Good morning. With the draft only days away, you better believe we're reading and re-reading The Athletic's 308-page The Beast. We're also placing bets we can't afford to lose. You only live once, they keep telling me.

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What we're reading this week:

• Ranking NFL Draft’s all-time best and worst classes: Top players, overall depth and more.

• After six NFL players were suspended for sports gambling, two for gambling on other sports (not NFL games), NFL’s nonsensical player gambling policy needs review after suspensions

• Zay Flowers, Brian Branch and 8 other NFL Draft prospects experts love

Oh and The Beast, which you can access for free with a subscription to The Athletic.

NFL DRAFT SPECIAL

An overview of the 2023 WR class

To keep it simple, we split this class into three categories:

1) Studs: players who should ball out regardless of landing spot. Think Garrett Wilson.

2) Lottery tickets: less-hyped but high potential pass-catchers who could shine in the right situation.

3) Sleepers: you know what these are. This year's Terry McLaurin. 

2023 WR CLASS

STUDS

Mocks have JSN going to either Houston at 12 or New England at 14… if that’s the case, he’ll be their top target from Day 1.

Smith-Njigba carved up defenses from the slot in 2021, and was the lead dawg in the Rose Bowl where he set an NCAA record with 347 and 3 TDs. Many see JSN as a slot receiver with limited upside due to his average athleticism (6’0” 196 lbs)(4.52 40 yd dash), but JSN can be a true #1 at the next level with his elite route running and YAC-ability (2nd in the country with 790 yards after the catch in 2021).

NFL comp: Amon-Ra St. Brown with a Justin Jefferson-esque ceiling.

There’s a lot of buzz that he could end up with the Ravens, which would be a high-upside, but low-volume situation for him.

Johnston has length and speed, with his agility after the catch (2nd in the country with 8.9 YAC per reception in 2022) making him an intriguing playmaker who can do more than just catch go balls. But he plays small. Johnston suffers from frequent concentration drops and only caught 8 of his 23 contested catch attempts last season (125th among WRs). Johnston also lacks diversity in his route tree, struggling against press coverage and zone defenses.

NFL Comp: Christian Watson

Pairing Addison with Justin Herbert could be an intriguing landing spot, especially with Keenan Allen entering the twilight of his career.

After transferring to USC in 2022, he decreased his drop rate from 14.3 as a freshman to only 3.3 as a junior, per Dane Brugler’s The Beast. His build profile Addison as an NFL slot receiver, but his elite collegiate production and crisp route running has many thinking he can be an elite WR.

NFL Comp: Darnell Mooney / DeVonta Smith

If he ends up somewhere like Buffalo at 27 or KC at 31…look out.

In Tennessee’s Air Raid system, Hyatt led the SEC in catches of 20+ yards (20) and led all of college football in catches of 30+ yards (15), 40+ yards (11), 50+ yards (7) and 60+ yards (5).

NFL Comp: DeSean Jackson

While many say Zay Flowers and JSN are landing-spot proof, the Patriots, Chargers or Bills would be interesting.

Flowers was recently named a “my guy” for ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and has been catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. Flowers has that dawg in him… NFL scouts love his confidence and competitive nature, stating he “competes his ass off, but always smiling. Coaches say he is the type of guy everyone wants to be around,” per The Beast.

Like many in this class, Flowers’ size will likely limit him to the slot at the next level.

NFL Comp: Off-Brand and Mentally Stable Antonio Brown

Lotto Tickets

This tier of prospects could put up big numbers in the right landing spot:

• Josh Downs - He’s only 5’8” 171 lbs but plays BIG – Downs posted a 75% contested catch win percentage (tops the class) and has a longer wingspan than Chris Olave, who’s 5 inches taller than him. An elite separator out of the slot who attacks the ball and plays with a chip on his shoulder, he could be a steal for a team in the early 2nd round. Think: Elijah Moore.

• Tyler Scott - A field stretcher who played the ‘X’ at Cincinnati, Scott was rising up boards early in the offseason, but his 40-time was lower than expected (4.44). He can take the top off a defense (8 catches of 30+ yards in 2022) and has the suddenness to create separation, but will need to prove he can do it against NFL-caliber defenders. Think: Tyler Lockett. Could be a Hollywood Brown replacement in Baltimore.

• Cedric Tillman - Ahhh finally… someone with size! Tillman is 6’3” 213 lbs and has the strength to be a solid red zone option. He uses his body well to make contested catches and has the acceleration to get deep. He has the potential to develop into a solid outside NFL WR who can overpower smaller DBs. Think: DeVante Parker.

• Nathaniel “Tank” Dell - Anything but a tank at 5’8” 165 lbs, Dell plays bigger than anybody in this class. Over the last 3 seasons, Dell has had 26 red zone TDs and has the 4th highest contested catch win percentage in the class. Tank is an electric playmaker who profiles as a third/fourth option on an offense that can spread the ball around. Think: A healthy, smaller Kadarius Toney. Tennessee, Houston, and Buffalo are interested (...please Buffalo).

Sleepers

This tier is difficult. Most are likely underhyped John Ross clones, but there are a few value-mart Deebo Samuels listed below.

Jayden Reed - You’ve heard it a million times already… he’s a small target with excellent quickness and big play potential. He could instantly make an impact as a returner in the NFL, and could become a solid WR.

Jonathan Mingo - He’s big and has the vertical speed to be a down-field threat at the next level (10 catches of 30+ yards in 2022). He doesn’t have the short area quickness to win on every route, but can contribute if put in the right situation.

Rashee Rice - Average size (6’0” 204 lbs) and speed (4.51), but was uber productive in 2022 (96 rec, 1,355 yds, 10 TDs) and has outstanding body control and hand-eye coordination. But Rice is inconsistent and will need to clean up his game to succeed in the NFL. No relation to Ray Rice.

Trey Palmer - Also lacks polish, but is a burner (4.33) who can stretch the field. He profiles as a Ted Ginn-type of player who can make an instant impact as a returner, with the hopes of eventually developing into a rotational big play option. May be related to Carson Palmer, but unlikely.

A.T. Perry - Tall target (6’3” 198 lbs) who runs excellent routes and caught 26 TDs in two seasons. He isn’t much of a playmaker (only 2.2 YAC in 2022) and lacks the speed and strength to be a top tier prospect. No related to Tyler Perry.

QUICK SLANTS

• Great thread by @ChrisWechtFF on the pre-draft visits. 9 of the top 10 draft picks last year had a pre draft meeting of some kind with the team they were drafted by.

• After a dormant couple weeks, the Jets and Packers recently re-engaged on trade talks surrounding star QB Aaron Rodgers, per Ian Rapoport.

• @GuruFantasyWrld: Making The Case for Treylon Burks

• @angelo_fantasy: Let's take a look at what makes Zach Charbonnet a top three back in this 2023 class.

Remember: we'll be back for Part 2 tomorrow. Thanks for joining us this morning - now go show the world your greatness.

Jake, Eddie & the legendary Coach D (College Football Maestro. And Browns Fan.)

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