National Football League

NFL Combine 2017: Wide Receivers to Watch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:15 p.m. ET

Fansided, Matt LaPan/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Jan 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) catches a pass in front of Wisconsin Badgers safety Leo Musso (19) during the first half in the 2017 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

There are play making receivers throughout the 2017 NFL Draft, but who will put on the best show at the NFL Combine?Much like the running back class in the 2017 NFL Draft, the wide receiver class is an extremely deep and talented group. This means a lot of good workouts should be posted at the NFL Combine.From top to bottom, there are a ton of athletes in this wide receiver class. From Mike Williams and Corey Davis at the top of the group to sleepers such as Carlos Henderson, Taywan Taylor and others, this group has size, speed and agility that will lead to an entertaining combine.Related Story: NFL Combine 2017: Quarterbacks to WatchThe variable to watch for the wide receivers actually has nothing to do with the receivers. They will be getting thrown the ball from a quarterback group that is considered weak, meaning they will have to show the ability to adjust on the fly and possibly show the ability to catch well outside of their frames. The ability to make those adjustments, combined with the athleticism and quickness of the group should make for an entertaining weekend. Which players should you been keeping an eye on?Next: No. 5 Corey Davis Jan 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) stiff arms Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Sojourn Shelton (8) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. The Badgers won 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

5. Corey Davis, Western Michigan

Corey Davis is more than your typical speedy small school wide receiver, and he is out to prove that at the NFL Combine. Davis has all the production that teams want to see, especially when playing at a small school.

More from NFL Spin Zone

Davis should measure at around 6-3, giving him the size to be an impact on the outside. His arm length and hand size should be right on par with the top receivers as well, checking off some of the early boxes at the Combine.

Moreover, Davis should run well, but likely will be in the middle of the pack. He has good, but not elite speed. He will perform well in the shuttle and three-cone, showing great acceleration out of his breaks on the field. He is an explosive athlete who will also jump well.

Where Davis will need to shine, and likely will, is during the on-field drills. Davis displays strong hands, and should dominate the drills—especially when running across the field and catching from multiple quarterbacks. He can show his ability to catch with his hands and outside of his frame. He can then show his ability to track the ball on the deep ball drill. This will show teams, and fans exactly what the Western Michigan product is capable of, and check off the boxes for teams that want to take him in the top-20 of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) warms-up before the start of a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

4. John Ross, Washington

John Ross is likely to put on a show at the NFL Combine. He will not measure well, but that is far from a surprise. When it comes to running, jumping and athletic drills, do not miss Ross' workout.

Ross has elite straight-line speed and should be one of the top 40-yard dash times at the Combine. He also has terrific athleticism, and he should run the shuttle and three-cone well. He should also show good explosive power in the jumps, checking off the athleticism box with ease.

The medical room and interviews will be the bigger areas for Ross. He has a history with a major knee injury in it, and teams will test that heavily. He will also need to talk with teams about his role, whether he will move inside to the slot or stay in his outside role.

When it comes to on field, Ross needs to show improvement in the short to intermediate routes for teams that would be looking at his as a possible slot option. Ross can help solidify his position as a 1st round talent if this improvement is there, but he could drop if not. He is one of the most intriguing prospects to watch in the entire combine.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) makes a catch for a touchdown against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Christian Campbell (1) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

3. JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu Smith-Schuster is one of the more talked about prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft class, and that will likely be the case at the NFL Combine. Smith-Schuster is not going to measure in the elite level, and he likely will not run or test particularly in that area—so what will be the conversation?

The answer to that will come with the on-field drills. Smith-Schuster runs great routes and has extremely strong hands. He does not have the ideal straight-line speed, but he plays at a good speed. He runs crisp routes and plucks the ball. If he is able to excel with multiple quarterbacks in a single day, much like he had to do in his time at USC, it could impress teams.

He has some medical questions that will need to check out. He should do quite well in the interview room, displaying great character according to all accounts. If a team falls in love with him, Smith-Schuster could see himself off the board in the late first or early second round. That would be huge for him as his stock has been on a slight decline since the end of the college football season.

Jan 24, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad wide receiver Taywan Taylor of Western Kentucky (82) pulls in a pass during practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

2. Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky

Teams in need of a slot receiver will want to watch Taywan Taylor. He is a name that is flying under the radar after a career at Western Kentucky, but he should open a lot of eyes at the NFL Combine. If you want them to be opened even prior to him arriving and showing out in Indianapolis, just simply look at the numbers that the draft prospect put up throughout his time playing for the Hilltoppers.

He should run well, but likely not at the top of the class. Taylor has some jump to him, but he's not a pure burner like Ross. Where he should perform best is in the quickness drills. Taylor has extremely quick feet and goes from zero to top speed in a hurry. His shuttle and three-cone time should be off the charts.

He is going to measure like a slot receiver, but his reluctance to extend his arms in routes make him play a little smaller than he will measure. This will be extremely important to monitor in on-field drills. Taylor will show that he can catch with ease and that he runs great routes, but if he does not reach out and pluck the ball on a more consistent basis, he will likely get knocked down by NFL evaluators.

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) makes a catch while defended by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) during the fourth quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

1. Mike Williams, Clemson

The feature attraction in both the NFL Draft and NFL Combine for wide receivers is going to be Mike Williams. He is more than likely to be the top receiver off the board, and should find himself in the top 10. Williams is going to measure well, displaying good size, length and big hands. He has a muscular frame, and should check off every box for receivers.

Williams should also be a top performer in many of the testing aspects of the Combine. He should run a good 40 time, though he will likely not be at the top of the class with the elite speed receivers. He changes direction very well, and should post good times in the shuttle and three-cone. He has the explosive tendencies that should have him be near the top in all of the jumps.

He will look impressive in the on-field drills as well. He plucks the ball, high-points well, shows strong hands and runs good routes. Williams is a complete receiver, and should check every box once he is viewed in this situation. He highlights a strong class, but pulls away as the top target for wide receiver needy teams.