2025 Senior Bowl Wide Receivers To Watch: Emerging star Xavier Restrepo and a bevy of big-bodied weapons fight for draft position

The Reese's Senior Bowl is finally upon us and draft season feels like it's truly started. It's arguably the most important event on the National Football League calendar. You get to see players, sometimes for the first time, against the best level of competition in college football. You also to see stories like Canada quarterback […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo (7) celebrates an offensive play with teammate center Zach Carpenter (50) against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The Reese's Senior Bowl is finally upon us and draft season feels like it's truly started.

It's arguably the most important event on the National Football League calendar. You get to see players, sometimes for the first time, against the best level of competition in college football. You also to see stories like Canada quarterback Taylor Elgersma coming down to Mobile, Alabama trying to show what he can do to thrive in the NFL.

The wide receiver position is often one that is given a lot of attention each year, as the one-on-ones are one of the biggest spectacles in the entire event. There aren't any elite prospects like there are in other drafts, but there is still plenty of talent.

These will be the players to keep an eye on, as they are very intriguing prospects.

Xavier Restrepo is primed to break out

The Miami Hurricanes were one of the biggest storylines of the 2024 season. Cam Ward took college football by storm by leading one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. The biggest aspect of their offense was the connection with Restrepo.

He's not the biggest or fastest player, but Restrepo is just a dominant force in the slot and on the outside and his hands are a vacuum in the open field. Restrepo won't be the best athlete nor the biggest, but his production is something that will translate.

X-receivers have a chance to shine

What is really interesting about this class is the amount of bigger receivers. In recent years, Z and slot receivers have been the better options in recent classes. This year, there are a lot of bigger receivers and they have a chance to shine.

Jayden Higgins (Iowa State), Pat Bryant (Illinois), Bru McCoy (Tennessee), Da'Quan Felton (Virginia Tech), and Jack Bech (TCU) are all players who could go as high as day two with a really good week. Being able to create separation in one-on-ones will be key for them, especially by boxing them out and using body position.

Can Tez Johnson be the next Tank Dell?

The simple answer is no. Dell is one of one. His size, speed, and quickness are truly unique, as wide receivers that weigh 163 lbs. just don't have a lot of success. However, there are still things to like, as he's both quick and fast.

Johnson is also 5'-10, 165 lbs with a similar profile to Dell, but he's not the downfield weapon. Over his career, Johnson has an average depth of target of 7.1 in his career, with a 5.9 aDOT in 2024. That's not exactly a great number and it emphasizes that Johnson is more of a gadget player than a true downfield weapon.

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