Three under-the-radar WR prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft

Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia 

Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 221 pounds

Ford-Wheaton may lack production compared to his peers, recording just 1,867 career receiving yards, but it's hard to find many that tested better than him at the NFL Scouting Combine. Aside from running the fourth-fastest 40-yard time among receivers (4.38 sec), he also posted the highest vertical jump at his position (41").

He's a true X receiver, and his massive frame and impressive vertical give him an edge in contested catch situations. If he lands with a team that knows how to use it, he could become a far better pro than a college player.

Per Kent Lee Platte's Relative Athletic Score, which compares prospects based on measurables and combine performance, Ford-Wheaton scored 9.96 out of 10, the 13th-highest among receiver prospects since 1987. Based on Ford-Wheaton's RAS score, Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson is his top comparison, which the projected Day 3 pick is surely pleased with. 

Xavier Smith, Florida A&M

Height: 5-foot-9 Weight: 174 pounds

Smith didn't receive any scholarship offers out of high school and was on the verge of quitting football. He spent a year working for Amazon until his mother urged him to apply for and try to become a walk-on at her alma mater. 

280 receptions and 3,620 yards later, Smith finds himself as one of the top HBCU prospects in the draft. Smith enjoyed a solid freshman season (48 receptions, 668 yards and four touchdowns) before breaking out as a sophomore in 2019. 

That season, he ranked fifth in receiving yards per game (105.4), ninth in receptions per game (seven) and 10th in receiving yards (1,159) among FCS receivers. 

Retired All-Pro wideout Steve Smith Sr. considers Smith his "guy" among the 2023 wide receiver prospects, and it's not solely because of the name association. While he's a smaller player, Smith compensates with his elusiveness and blazing speed, evidenced by clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash at the HBCU Combine.

Although Smith Sr. isn't a scout, his evaluation should hold weight, considering he dubbed Eastern Washington's Cooper Kupp the best wideout in the 2017 class despite many doubting his judgment.