5 NFL teams most likely to draft a wide receiver

The 2019 NFL Draft is only a few weeks away, and there are a litany of teams that could be looking to take a high-profile receiver.

In my previous article in this series I took a look at five teams that are likely to select a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft, and here we will take a look at the next position in the series, wide receiver.

While I studied the NFL depth charts in preparation for this article, I found that a legitimate argument could be made that almost any NFL team is likely to draft a wide receiver. Some teams have plenty of depth in the slot (looking at you, New York Giants and Buffalo Bills) while others have enough competent outside receivers (like the Atlanta Falcons or Los Angeles Chargers). Yet, nearly every team could add one piece or the other.

Therefore, what I am going to do here is just pay attention to the five teams who have the largest overall need to add to the talent base at the wide receiver position, and thus are most likely to draft a receiver within the first three rounds.

As a part of that, we will look at which prospects might be good fits for what each of those teams need.

1. Miami Dolphins

The cupboard is pretty bare in Miami, even if they have a once highly touted 1st round pick in DeVante Parker, a decent outside receiver in Kenny Stills who they gave $32 million dollars to over four years, and an average slot guy in Albert Wilson they have $24 million to over three years.

Still, neither Parker nor Stills have done much over the years in Miami, and Stills could still be cut prior to the season if Miami were to draft a new outside option. Beyond those two, Albert Wilson and Brice Butler are about it, so a high end receiving option could really help this offense.

That said, the new head coach in town is a Bill Belichick disciple, so there is a realistic chance that he follows Belichick’s model and devalues the wide receiver position, going with the guys he has on the roster. While I could see that happening, I don’t think it will. The Dolphins have all seven of their draft picks, and I think they will spend one of their first three on a wide receiver to infuse some extra talent into this roster.

If they do, here are three prospects I could see fitting well with the Dolphins:

• Miles Boykin: If you like tall, fast, athletic WRs, this is your guy. He could take over as the Dolphins No. 1 wide receiver from day one, and would add a ton of upside to the offense.
• DK Metcalf: Another prototypical size-speed guy, Metcalf fits the bill for the outside threat the Dolphins are desperate for. He would open up lanes for Wilson and Parker or Stills on the other side, and would free up the running game by making teams respect his deep speed.
• Preston Williams: Williams is yet another tall, outside receiver. His speed wasn’t as blazing as the other two, but with that and his off-field issues, he could be had for a mid-round pick.