Cooper Kupp 2.0?

[Twopointtry]

Wildebeest Crossing

My NFL comp for Griffin Wilde, a WR for Northwestern, is Alex Bachman, who was a Rams UDFA in 2019. At Wake Forest, Bachman played with John Wolford. It is surprising that Bachman is still in the NFL, potentially entering his 8th season as a pro. He's 30 years old. Not many UDFAs are still in NFL training camps by that age. Bachman is back with the Rams, though it would be a huge shocker if he made the team. If the Rams waive him, it could spell the end of his pro career. As a rookie, Bachman made some plays in the preseason, generating some buzz among Rams fans. For his entire NFL career, Bachman has only 5 catches for 43 yards, none of that production for the Rams. Most of his career has been spent on practice squads.

Like Bachman, Wilde isn't projected to get drafted. Some boards give him a shot at being a 7th round pick. There is only one prominent draft expert who likes Wilde, but in my eyes it is the biggest endorsement, because Sam Teets has him as a late 3rd to early 4th round prospect. On his preliminary draft board, Teets lists Wilde as 1 of 4 players on the "Calling My Shot" tier, which Teets uses for players he thinks are very underrated and that he wants to push up into the top 100 to identify them as draft sleepers.

I have many issues with Wilde's game as currently composed, but I think he has high potential. If he took to coaching and reached his full potential, he could do a very good Cooper Kupp impersonation. Wilde and CK are almost identical in size, except that Wilde has superior length. Kupp has short arms. Wilde isn't fast (Wyatt Young is faster, more explosive and more agile than Wilde) but Kupp's 4.62 second time in the 40 was only 12th percentile for WRs and his pathetic 31'' vertical jump was 6th percentile. The only department where CK tested well was for agility, recording good short shuttle and 3-cone times.

Wilde was a zero-star recruit in HS. When he committed to South Dakoka State, he didn't have a single FBS scholarship offer. Wilde is from South Dakota, not exactly a hotbed of football talent. He was raw but had good speed and size for that level of competition, like the HS version of Charlie Becker. The upcoming 2026 season will be Wilde's 2nd year playing at the FBS level. He's not maxed out; I think that he's just scratching the surface of his potential.

I started doing these profiles with the intention of covering WR prospects for the Rams, so even though Wilde probably won't get drafted (or more likely would just stay in school and wait for the 2028 draft), I thought it'd be malpractice for me to not even mention Wilde's name in passing. Rams fans should know about this player. The Rams have a certain type when it comes to WRs who have been successful in McVay's offense and Wilde fits that mold. Keep an eye on this guy in 2026.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 1: Background

Name, School: Griffin Wilde. Last name pronounced "Will-Dee". True senior. South Dakota Sate 2023 and 2024, Northwestern 2025 and 2026. Studied business economics at SDSU. I wasn't able to find an exact birth date, but from an article, he should be 21 years old entering this season.

Size, estimated speed: Listed 6'2'' tall and 200 pounds. In a recent interview, Wilde said that he's 6'2 1/4'' tall and 200 pounds. Draftscout 6'1 3/4'' tall, 200 pounds, 4.50 seconds in the 40. Listed as 190 pounds in 2023.

Zero-star recruit from Sioux Falls, SD. Was SDSU fan growing up. One of his favorite memories was getting an autograph from Zach Zenner at a football camp. Zenner was one of my favorite late round to UDFA type RB prospects in the 2015 draft, signed by the Detroit Lions as an UDFA. Played WR, RB, QB, DB and DE in HS. Committed to SDSU prior to SR season. Had offer to walk-on at Iowa and offers from 3 other FCS programs. Listed at 6'2'' and 175 pounds as JR in HS. Had 3 KR TDs his JR season. His team went undefeated and won state title his SR year. Played SG on basketball team. State track champion in 400 meters.

Both SD and NW used schemes that were mostly pro-style.

SDSU had a historic 2023 season, undefeated 15-0 FCS National Champions. Mark Gronowski was SDSU's QB. Isaiah Davis was the RB. Twin brothers, Jadon and Jaxon Janke were the top 2 WRs and both of them were signed by the Houston Texans as UDFAs. Wilde was an impact true freshman who was 4th on the team in receiving yards in 2023. Zach Lujan, who was SDSU's OC in 2023, also was Northwestern's OC for the 2025 season.

In 2024, Wilde led SDSU in receiving with 1,154 yards and 71 catches, the undisputed WR1. The 2nd leading receiver on the team only had 25-360-5. SDSU lost to NDSU in the FCS playoff semifinals in 2024.

In 2025, Wilde was NW's undisputed WR1. He had nearly twice as many catches and almost 70% more yards than the 2nd best WR.

Northwestern's HC called him very internally competitive and confident in his ability. Preston Stone was his QB in 2025. Aidan Chiles (who I don't think is a particularly good QB and the wrong type of QB to pair with Wilde) is their new QB for 2026. Chip Kelly is NW's new OC for 2026 (this is good for Chiles, but I think it is bad for Wilde's development). Team is opening a fancy and unique new stadium in 2026, a small capacity venue that looks more like a soccer stadium than a traditional football stadium.

2023 (SDSU, 15 games) 20-399-6 receiving
2024 (SDSU, 15 games) 71-1,154-12 receiving, 1-6 rushing. 87.3 PFF grade.
2025 (NW, 13 starts) 71-880-8 receiving, 1-5 rushing, 1 fumble

In 2025, PFN impact score of 77.8 (93rd in country), 93 targets, 2.7 YAC per catch (346th), 65.6% catch rate (167th), 29.1% target share (39th).

In interviews, Wilde is very professional, shows good football IQ, gives great answers to questions, compliments coaches and teammates, isn't egotistical and has a positive attitude. Does volunteer work helping kids with disabilities.

Missed some games due to injury his SR year in HS. Appeared to suffer minor injuries to upper and lower body in a couple of the games I watched. My speculation is that some type of lower body injury sapped him of some of his speed and explosion in some games later in the 2025 season.

Writing for Chiefs Wire, Sam Teets gave Wilde a 4th round projection. (+) Dense build, projects as a slot WR, hauls in off-target throws, fearless over the middle, sharp breaks at top of stem, double moves, route technician, natural hands, complete route tree, manipulates CB leverage with route stem, head and shoulder fakes to create space and win across CB's face, quick off LOS. (-) Struggles to play through contact, re-routed by physical press-man, lacks burst and top speed, vulnerable to man coverage, lacks vertical speed, rounds some dig routes, not elusive and twitchy for YAC.

Sam Teets preliminary big board, 1 of 4 players on "Calling My Shot" tier, which corresponds to late 3rd to early 4th round, 95 overall.
PFN board 193, 26th WR [6th round].
NFLMDD sim 233 [7th round].
Drafttek 256 [Late 7th round to UDFA], not selected in their 7-round mock (UDFA).
SticktotheModel sim 283 [UDFA].
FirstandTen sim not ranked among 394 players, UDFA.
Shane Hallam not selected in 7-round mock, UDFA.
DraftBuzz not ranked among 48 WRs, UDFA.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 2: Strengths

Wilde wasn't the same player game-to-game. If you only watch his bad games, he looks like an UDFA. If you watch his best games, he looks like a potential 2nd round pick. I don't understand all the reasons for this contrast, but my suspicion is that he had some type of injury situation in the middle of the 2025 season but then recovered and returned to form late in the season. When he appeared to be hampered by injury, he didn't have the same burst or route tempo, he couldn't sink his hips to make sharp breaks in his routes, he couldn't move his feet laterally when run blocking, he couldn't run as fast if going across the field, like on deep over routes. His route running ability really declined, because I don't think he could physically execute the necessary body movements to create leverage on his route. It was like his back was stiff and he couldn't get his COG lower. His ball skills weren't as good when he looked hurt, like something was wrong with his upper body. Most of those issues simply melted away when he looked healthy. He might as well have been Cooper Kupp's younger brother when he was on top of his game. In a nutshell, this is why I feel draft boards are underestimating his NFL potential. They treat him like he's camp fodder and won't be able to make a roster. Not only does he have a shot to make a team, Wilde has the developmental upside to be a good NFL starter. He has good size, great hands and good route running. He just needs to clean up some areas of his game, become more consistent and stay healthy. He's ranked too low by almost everyone not named Sam Teets.

When he was hurt, he played smaller than his listed size, more like a 6-foot-tall WR. When healthy, it was like he grew an inch and performed like a 6'3'' tall WR.

Calm, confident hands at the catch point. Snatches the ball naturally out of the air, then tucks it quickly to protect it through hits from DBs. Very good rescuing off-target passes above his head, behind him or at the edge of his catch radius. I was unable to find drop stats for him, but he doesn't have drop issues, he caught the ball consistently and reliably in the games that I watched. Since he made so many difficult catches on inaccurate passes, he had a substantial net positive impact on the QB's completion rate. Good effective catch radius, good arm length relative to his frame. Diving catch to rescue wide pass. Acrobatic leaping catches to jump and twist his body to spin and snatch high passes. Good ball tracking, makes better adjustments to the ball than the CB, helping him to win from contested positions.

Neither of his QBs were particularly accurate. Preston Stone wasn't drafted or signed as an UDFA and I was unable to find any info about what he's doing after the end of his college career. Mark Gronowski isn't a great passer, which is part of the reason Iowa didn't throw the ball much in 2025. He's an UDFA with the Dolphins. Wilde's stats weren't inflated by a spread system scheme and he wasn't protected by other great WRs or TEs. He didn't get fat on bubble screens that were just glorified running plays; his catches were legit. He was the best WR on teams that didn't have explosive passing attacks. His stats (880 yards in 2025) might not look super impressive, but in the context of his team's situation, Wilde's production is underrated.

He has good intangibles and work ethic for developmental improvement in the NFL. No FBS schools offered him, not even mid-major programs. He's a former zero-star recruit who earned everything he's achieved; nothing was just handed to him. He shouldn't even be starting at the Power conference level right now. Someone with his resume should be at the FCS level and have no hope of being in the NFL. Even getting a try-out invitation would be tough. He has steadily improved since he left HS and his trajectory is pointing up.

Coordinated athlete with very good body control. Runs with low COG relative to his height. Detailed with his footwork. Carves up CBs on comebacks. Flashes ability to swim over or swipe away jams.

In a variety of situations on the field, his body movements and running style are reminiscent of Cooper Kupp. Fluid transitions from catch to run, some wiggle and step back shake to gain YAC. Not loose with the ball, not a big fumbler.

Nice sluggo route, grabbed by CB who should have been called for PI. Some of his best routes aren't on his highlights, because they led to PIs or the QB didn't throw the ball to him and the penalty yardage doesn't show up in his receiving yardage stats (the actual differential between Wilde and the 2nd WR is probably even bigger that it appears from the stats.) Subtle tempo changes in stem to surprise CB. Crafts multi-part routes with sharp angle changes to generate quality leverage and very QB-friendly passing windows. Once he crosses the CB's face, has good height, frame and jumping ability to use his body to box out the CB to protect the catch point. Body mass to survive hits over the middle and hold onto the ball to complete catch. Good size and build to work the middle of the field in the NFL. Good route tempo on routes going horizontally across the field.

When he was healthy, defenses couldn't handle him. Well-crafted routes created good leverage and consistent separation. Subtle angle changes in stem to create good leverage. Used his length at top of route and solid COD to win on comeback. Hesitation and subtle jukes on double moves to slip past CBs, both vertically and in red-zone when field was compressed.

Not a good blocker, but he's willing and his initial effort level is adequate. I thought he slightly improved his blocking last year vs 2024.

Has experience playing in cold weather.

While he was almost never used as a runner, he looked good on a jet sweep. His stats weren't inflated by WR screens or manufactured touches. Most of his work came in intermediate area of field, as a possession WR. I think that he has more potential as a short area receiver and runner than he's shown on tape or on his stat sheet.

Has a clutch factor. Some of his best plays happened when he repeatedly delivered as a receiver on key downs and late in games. When games got tight late, he ramped up his blocking effort. Huge performance to help his team qualify for bowl game in 2025. With game on the line on critical 3rd down very late in 4th quarter, the opponent showed so much respect for him that they intentionally changed the coverage to effectively bracket him, but all this did was open up space for the TE to make the catch and be the hero. So, he indirectly was the reason that play worked but he didn't get any credit for it on his individual stats.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 3: Weaknesses

Poor blocker. Unacceptable rate of losses on blocking plays. Almost zero aggression and physicality. Very weak, soft and passive as a blocker. Blocks like he thinks it is a game of flag-football. Doesn't sustain blocks or play to the whistle, lets the CB get by him too easily. Some plays, acts like his job is done as soon as he touches the CB. Never walks the CB backwards, never finishes blocks. In the games I watched, maybe only one time did he sustain the block all the way to the end of the play and that was mostly just because the CB wasn't trying hard to disengage. From wingback position, got shed in the box like he was a 175-pound WR. Unreliable blocking at POA. His team ran the ball better when he wasn't on the field. Got overpowered by a LB. Not enough "want to" or toughness blocking. Doesn't work hard enough off the snap to win proper initial blocking angle. Didn't adjust angle properly in middle of play, whiffed on block. Overran landmarks or didn't get to proper angle, allowing CBs to run around him like he was a traffic cone. Needs to be more detail oriented with his stance, angle of his feet, entry into the block and his hand placements. Never replaces hands or punches, so teaching him to block at a high level is almost starting from scratch. Made mental errors on blocks resulting in him blocking nobody.

He has the size and length to be a solid blocker and he did flash some pop in his hands on one play, but someone needs to light a fire under him, because he's not a naturally violent and aggressive player on the field. Too timid and doesn't step up to physical challenges. Unless he changes his attitude, his blocking effectiveness is the same as a tiny slot WR.

No threat going deep if he doesn't win on double moves or immediately off the line. No long speed or size to threaten the secondary, so he's easy to cover if he just runs a basic go or post.

Especially when he looked hurt, he sometimes would drift into the break point on comebacks or round off breaks. CBs stuck in his hip pocket when he was hampered in the middle of the year and he couldn't consistently separate. He telegraphed routes, helping the CBs to drive on short routes. Didn't use his body and length to create separation when he was hurt. Lost COD ability too. Didn't get both hands up to be catch ready on some plays.

Gets stuffed by jams. Especially when he looked hurt, some of his routes were suffocated coming off the line. Goes too wide against press CBs, needs to fight harder through contact so that he can get into his route with the proper angle instead of automatically getting re-routed.

Release package not good enough. He needs to better synchronize his upper and lower body movements, because his jukes aren't deceptive enough to bait good CBs. Poor hand violence and accuracy to defeat jams.

Doesn't drive off the line with good explosion. When he was hurt he'd roll out of his stance. Took short and inefficient steps.

When injured, even when tracking the ball well, he didn't have enough short-area burst to get to off-target passes, shrinking his catch radius.

Not instinctive in scramble portion, drifted away from QB instead of working flat or back towards QB, contributing to INT.

On what appeared to be an option route, he appeared to cross up the QB and caused an INT.

Appeared to get shaken up with minor injuries in multiple games that I watched. Might have durability issues. Gets beat up, because he gets hit often going over middle.

Lined up at all 3 WR positions, but in the NFL he's likely limited to being just a slot WR.

Plays with some swagger and confidence, but almost too much, as he stood over CBs and taunted them after a couple of his catches.

Lacks special teams versatility. Too slow for coverage duties. Not a good blocker. While he returned kickoffs for TDs in HS, he doesn't have enough speed or agility to be a returner. The model for a great ST candidate is Grant Stuard, who the Rams signed this year. When Stuard was in the draft, I predicted that he'd be a Pro Bowl ST player and he's been as good on ST as projected. Wilde did play some defense in HS, but if required to play ST in the pros, he' probably be a below average performer.

No elite traits. Not a big 6'5'' WR. Too slow. No elite agility. Not going to break a bunch of tackles. Not as good a route runner as Cooper Barkate. There's no specific reason for Wilde to be drafted in the first 4 rounds. The only reason he looks interesting is that since Cooper Kupp was so successful, there is "proof of concept" that a WR with Wilde's size and athletic traits can still be a starter in the NFL, but is Kupp just a one-off? Was there something unique about Kupp that no other WR who resembles him will ever be able to replicate?

 

[Twopointtry]

Draft Grade and Pro Comp

4th round grade. Alex Bachman (2019 UDFA, Rams, Wake Forest).

I'm intentionally going with a WR who hasn't had much success in the pros to temper expectations for Wilde. Like Bachman, we're talking about a player who might not get drafted and might never be more than a PS level guy. In the final analysis, however, I'm siding with Sam Teets. He's right, Wilde is a draft sleeper. This is a good example of why I think that Teets has a better scouting eye than the average person.

Griffin Wilde is almost exactly the same size as Cooper Kupp. He's actually just a hair bigger, because he has better length than Kupp. Wilde is still a little raw but flashes the ability to completely carve up CBs in the intermediate area of the field. His hands are really good catching the ball. He's very good in the air adjusting to passes. He tracks the ball well. He still needs to improve in a number of areas, including his substandard blocking and getting off the line vs jams, but I think Wilde has a chance at developing into a much better player down the road. He just needs some coaching.

Most experts believe that Wyatt Young is the next Cooper Kupp. Young is considerably faster and more explosive than Wilde. Young likely will get drafted much earlier (some project him as a 1st round pick) while Wilde might not get picked at all. I understand the logic in that, but if you're a Rams fan who likes Young and are concerned that he'll come off the board before the Rams even have a chance to make a selection, there is another option (besides Cooper Barkate. This early, I guess we don't know whether Young or Wilde will be in the draft. Conceivably both of them will stay in school.) Wilde is bigger than Young. If the Rams would have to trade up to get Young vs potentially signing Wilde as an UDFA, that is a huge difference in draft capital. Does the difference between those 2 WRs justify paying that premium?

 

[Twopointtry]

If you think this is just click-bait and I'm making things up out of thin air, just watch this highlight video, then tell me with a straight face that it doesn't remind you of Cooper Kupp.

 

[Twopointtry]

I'm not going to do a full report on this player, but I thought you should know his name as well.

Chris Corbo is a TE who played at Dartmouth. He transferred to Georgia Tech for his 5th season. He graduated from Dartmouth and is pursuing an MBA at GT. PFN ranks him as the 2nd best TE in the draft, 62nd overall prospect. Bill Workman (NFLDraftYoda) ranks him as the 34th best prospect and the 2nd best TE.

On other boards, Corbo is a late round to UDFA prospect. Drafttek 293, NFLMDD 160, the 11th TE, FirstandTen 127, Shane Hallam UDFA, Sam Teets not even on the list to study.

Corbo was a WR in HS, about 210 pounds. He didn't play TE until he got to college. He was a zero-star recruit and a star basketball player in HS. Dartmouth listed him as 6'5'' tall and 250 pounds.

I think PFN is too high on him, because Corbo is too raw, despite being an older prospect. He needs to add muscle to both his upper and lower body, improve his route running and his blocking technique. He's not a physical or aggressive blocker. That said, I understand the interest, because if Corbo could develop more, the player he'd resemble is Trey McBride, who is widely considered to be the best TE in the NFL right now.

I wouldn't take Corbo in the early rounds, because I view him as a developmental guy who isn't NFL ready, but if he's still available in the later rounds he'd be a good candidate, because his ceiling is higher than most of the other Day 3 type TE prospects.

 

[jjab360]

Okay chatgpt, I'll admit his playing style is similar to Kupp but come talk to me when he puts up this statline in college:

2013	15	93	6.2	1,691	18.2	21
2014	13	104	8.0	1,431	13.8	16
2015	11	114	10.4	1,642	14.4	19
2016	13	117	9.0	1,700	14.5	17
Career	52	428	8.2	6,464	15.1	73

Almost every year, draft prospects get compared to Kupp but Rams fans know those comparisons will always fall short.

 

[Twopointtry]

Okay chatgpt, I'll admit his playing style is similar to Kupp but come talk to me when he puts up this statline in college:

Not everything is about college stats. Cooper Kupp played at the FCS level. FCS defenders trying to stop a future NFL HOFer. Early in his career, his QB was Vernon Adams, who later would transfer to Oregon. If I remember right, Derrik Klassen, who now writes for the Athletic, had a 1st round draft grade on Adams and hated Jared Goff when they were in the same draft. In Kupp's final season, his QB, Gage Gubrud, had 5,160 passing yards and nearly broke Steve McNair's FCS record for most yards from scrimmage in a season. Gubrud wasn't another McNair.

After Kupp left, Eastern Washington won the National Championship in 2018. Their leading receiver had 84-1,379-11. Who was that WR? Did he end up being 85% of Kupp in the NFL? It was Nsimba Webster.

 

[Twopointtry]

Puka Nacua's best season in college was 43-805-6. Compare those stats to Wilde's 2025 season, listed above. Nacua has done just fine in the NFL, despite having very mediocre production in college.

 

[dieterbrock]

Puka Nacua's best season in college was 43-805-6. Compare those stats to Wilde's 2025 season, listed above. Nacua has done just fine in the NFL, despite having very mediocre production in college.

False narrative. Puka was injury prone in college, and lucky for the Rams
Kupp dominated in college whether against FCS or FBS opponents

 

[Twopointtry]

False narrative. Puka was injury prone in college, and lucky for the Rams

Injuries spoiled his final season, but his best statistical season he played 12 games. If you read my profile on Wilde, above, he appeared to be slowed by injury in the middle of last year.

 

[dieterbrock]

Injuries spoiled his final season, but his best statistical season he played 12 games. If you read my profile on Wilde, above, he appeared to be slowed by injury in the middle of last year.

He missed games in every season

 

[Twopointtry]

I feel that Wilde has improved his run blocking this season. Arrow pointing up.

 

[Twopointtry]

After watching NW crush Colorado, I'm more convinced than ever that Wilde has Day 2 type potential. Very impressed with his run blocking and as usual his route running was good. His QB doesn't look for him enough, which could keep his stats down this season. If you aren't watching NW, you need to pay attention to this WR. I'm not joking about the Cooper Kupp comparison. Wilde is a good fit for the Rams offensive system. Updated board rankings show no positive movement, so everyone except for Sam Teets is sleeping on him.

FirstandTen not ranked (UDFA)
Drafttek 266 (UDFA) down from 256
SticktotheModel 296 (UDFA) down from 283
Ian Cummings 195 (6th rd)
Jacob Infante 249 (late 7th to UDFA)
NFLMDD 228 (7th rd)
DraftBuzz not ranked (UDFA)
AtoZ Sports simulator 270 (UDFA)

 

[Twopointtry]

AtoZsports draft simulation, no trades. After each name, I'll list their rankings on various draft boards.

2nd round, 64, Ty Benefield, safety. (AZ 59, PFF 39, Drafttek 66, FT 80, DB 83, Infante 74, Cummings 178, my grade 2nd round). Rough around the edges, but big, physical and aggressive. Upside potential to be a quality starter.

4th round, 133, Brandon Baker, guard. (AZ 139, Cummings 82, Infante 94, Drafttek 97, DB 102, FT 120) Not as good as the top tier G prospects, but he's played RT and could be a solid RG. Consider that the Rams drafted Jamon Brown 72nd overall, Noteboom 89th and Logan Bruss 104th, so late in the 4th round, we're getting Baker way lower than all 3 of those OL.

5th round, 170, Brody Foley, TE. (AZ 229, Cummings 108, DB 148, FT 197, Infante 245, Drafttek 248) Foley is a terrible blocker but he's a big guy and a fluid runner. We're not drafting him to be a TE1. The relevant question is whether he can replace Davis Allen (who was drafted 175th) since Allen is on an expiring rookie contract. We have our starting TEs in place, so we just need a backup TE to be able to continue to use 3TE sets if one of the top guys gets hurt.

6th round, 213, Griffin Wilde, WR. (My grade 4th round.) This is the key pick to making our "4 draft pick" strategy work. We skip WR in the 2nd round, gambling that we can still end up with 2 starters by getting a different player on Day 2, then stealing a WR prospect on Day 3.

 

[Twopointtry]

Northwestern crushed Penn State to open their new stadium. What continues to surprise me is how much better Wilde looks blocking this season. He's dangerous during the scramble drill portion of a play, which I feel pairs well with a QB like Simpson who likes to extend plays outside of the pocket and use his legs. Wilde changes direction with a low center of gravity, so he can suddenly move in an unexpected direction and uncover from the CB even if it doesn't look like he's open when the QB breaks containment.

If he continues to stack performances week after week, Wilde will cement himself as a Day 2 prospect on my board. Wilde isn't listed at all on the fanspeak consensus board. Draft Yoda had him 222 to begin the season. Buffalo Fambase's recently updated board has him as an UDFA, 272. Even after a big jump up on Drafttek's board, he's still only 243, fringe late 7th round. IMO, the consensus is way off on this player. Sam Teets is the only expert who properly evaluated this player.

 

[Twopointtry]

As I was doing research on Cayden Lee, a WR from Missouri, I noticed something else.

So far in 2026, Lee has the 11th best PFN impact score in the country among WRs at 91.6. The top ranked WR is Jesse Legree of Oregon State who has burst on the scene in record-setting fashion. He's a true freshman and has a 99.9 score. The 2nd ranked WR is Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State at 96.6. No surprise there. In 3rd place is Malachi Toney from Miami, another superstar, at 94.9.

Griffin Wilde is 4th in the country at 94.3. His stellar 88.9% catch rate is 3rd best for any WR that has at least 20 targets, just behind Cooper Barkate.

 

[Twopointtry]

I watched Northwestern vs Rutgers and turned the game off in the 3rd quarter, because I had seen enough for draft evaluation purposes.

I'm officially changing Griffin Wilde's pro comp to Cooper Kupp and since Kupp was an early 3rd round pick, I'm elevating Wilde's draft grade to 2nd round.

NW crushed Rutgers and the contrast between Wilde and KJ Duff was dramatic. I don't care about the stats. Rutgers lost their starting QB very early in the game and that's not Duff's fault. I only care about how Duff does his individual job, not about other factors around him. Antwan Raymond had a mixed bag, because he had good yardage stats but he had some struggles pass blocking. Wilde put on a clinic. Comprehensive performance in multiple facets.

First, let's look how draft boards rank Duff vs Wilde.

SttM: Duff 25 (projected top 10 overall selection), Wilde 186 (6th round projection). In SttM's mock, Duff was 50 and in their community mock Duff was 31.
PFF: Duff 28, Wilde not ranked
FirstandTen: Duff 33, Wilde not ranked
DraftBuzz: Duff 35, Wilde not ranked
AtoZ: Duff 43, Wilde 296
Drafttek: Duff 48 (up 30 slots), Wilde 227
Ian Cummings: Duff 75, Wilde 224
Jacob Infante: Duff 76, Wilde 267
Fanspeak Consensus: Duff 83, Wilde not ranked

As you can see, most boards have Duff as a fringe 1st round to 3rd rd pick, while Wilde is a 7th round to UDFA player. I vehemently disagree with this ordering.

Draftwire named Wilde as a stock up prospect after the Rutgers game, saying that he was now a 125 to 175 pick, which would be 4th to 6th round. I don't think that's high enough. Wilde is the 4th highest graded WR in the country per PFN's impact score, not far behind Jeremiah Smith. What do I like about Wilde?

1. Blocking. KJ Duff had a holding penalty when the RB cut outside and Duff pulls down the CB. On a very similar play earlier in the game, Wilde had the awareness and IQ to let go of the defender so that he wouldn't draw a penalty. Duff has sloppy technique, doesn't hustle, gets lazy if he's on the backside and gave a half-hearted shoulder on one play. I don't like Duff's body language in general. When Rutgers got behind, there was no on-field leadership or energy. It was like he just gave up and didn't care anymore. I don't like that.

Wilde has good play strength. He engages his hips into the initial contact and blocks with a firm, wide and strong base, good anchor. He had a very nice block on a wide run to secure the corner. He adjusts his blocking assignment well, hustles and gives consistent effort even if on the backside very far from the POA.

2. Route running. Duff can't even run a 3-step slant properly. He's a really big WR but he doesn't release well coming off the line. He rounds the break so much, ugly routes poorly crafted.

Wilde has subtlety at the very top of the route to sell the DB and create nice route leverage. One play he spun the DB completely around, so when the WR cut to the middle on a deep post the DB's back is turned to the WR. He's sudden and quick in the short area of the field relative to his size, has elite body control both before and after the catch, coordinated and very soft hands to snatch the ball. One play during the scramble drill, he was the only receiver who uncovered but the QB missed the throw.

Wilde is versatile, because he can play outside and in the slot. His well-rounded game is a very good fit for what the Rams require from their WRs.

After watching Wilde perform so well each week this season, it seems obvious that the only reason 2025 wasn't a bigger breakout season for him was because he got hurt and was playing through injury. Well, that and his QB/team wasn't very good. With Northwestern unexpectedly winning so many games, he's starting to get more recognition, but experts continue to sleep on him. I haven't seen anyone besides Sam Teets put Wilde in Day 2.

If Wilde's stock doesn't change between now and the actual draft, it would be highway robbery to be able to get him in let's say the 6th round. I think that Wilde is one of the better WR prospects in the draft class. On a Rams-specific draft board, Wilde should be one of the higher ranked priority targets for the Rams.