Top 5 wide receiver prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft

3. Jaylen Waddle

Waddle is another guy whose size makes him best-suited to play in the slot, but his combination of elite speed and above-average route running gives him a chance to flourish all over the field at the next level.

There’s a cogent argument to be made that Waddle was Alabama’s best receiver before being knocked out of the lineup with a broken ankle. After all, he was averaging over 21 yards per catch before he went on the shelf. Mac Jones clearly trusted him as a guy who could make both the routine catch and big play.

The simple challenge with defending Waddle is that his speed can just overwhelm a lot of defensive backs. He is the sort of receiver who will demand double coverage on nearly every snap. The few corners who can run with him will still struggle to handle his ability to get in and out of his breaks with surprising quickness.

Waddle’s best outcome at the next level is to land with a team that already has another talented wide receiver to pair with him on the outside. He should be used as more than just a slot guy in the NFL. He’s a legitimate game-breaker that should go off the board in the first 15 selections of this year’s draft.