5. BRANDON AIYUK, Arizona State (5-11 ½, 205, 4.53): Aiyuk played in junior college for two seasons. He played second fiddle to N’Keal Harry in 2018 before breaking out in ’19. “He’s (5-11½) but he’s got an 80-inch wingspan, which is so disproportionately long for his body, so he’s really a big target for a smaller guy,” one scout said. “He has ranginess to him, yet he’s compact enough where his change of direction is great. He’s really explosive on tape. Even going back to his junior year, he only had 33 catches but just grading the flash plays he was better than N’Keal Harry.” He caught 65 balls as a senior, finishing with 98 for 1,666 (17.0) ands 11 TDs. “The first three or four games this year it was kind of whatever,” said another scout. “Then something clicked and he really turned it on. Their offensive line was horrible, so a lot of his deep routes didn’t really have time to develop because the quarterback (freshman Jayden Daniels) had to get the ball out. He became that quarterback’s best friend. He’s underrated. Early on, he comes in as your No. 1 punt returner and kickoff guy.” He has a Wonderlic score of 23. “Explosive with a 40-inch vert, excellent route runner, quickness,” said a third scout. “You could compare Greg Jennings to him. He’s better than Nelson Agholor.” From Reno, Nev.
6. TEE HIGGINS, Clemson (6-3 ½, 215, 4.58, 1-2): More than one personnel man identified him as having the best hands in the draft. “He’s an outside-only guy,” one scout said. “He’s a contested, 50-50 ball guy with strong hands and a big catching radius. He may need some help getting open, but he can catch it. He’s going to be covered a lot but he’s got the catching radius.” Arms measured a position-best 34 1/8 but hands were a small 9 ¼. “Just worried about the 40 time and his inability to separate,” said another scout. “They match up. He is really good down the field going up and getting the football. But getting off press, which you don’t see a lot at the college level, for a guy that isn’t real twitchy, he’ll have to win with size at the line of scrimmage. I think eventually he’ll be able to do it, but it’s going to be a transition for him.” Caught 135 passes for 2,448 (18.1) and 27 TDs. “Behind Ruggs, he’d be my next pick to bust,” a third scout said. “For a big, athletic kind of guy I don’t think he plays very strong. I don’t think he plays very sudden. And I don’t think he’s very tough. For the type of receiver he has to be, being that big guy making plays over people, I just don’t see that grit and toughness that you need. I wasn’t surprised at all (by the slow 40). He’s a buildup (speed) guy. Lot of that (production) was scheming him.” Wonderlic of 11. From Oak Ridge, Tenn.
7. BRYAN EDWARDS, South Carolina (6-2 ½, 212, no 40, 1-2): A four-year starter from Conway, S.C, “he excited me,” one scout said. “There’s a ceiling on him because I don’t think he’s a dynamic athlete. He’s a 4.5’s kind of guy, like a big, physical banger, a guy who will do dirty work. He can play big slot. It’s not like he’s lightning quick, but he’s fluid enough to be a good enough route runner. He’s a lot like Sterling Sharpe was except he doesn’t have the run after. You probably have to have some other pieces around him, guys that are more dynamic playmakers. But if you have that and you throw him in the mix then he’s interesting. I think he’s a great third-round pick.” His value was diminished by the broken foot he suffered while training in February, a meniscus tear in November, a concussion and sports hernia surgery in 2017. “He’s very physical, which I love about him, but it’s kind of counterproductive for him,” said another scout. “Durability is a big problem. I don’t think people give him credit for how athletic he is. I just think he does a lot of things that really matter for that position. He’s one of my favorite players.” Finished with 234 catches for 3,045 (13.0) and 22 TDs, surpassing ex-Gamecock Sharpe in several statistical categories. “He’s really lost steam because of the injury,” a third scout said. “He’s kind of your old school West Coast (receiver) catching slants, breaking tackles and go. There’s a lot of love for that guy in the league.” Edwards scored 28 on the Wonderlic and ranked second among the top 13 wideouts.
Eight. JALEN REAGOR, TCU (5-10 ½, 206, 4.46, 1-2): The third-year junior posted the best broad jump (11-6) of the top 25 wideouts. “Holy ####, he’s exciting,” said one scout. “His speed and run after … we’re looking for explosive playmakers. His punt returns were like holy hell. … His skill set is outstanding.” Finished with 148 catches for 2,248 (15.2) and 22 TDs. “He’s faster and quicker than CeeDee or (Justin) Jefferson,” said a second scout. “He’s tough, he’ll catch in the middle and he takes the ball away from people. But, if the ball’s not coming to him, he doesn’t do much. He doesn’t block. He hardly gets off the line of scrimmage sometimes. He is a talented, talented kid, but his body language and attitude, from film only, is bad. Kind of a reluctant football player. When the ball’s coming to him he’s full-speed.” He posted 13 on the Wonderlic. “He may be the most explosive guy coming out of this draft,” said a third scout. “Quick and aggressive, plays fast, quick hands. Can he be a slot receiver, too? I think he can.” From Waxahachie, Texas. Added a fourth scout: “If I want a jet sweep guy I want Reagor. That (guy) is fast.”
9. DENZEL MIMS, Baylor (6-3, 207, 4.38, 1-2): Among his many achievements at the combine was a position-best 6.66 3-cone. “The 6.6 3-cone is crazy for a guy with that lever system,” said one scout. “He can really go up and make acrobatic plays on the ball. He showed at the Senior Bowl he can beat press coverage and get open at the top of routes. He’s better than Lamb and maybe better than Jeudy. He’s bigger, faster, longer. You’ve got a chance to really hit on Denzel Mims.” Mims was a three-year starter for a Baylor program that has never had a receiver make it big in the NFL. “He’s big, but I see a finesse guy who dropped too many balls in traffic,” a second scout said. “He’s got the height, weight, speed. I’ve seen too many guys with traits like that come in and fail out, and he doesn’t play special teams. I don’t see that kind of dog in him.” A three-year starter, he finished with 186 receptions for 2,925 (15.7) and 28 TDs. “He’s got vertical speed, he does have tracking skills and he understands how to use his size in the red zone,” said a third scout. “He’s an outside receiver. He’s going to need a lot of work on how to run routes. He has tight shoulders. Better high-ball catcher than low-ball catcher. More of a 400-meter guy. He’s got inconsistent hands. He’s going to need work on how to get off press. He’s just got average body control. I got him in the second round.” He’s from Daingerfield, Texas and posted a Wonderlic score of 17.
2. CHASE CLAYPOOL, Notre Dame (6-4, 238, 4.44, 1-2): [[Stuck him here. Scouts ranked him with the TE]Made 33 starts at WR over four seasons. Some teams are vociferous about him playing outside in the NFL. Others see him as a TE. “I think he’s big enough to be a tight end,” said one scout. “He’s every bit as big as Travis Kelce. He’s faster than Kelce. That’s who I saw.” His combine numbers were the best by a tight end. “I just don’t see the blocker at tight end,” a second scout said. “I don’t see how he holds up. People had the same conversation with Devin Funchess. You’re talking about the Jared Cook’s of the world. That’s just a different body type.” Finished with 150 catches for 2,159 (14.4) and 19 TDs. “The big ones that don’t make it, like Jonathan Baldwin, is because they’ve got a long ways to go because of (lack) of polish,” the second scout continued. “He’s not that far away. He’s fast, aggressive, has good hands. He was a dog on special teams. If you try to make him a multi-cut route runner, it’s going to be a problem. Let him be a big, fast, vertical, take-the-lid-off, contest-catch-winning guy. Mike Evans is a vertical route runner. I’m not calling this kid Mike Evans, but there are some comparable traits.” From Abbotsford, B.C., Claypool is the first Notre Dame signee from Canada since 1994. He posted a Wonderlic score of 27.
