If the Washington Commanders hope to find help at wide receiver in this year’s draft, they won't likely get one in the first round. That doesn't mean there couldn't be some value further down the pecking order.
Unlike last spring, when seven wideouts went in the first round and three more went early in the second, 2025 is looking like one of the weakest years for receivers in recent memory. It is roughly equivalent to 2023 when the first wideout chosen was Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20.
Njigba has turned into a dangerous weapon for the Seattle Seahawks, which reinforces the well-supported notion that you can get quality pass catchers a bit later in the draft. Washington’s own Terry McLaurin was a third-rounder, as was Cooper Kupp. Amon-Ra St. Brown came in the fourth round and Puka Nacua in the fifth.
What makes 2025 especially tricky for Adam Peters is the apparent donut hole that exists from shortly before his first-round pick (No. 29) and the next pick at the end of the second round. Of the top four prospects (five, if you count Travis Hunter), none are likely to be on the board. There are plenty of intriguing wideouts in the next tier, but none seem worthy of a high-end pick.
There are probably only two avenues through which the Commanders would take a wide receiver with their first pick, and neither is likely.
First, one of the four top-echelon players may fall. It has happened before. Should one of them drop to No. 29 and Peters deems him too good to pass up, he could pull the trigger.
The other more likely scenario is that Peters trades back out of the first round and takes a second-tier receiver somewhere in the second. That approach makes sense given the Commanders’ current dearth of picks, but the right deal needs to present itself.
We will assume that none of the top prospects fall and that Peters is considering choosing a receiver somewhere in Round No. 2. Who might he bring in to develop behind Deebo Samuel Sr. for at least a year?
Here are the top five wide receivers likely to be available in the second round.
Realistic wide receivers the Commanders must consider in the 2025 NFL Draft
The top tier
First, those wideouts who should be gone by No. 29. One of the complex things about handicapping this year’s crop is that there is no clear pecking order. Opinions tend to differ widely on the best prospects.
Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan is at the top of many boards. Some even have the tall, productive wideout rated in the top 10. Others worry about his ability to separate in the pros and have him much lower.
After him, similar questions are attached to Missouri’s Luther Burden III, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, and Texas’ Matthew Golden. But I don’t expect any to be available at No. 29. The top receiver in the draft — should he end up playing receiver — is Colorado’s Travis Hunter. He will be chosen in the top five.
That leaves the following prospects for Peters to consider.