The Three Most Underrated Receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft

Written By Ethan Machado

Skyy Moore - Western Michigan

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Moore is by far one of my favorite receiver prospects in this entire draft. It seems like every year an undersized receiver falls in the draft because teams prefer to draft “premier” outside receivers in the early rounds. Just in this past year we saw Amon-Ra St. Brown burst onto the scene late in the year after being a fourth round draft pick. Skyy Moore has every ability to be this type of player next year while being projected to be a second or third round pick. Moore known for being fantastic after the catch and having a great ability to track the ball on deep throws. When running his routes he creates decent separation due to his high elusiveness and speed. His only downfalls is his lack of blocking ability mostly due to his size. There is also some risk since Moore played at Western Michigan and didn’t face the highest competition in college. Any team drafting him will have to hope that he can replicate his production against the best talent at the NFL level.

Best Fits: Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns

Measurables:

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 195lbs

Age: 21

Pros:

  • Fantastic after the catch

  • Great ability to track the ball

  • Sure hands, only seven drops in college

  • Physical over the middle of the field

  • Often makes the first tackler miss

  • Extremely elusive

  • Top end speed

  • Explosive in his route running and creates great separation

Cons:

  • Undersized for an outside receiver, most likely limited to the slot in the NFL

  • Doesn’t offer great blocking in the run game

  • Hasn’t faced NFL level competition in college

George Pickens - Georgia

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George Pickens is a phenomenal athlete and showcases a lot of the skills a receiver needs to excel at the next level. Where he gains some concern is his lack of strength and his injury history. Pickens tore his ACL and only played three games in his final season at Georgia. Pickens has also seen steep drops in his receiving yards and touchdowns over his three years at Georgia. The statistics don’t favor Pickens very much and when there is such a deep class of proven talent this could contribute to Pickens dropping. However, when watching the film he does display great athleticism and I believe that with the right coaching staff Pickens could be a great steal in this draft.

Best Fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots

Measurables:

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 200lbs

Age: 20

Pros:

  • Has “Big Play” ability

  • Solid hands, rarely catches the ball with his body

  • Very solid route runner

  • Has no problem high pointing the ball

  • Creates great separation at the tops of his routes

Cons:

  • Doesn’t do great against press man coverage

  • Doesn’t have great strength, will need to improve that

  • Football IQ is not a glaring weakness but definitely not a strength of his

  • Not strong at blocking in the run game

  • Off the field issues (suspended by own team)

Wan’Dale Robinson - Kentucky

Kentucky WR, Wan’Dale Robinson - Image Via: https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/roster/wan-dale-robinson/8782

Profile:

Kentucky wideout Wan’Dale Robinson looks like another prototypical slot receiver. However, I see him as the next great dual threat receiver at the next level. When you watch his tape Robinson pops and you see the potential that he has as a runner. The Kentucky standout constantly makes defenders miss and excels after the catch. I could likely see him in a role similar to players like Deebo Samuel and Cordarrelle Patterson at the next level. This skill set is being used increasingly in the NFL and I believe that Robinson could be just that, for a team that is striving to find a more creative option to make their offense unique. Robinson, a future running back would excel in this role and can create a whole new set of opportunities for a team looking to innovate their offense like many are in todays league.

Best Fits: Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders

Measurables:

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 185lbs

Age: 21

Pros:

  • Super explosive

  • Great off the line

  • Great speed and acceleration

  • Surprising vertical and ability to get jump balls

  • Extremely elusive

  • Great route-runner out of the slot

  • Former running back, great at making tacklers miss

Cons:

  • Doesn’t always secure catches with his hands, tends to body catch

  • Smaller frame, larger corners will likely push him off his routes at the next level

  • Will most likely be restricted to the slot

  • Only a one year starter, limited sample size

Ethan Machado
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