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ESPN Draft Risers:
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
Polk didn't make my initial scouting list this season, but the fourth-year redshirt sophomore is a physical, aggressive wideout at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds. He bounces off contact and consistently runs through tacklers. He has 51 catches for 888 yards this season, and after catching his eighth TD on Saturday against USC, Polk will now crack my top 75.
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Wilson was a big mover for me when I put together my recent top 50 board (No. 49), and he justified it on Saturday with a nine-catch, 143-yard day against Purdue. Wilson has been red-hot this season (10 touchdowns), and it's easy to fall in love with his burst and elite speed as a vertical route runner at 6 feet and 192 pounds. He looks like a lock to be a second-round draft choice.
Notes:
• Texas' Xavier Worthy is mentioned often as a late first-rounder, and the junior wideout is one of the most improved players I've seen this season. After a sophomore campaign that saw him drop 10 passes and catch just 52.6% of his targets over 13 games, Worthy boosted those numbers in 2023 -- he has five drops this season, and his reception rate is 64.5%. His effort is noticeably better on tape this year, and Worthy has a chance to enter the top 20 for teams needing a vertical receiver thanks to his speed and burst.
• In yet another strong wide receiver class, two stand out as guys who could go much higher than expected: Xavier Legette (South Carolina) and Adonai Mitchell (Texas). Mitchell has been a touchdown and first-down machine, as 83.8% of his catches this season have resulted in a score or moving the sticks. He hauled in eight catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against K-State. And Legette pieced together another dominant performance, catching nine passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns against Jacksonville State. He is now sixth in receiving this season with 973 yards.
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