The Puget Sound's Top 2023 WRs

Seeing as how it is perhaps the position that has seen the greatest influx of talent over the past several years in college football, there has never been a better time to need talent at the wide receiver position. Every year we see wide receivers go high in the NFL Draft and make plays at the professional level early on, and this trend is starting to manifest at the collegiate levels at well, with true freshmen receivers coming in and putting up big numbers right away. Continuing our series of looking at the top players in the Puget Sound, I will be analyzing which receivers from the area will be the next generation to make a name for themselves on Saturdays.   [player_tooltip player_id="155580" first="David" last="Wells"] | 6'2" 175 | Lakes HS (Lakewood)   Already committed to Oregon State, there is not much left that Wells has to prove in his senior season. Wells has a good arsenal of tools that he can use to succeed at the receiver position, none more evident than his impressive speed. Of course, speed doesn't mean much as a receiver if you can't put it to good use, which is where Wells' precise route running becomes a major asset for him as a player. Add those traits to his long arms, and it's no wonder that he has been such a matchup nightmare the past couple of seasons for Lakes. I would expect to see more of the same from him come this fall; the Beavers have a good one coming to Corvallis.   [player_tooltip player_id="333672" first="Will" last="Floyd"] | 6'3" 175 | Seattle Prep School (Seattle)   Another impressive speedster in the Seattle area, Floyd already has a handful of FBS offers to his name and could be adding even more to his resume with a strong senior season. Like Wells, Floyd wins primarily with elite speed out wide, a trait that makes him a tough cover for any defensive back he goes against. That speed manifests itself both before and after the catch, as he was a run-after-catch demon for Seattle Prep in his junior season. However, at 6'3", speed is not the only way that Floyd beats defenders; he can also win as a jump-ball receiver in 50-50 scenarios. With his teammate Jack Velling moving onto the college ranks this season, I expect Floyd to take a major step as a focal point of Prep's offense and catch the eyes of a lot of college recruiters this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id="333680" first="MaClane" last="Watkins"] | 6'4" 170 | Kennedy Catholic HS (Burien)   You can't turn on the tape with Watkins and immediately think about how unfair a 6'4" receiver is at the high school level, and it does not take long for you to see him put that impressive size to use. Watkins looks like a man amongst boys out wide for Kennedy Catholic, using his elite size and length to make plays that many defensive backs simply do not have a chance to defend. However, Watkins can win with more than just his size; he is a long strider, which makes him difficult to cover as a deep threat, and also has impressive body control on sideline plays. He is a little slight given his massive frame, and he could afford to put on muscle as he moves onto the next level. However, I believe that the sky is the limit for Watkins, as his size and play style remind me a bit of AJ Green during his prime years in Cincinnati.   [player_tooltip player_id="87419" first="Jace" last="Villers"] | 6'3" 195 | Auburn-Riverside HS (Auburn)   Stop me if you've heard this before: we have another speedy wide receiver coming out of the Seattle area. However, one of the things that separates Villers from me is how tough he is as a wide receiver, routinely coming down with contested catches with regularity and being exceptionally hard to bring down with the ball in his hands. The way that he is able to muscle defenders off of him when he runs almost makes me think that he has the ability to play tailback, as he is a tough runner but also makes excellent cuts to make defenders miss. You can see that toughness on his blocking clips too, as Villers takes every part of the game seriously and is a complete package for his offense. While he may not be getting as much attention from recruiters right now, I believe that will change with a big senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id="155591" first="Job" last="Kralik"] | 6'0" 170 | Eatonville HS (Eatonville)   Kralik is already committed to Army's class of 2023 and watching him on tape, it is easy to see why the Black Knights are excited about this guy. Kralik is a threat in every sense of the word for Eatonville, making big plays on offense, defense, and special teams and cementing himself as an essential player for their team. While he does look a little slight on tape, don't let that fool you into thinking he's not a force; he is an incredible athlete both from a pure speed and explosiveness standpoint, something which stands out immediately when you watch him play. Versatility is the name of the game when trying to find a spot at the next level, and Kralik certainly offers that, making plays out wide and in the slot, in the deep passing game or on jet sweeps, and on kick returns or field goal blocks. When Eatonville needed a big play, it was often Kralik who came through, something which certainly helps him stand out for evaluators at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="155607" first="Mason" last="Juergens"] | 6'2" 195 | Olympia HS (Olympia)   One trait that Juergens brings to the table that really impressed me is his body control, something that especially came to light in goal line situations, where his quarterback would just throw it up to him and let him make a play. Typically players his size are not as much of a threat in the red zone as someone a few inches taller, but Juergens has found himself as the primary focal point on that part of the field due to how smart he is as a route runner and how good he is at positioning himself to make plays on the ball that the defender cannot. Juergens is another guy who I would expect to be getting more love from recruiters than he is currently, and I think a big senior season will go a long way towards making a name for himself on the recruiting trail.   [player_tooltip player_id="333753" first="Brendon" last="Manzano"] | 5'8" 160 | Bishop Blanchet HS (Seattle)   Manzano is interesting because he definitely looks undersized if you simply look at him in pads, but he also brings a certain explosiveness to the position that is rarely seen. The first word that comes to mind when I watch him play is "twitchy," as all of his movements look like they're a gear higher than everyone else on the field. He brings legitimate track speed to the gridiron, something that you can see easily when he returns kicks, but he also has a physicality to his running style that someone his size might typically lack. He is utilized all over the field but most frequently in the slot, where he is able to put his excellent route running to use in creating separation from defenders with ease. While a player of his size might find a hard time catching the attention of college recruiters, a big season from Manzano will certainly get him some attention from evaluators at the next level.

Seeing as how it is perhaps the position that has seen the greatest influx of talent over the past several years in college football, there has never been a better time to need talent at the wide receiver position. Every year we see wide receivers go high in the NFL Draft and make plays at the professional level early on, and this trend is starting to manifest at the collegiate levels at well, with true freshmen receivers coming in and putting up big numbers right away. Continuing our series of looking at the top players in the Puget Sound, I will be analyzing which receivers from the area will be the next generation to make a name for themselves on Saturdays.