2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Antwane Wells Jr.

Last Updated: 11/20/2024

Career Stats

Summary

Antwane Wells Jr. began his path to the NFL at James Madison after earning zero stars from 247sports. He set single-season records in receiving yards and touchdowns for the Dukes in his second season, then entered the transfer portal departing for South Carolina. As a Junior, he produced over 900 yards and 6 scores for the Gamecocks, the following season he sustained a season-ending injury. Post-injury he decided to take advantage of the transfer portal again, he was ranked as the fourth-best wide receiver in the portal earning four stars from 247sports. Ole Miss scooped him up, but thus far it has been a struggle to produce at a high rate.

Wells only stands 6-foot, but this is accompanied by a thick 200-pound frame. He lacks the high-end speed and athleticism that most top prospects possess, but what he lacks there is made up for in ferocity. His ability to line up in the slot, backfield or perimeter offers some positional versatility for an offense at the next level. At the line of scrimmage, Wells has the strength to defeat press coverage but doesn’t have an expansive release package. He marries this with a modest route tree that leans more on speed manipulation and viciousness, which can appear more sloppy than refined. He makes up for this with his acceleration/deceleration abilities allowing him to create separation out of his breaks.
At the catch point, Wells has demonstrated an ability to haul in one-handed circus catches, but on the flip side, we see way too many easy drops — ultimately making him very inconsistent. He does attack the ball well and has a knack for positioning himself to highpoint the ball considering the lack of a lengthy frame. Tracking the ball and adjusting to it on deep routes is one of his better traits, allowing him to make impact plays easily. Once the ball is in his hands look out, Wells turns into the Juggernaut. He is incredibly violent and physical, often bouncing off defenders and laying stiff arms displaying incredible contact balance. His strong lower body and quickness also pop in this area as he can quickly accelerate past defenders, creating a plethora of yards after the catch.

Strengths

• Physicality
• Quickness
• YAC creator

Weakness

• Refined route running
• Drops

Honors and Awards

• 2020 FCS Freshman All-American
• 2021 FCS Freshman All-American
• 2022 Second-Team All-SEC (AP)
• 2022 First-Team All-SEC (Coaches, PFF, Phil Steele)

Athletic Testing

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

NFL Role Prediction

• X or Z wide receiver

Fantasy Outlook

Antwane Wells Jr. lacks the refinement and physical gifts to become a premier top receiver at the next level. However, he has all the makings of a quality complimentary piece, these roles tend to lack consistent high-end value. His after-the-catch ability makes Well’s very intriguing, but unless he falls into the right system, we could see him flame out.

Player Comparisons

• Malachi Corley
• Brandon Aiyuk
• Jonathan Mingo