The 2020 College football season could not happen. It’s the harsh reality we live in with a worldwide pandemic. With that said, this is the perfect time to get ahead of your league mates and understand the great prospects eligible in 2022. Now, not all of these players will declare. It is not known what to expect with eligibility if no fall sports occur. However, these potential impact players at the wide receiver position are the future regardless of the year they declare. This Devy WR Outlook only includes players who will become eligible in 2022.
George Pickens WR Georgia-Devy Rank-10
The 6’3” 190 sophomore returns to Georgia after completing a season in which he produced 49 receptions for 727 yards and eight touchdowns. He scored a touchdown on roughly 16 percent of his total catches. George Pickens is a physical player, with good enough speed and physicality to separate. He will need to improve his consistency as he showed out several weeks and disappeared the next week. Pickens has the potential to develop into a WR1 in the NFL because of his physicality, which will translate well into the red zone and across the middle.
David Bell WR Purdue-DFF Overall Devy Rank-28
David Bell knows how to make an entrance, with superstar Rondale Moore on the other side; Bell tallied 86 receptions for 1035 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. Bell won the B1G Freshman of the year award and showed off a ton of positive attributes. Much like Pickens, Bell can become a star at the next level and creates enough separation to use physicality to finish. Big things are to come in college still, but bigger things await in the NFL.
Garrett Wilson WR Ohio State- DFF Overall Devy Rank- 16
At a good size of 6’0 194 pounds, Wilson did not put up numbers like George Pickens or David Bell, but make no mistake about it he’s a superstar on the rise. Wilson had 30 catches for 432 yards and five touchdowns. He scored a touchdown on 16% of his receptions. He was the third option as a freshman. With K.J. Hill now in the NFL, Wilson will be lined up with Chris Olave, who last year enjoyed a sophomore breakout after a similar freshmen year to Wilson. Wilson had above-average speed, vertical ability, and for his age some savvy ability to get open. Expecting big things from this young man through his career.
Joe Ngata- WR- Clemson-DFF Overall Devy Rank-30
When a 6’3”, 215 pound WR commits to Clemson, that’s a guy to follow, Clemson has had many good receivers make their way to the NFL, such as Tee Higgins who was recently drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. Ngata had limited playing time last year but managed 14 yards per catch on 17 receptions and three of those were touchdowns. I went back and watched high school film of Ngata, and a few things stood out. He has good size but maybe the best pure speed of anyone on this list. He can turn slants into long touchdowns, bubble screens into long gains, and take the top of defenses. Ngata has the potential to have an impact like Henry Ruggs did for Alabama.
Theo Wease Jr. WR Oklahoma- DFF Overall Devy Rank-92
Theo Wease is a player to keep an eye on at Oklahoma. Ceedee Lamb has moved onto the NFL and Wallace is a four-star recruit with targets available. Fellow wide receiver recruits: Trajan Bandy and Jadon Haselwood are dealing with issues that will impact their season. Bandy is facing a suspension and Haselwood is out for the year with an injury. Wease is a physical receiver with incredible jump ball skills. His junior year tape from high school shows great awareness and the ability to maneuver in the air.
While his senior year he filled out and became the bog-bodied receiver that can impose his will. He is not the fastest on this list by any means but he showed enough nuance in route running for me to feel comfortable that he has potential in that area. His physicality showed last year on a play he broke six tackles en route to an 8-catch, 186 yards, and two-touchdown performance. Although he only played six games last year, Theo Wease is ready to explode onto the scene in a big way, and could eventually be as fortunate as CeeDee Lamb on his way to the next level.
These five receivers are some of the top talent potentially available in the 2022 draft at the wide receiver position. So much is unknown these days, but being aware of these players will set you apart from your competition and jumpstart you as you prepare for a long run at the top of your leagues.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. You can interact with me on Twitter @Brennan316. I love to interact with the community on trades or hear suggestions of players that might be of interest to get my perspective on.
Be sure to check out the Devy Archives over at Dynastyfootballfactory.com for more College Football analysis.
