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.
Commanders could draft Elic Ayomanor
There’s almost nothing not to like about Elic Ayomanor. He has size at 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds. He has speed, running 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also has solid fundamentals.
Ayomanor runs good routes and blocks. He is an all-around solid prospect who can probably fit a variety of schemes if given time to develop.
The only thing keeping him from being a first-round talent is his overall lack of big plays. Ayomanor's numbers in college were fine, but they were never eye-popping. Despite his physical gifts, he ran a surprisingly slow first 10 yards in his 40-yard dash, which suggests a receiver who might have trouble making the quick moves needed to win against NFL cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage.
He doesn’t run away from people or make big plays in the open field. In short, Ayomanor will be a steady, reliable professional receiver, but not the explosive player you might want in the second round.
Commanders could draft Jayden Higgins
Jayden Higgins is a little bigger than Ayomanor at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, while still having 4.47-second speed in the 40-yard dash. He uses his body well and shows very strong hands. That's the sort of pass-catcher the Washington Commanders could be looking for.
If you watch his games from last year, Higgins often shows the ability to adjust to balls that may be a little off-target, using his long frame and excellent body control to win contested catches. Aside from Noah Brown, that's something the Commanders lacked in 2024.
Higgins’ physical limitations come in the areas of quickness and agility. He is a good route runner, but his length does not allow him to shake defenders in small areas.
In college, Higgins was able to use his size and strength to win. The Iowa State prospect will need to show he can create separation early in the route if he is to be anything more than a big man with the speed to occasionally stretch the field in the pros.
Commanders could draft Jack Bech
Jack Bech is the flipside of the first two players. He also boasts good size and has proven to be a very sophisticated route runner. The TCU prospect can line up in the slot, which may eventually be his best position in the pros, and develop into a bigger version of Hunter Renfrow.
Bech is going to be limited by his speed. He is not fast by current wideout standards, but he is quick and knows how to set up defenders.
In the right offense, he will be a productive WR2 or WR3. The Commanders may already have a version of this type of receiver in last year's third-round pick, Luke McCaffrey.
Bech is already more polished, but McCaffrey has more raw athleticism.
Commanders could draft Tre Harris
Tre Harris has the size, hands, and ball skills you want in an NFL wide receiver. He was extremely productive in college, accumulating 220 receptions for 3,532 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns. In his final two seasons at Ole Miss, he averaged a whopping 17.6 yards per reception, making him one of college football's most dynamic downfield threats.
As with Jack Bech, the only real concern is whether Harris has the speed to produce at the NFL level. In 2024, before going down with a groin injury in Week 8, the wideout dominated against the weaker teams on the schedule. He had not been as productive when the SEC competition grew tougher.
That's something the Washington Commanders and others around the league will take into account when examining the player's credentials.
Commanders could draft Jaylin Noel
Jaylin Noel had to share the football with Jayden Higgins at Iowa State. The second thing to know is that he is lightning-fast.
Noel is not a big receiver. At 5-foot-10 and with comparatively short arms, the prospect does not have the same catch radius as other players on this list. But he has a powerful upper body, which allows him to hold up against press coverage and an array of route-running tricks that win separation.
On the downside, he also has a worrisome drop rate. Whether that is due to poor technique and can be adjusted is up to NFL teams to decide. If he becomes a more consistent catcher, Noel has the tools to be a first-rate slot receiver.
The Commanders' (possible) choice
If one of the top four receivers somehow falls, Adam Peters will have a real decision.
The most likely one to fall would be Emeka Egbuka. Peters might not rearrange his strategy in that case, particularly if there is a coveted edge rusher or cornerback on the board. Matthew Golden is a different story, but the chances of that happening are unlikely at best.
Of the five that should be, Jayden Higgins is the best bet. Despite his obvious talent and playmaking ability in contested catch situations, he is not a first-round talent.
Therefore, dropping back about 10 spots by trading down and picking up an extra pick in the third or fourth round might allow the Commanders to get a receiver with a very high ceiling. They would get time to develop behind a few veterans before stepping into a prominent role in 2026.