yards”(!).
NFL teams will want to take notes on how TCU changed Williams’ usage patterns this past season. In 2023, TCU miscast Williams as a stretch-the-field (12.2 aDOT) boundary receiver (86.7% of snaps). In 2024, Williams had a 6.7 aDOT as his boundary snaps were slashed to 70.9%. On nearly one-third of his snaps, TCU either lined Williams up in the slot or in the backfield.
Like Cordarelle Patterson and Laviska Shenault, Savion Williams is an athlete you manufacture touches for close to the line of scrimmage. Then you watch him run. TCU peppered Williams with screens, touch passes, and simple drags/slants in 2024. The Horned Frogs also brought Williams into the backfield for handoffs and direct snaps. Williams has great burst and speed, and he runs with power.
Williams isn’t is a complete receiver – far from it. You can send him on go-routes. But he isn’t going to be shaking anyone out of their cleats on nuance routes. Williams also lacks ball skills, a body-catcher who hugs balls into his frame.
At the Senior Bowl, you’re going to see Williams’ skill with the ball in his hands. Any progress he can show evaluators with his route-running and ball skills would be a huge bonus.
Most to Gain: WR Jalen Royals (Utah State)
My top-ranked receiver at the event. Royals burst onto the scene in 2023 with 71 catches for 1,080 yards and 15 TD. He piled up a 55-834-6 receiving line in seven games in 2024 before a foot injury ended his season early. He’s expected to be on the field practicing at the Senior Bowl – if so, these are his final days as an under-the-radar prospect.
This is a sleek athlete. Royals is so smooth, with effortless acceleration and speed. The 6-foot, 205-pounder wins separation with acceleration and footwork – he slams on the breaks, cuts clean angles, and accelerates back to top speed in a few steps.