Wide receiver has become a tough position to draft late. Usually, the best wide receivers go early in the draft – gone are the days of the league-winning late-round gems.
Here are some wide receivers being drafted outside of the top-120 picks with compelling cases listed in order of Apex one-year ADP:
Jalen Coker, Panthers (ADP: 124.8)
During his final two seasons at Holy Cross, Jalen Coker amassed nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 26 TDs. This was nearly 50% of their team’s receiving production.
As a 23-year-old undrafted rookie, he averaged 43.5 receiving yards per game and 10.4 yards per target. While he dealt with injuries and was eased into his second season, he again proved to be an efficient receiver at 9.2 YPT. In their lone playoff game, Coker caught 9 passes for 134 yards and a TD.
He’s locked in as the Panthers second target behind Tetairoa McMillan. Yes, there are volume concerns, but Coker is one of the few players the Panthers have worth building around. There are worse upside swings in the 11th round of your draft.
Xavier Worthy, Chiefs (ADP: 124.8)
Xavier Worthy looked ready for a second year explosion before getting wiped out by Travis Kelce and injuring his shoulder on the 3rd play of the season. If you’re willing to give him a mulligan, you’re receiving a massive discount.
The Chiefs’ passing game is still short on proven weapons, and the former first-round pick is still 23 years old (and younger than rookie Cyrus Allen).
Jordyn Tyson, Saints (ADP: 129.7)
Jordyn Tyson had an excellent prospect profile and looked ready to ascend into a meaningful Year 1 asset.
Saints beat writer Nick Underhill noted “It would be hard to overstate how good Tyson was in camp.”
I snagged him in the Apex Experts draft. He then hurt his hamstring that has been injured four times. He’s expected to miss two months in total.
Can he stay healthy? Who knows, but in a league like Apex, with IR spots, he makes a compelling stash. Even if he’ll start the season hurt, few wide receivers selected outside of the top 100 have Tyson’s upside.
Ja’Kobi Lane, Ravens (ADP: 147)
If you follow preseason news, few have generated the same buzz as rookie Ja’Kobi Lane. Lane wasn’t a great prospect but has compelling elements of his profile. He’s an early declare with excellent size and athleticism.
From Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley:
“In 27 years of covering the Ravens, I’m not sure I’ve seen a rookie have a training camp quite like wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane. Every day, Lane produces a highlight-making catch…”
The Ravens are unlikely to generate a lot of pass attempts, but Lane may just be a special player who didn’t look as good as a prospect because he was teammates with Makai Lemon. In a range of the draft that isn’t littered with talent, Lane provides some potential. You’ll also likely know early on from his route participation whether he’s worth continuing to roster.
Cyrus Allen, Chiefs (ADP: 154.2)
Like Lane, Cyrus Allen has received a ton of praise this training camp. Allen is small but features solid burst and agility scores.
Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney noted:
“Cyrus Allen has undoubtedly been Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target. It feels like he’s looking Allen’s way every time he’s out there.”
Allen may be able to provide the man coverage beating ability that the Chiefs have been lacking. There’s even a 1-minute highlight reel available for your viewing pleasure.
If you’re buying into the Worthy argument, it may be time to consider selecting Allen.
Pat Bryant, Broncos (ADP: 184.3)
The argument for Pat Bryant was largely made in the Players To Avoid article.
As a rookie, Bryant kept up with Courtland Sutton while healthy in the second half of the season:
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | YPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtland Sutton | 54 | 30 | 395 | 3 | 56% | 7.31 |
| Pat Bryant | 39 | 26 | 332 | 1 | 67% | 8.51 |
The Broncos are effusive in their praise for “Patty Ice”. Head coach Sean Payton recently said:
“…He’s smart, he’s sudden, he’s big. He’s having a heck of a camp. You guys have seen it, and it’s been consistent. He’s super intelligent, it’s really important to him, and I like his size.”
At his ADP, Bryant is essentially free, and the efficiency gap on Sutton says the role could grow.
