Courtland Sutton is flying well under the radar in this 2018 receiver draft class and compares to another big-bodied wideout with a First-Team All-Pro distinction on his resume.

It's important to remember NFL comparisons for draftees don't intend to guarantee a prospect will have the exact same career as his professional counterpart. In this series, I'll go through the top prospects at every position and give NFL comparisons -- some current players, some former. These comparisons are not based on size. They're almost solely stylistic. 

Previous installments: Quarterbacks, Running Backs

(Prospects are listed in the order they appear in my draft rankings.)

Courtland Sutton, SMU

NFL comparison: Brandon Marshall

Early-career Marshall is the epitome of a matchup nightmare, No. 1 wideout. While not quite Julio Jones, Marshall repeatedly won with his power forward size and had impressive wiggle and explosiveness in the open field. That embodies Sutton's game. He has outstanding body control, strong hands, and the size to make difficult grabs near the sidelines and in tight coverage. Marshall was a little bigger than Sutton when he entered the NFL, but the former SMU star could add a few pounds to his frame. Sutton is more elusive with the ball in his hands than Marshall was.

James Washington, Oklahoma State

NFL comparsion: Torrey Smith

Both Smith and Washington fly down the field, and their build-up speed will threaten any deep safeties. Coming out of Maryland, Smith wasn't known for his shiftiness in space. The same goes for Washington now. The former Oklahoma State superstar is incredibly dangerous if given a runaway after catchig the football -- he can take a slant 75 yards the house. Like Smith, Washington's ball-skills are underrated, as he's capable of plucking deep balls even if coverage is good. 

Michael Gallup, Colorado State 

NFL comparison: Michael Crabtree

Effortless producer, well-rounded, yards-after-the-catch, ball-skill specialist -- all words and phrases to describe what Gallup and Crabtree bring to the field. Gallup won't astound you, but he'll rarely let you down in any way. Like Crabtree, some games feature an assortment of amazing grabs outside his frame. Other outings, he's a yards-after-the-catch monster. 

Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State

NFL comparison: Devin Funchess

Funchess had more bulk -- he was listed as a tight end for part of his Michigan career -- than Ateman does, but the tall pass-catchers have very similar games. Neither generate yards of separation often. Both are magnificent high-point receivers capable of coming down with the football in nearly impossible situations and have impressive body control. 

Anthony Miller, Memphis

NFL comparison: Doug Baldwin

Baldwin has made a name for himself with a special blend of quickness, deceptive speed, and a tremendous "my ball" mentality despite being a smaller wideout. Miller thrived at Memphis with the same combination, and he's comparably sized to Baldwin. For every nasty double-move Miller deploys on over-aggressive corners, he comes down with a spectacular grab in a contested-catch situation. 

Calvin Ridley, Alabama

NFL comparison: Robert Woods

Woods has carved out a nice career with sharp route running, reliable hands, and good downfield speed. Ridley is a flashier route-runner than Woods but has a similar athletic profile and, like the former USC star, isn't a consistently dynamic make-you-miss wideout with ball in his hands.  

Deontay Burnett, USC

NFL comparison: Willie Snead

Burnett is a smooth slot-only wideout who's a savvy route-runner when having to quickly decide to settle down against zone or continue against man. His film features many displays of outstanding ball skills and plus body control. While not a burner, he's plenty quick enough to flourish from the slot. Snead's agility and ball tracking led to a very productive career at Ball State, and in 2015 those skills led to a season with 984 yards. In 2016, he had 895 yards receiving.

Tre'Quan Smith, UCF

NFL comparison: Martavis Bryant

While not as tall as Bryant, Smith is a similarly explosive, relatively long wideout capable of making high-pointing grabs with coverage draped on him. He's mainly a downfield threat, yet when Smith's given the opportunity to create yards-after-the-catch, he excels due to his springiness and strength at nearly 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds.

Auden Tate, Florida State

NFL comparison: Kelvin Benjamin

Tate is more fluid than Benjamin, but both former Seminoles are dominant high-point power forward wideouts who don't need to create separation to be successful NFL receivers. Neither are impressive long-speed receivers. Just throw it up to them.

D.J. Moore, Maryland

NFL comparison: Pierre Garcon

Garcon has had one of the more underrated careers of any wide receiver over the past decade. He had an awesome combine back in 2008 and doesn't lack in any area. He'll occasionally hit a big play by utilizing his speed, is shifty on bubble screens and has done plenty of work as a consistent chain-mover. Moore's balance and running skills make him an ideal wideout for today's NFL. 

Other Notable Receiver Prospects

Equanimeous St. Brown, Notre Dame

NFL comparison: Sidney Rice

Coming out of South Carolina in 2007, Rice was a young, tall, lanky perimeter wideout with tantalizing raw talent and a game in need of some refinement. That's precisely the type of prospect St. Brown is today. He has loads of untapped potential due to his appealing size-speed combination. He could get better in jump-ball situations and is a bit stiff-hipped running his routes and after the catch, which isn't surprising based on his size. 

Christian Kirk, Texas A&M

NFL comparison: Marqise Lee

Lee enjoyed a spectacular sophomore season at USC, as he often looked like the most explosive athlete on the field, even more so than teammate Robert Woods who broke out a year before. While not a big or bulky wideout, Lee was good but not great after the catch and didn't dominate as much as everyone expected in his final collegiate season. Kirk had a similar experience at Texas A&M, and when he flips it into top gear, he actually runs faster than his timed 4.47 speed. Like Lee, his wiggle leaves a little to be desired.

Dante Pettis, Washington

NFL comparison: Kendall Wright

Pettis will instantly have some of the loosest hips among professional wideouts once he steps onto an NFL field this September. His slender frame could hurt him against longer, physical cornerbacks, but he uses his elite agility to beat the press and sinks his hips wonderfully when breaking off his stem. A lot of that describes Wright's game, and like the former first-round pick, Pettis is capable of hitting the big play down the field because of deceptive long speed. 

D.J. Chark, LSU

NFL comparison: Robert Meachem

In New Orleans with Drew Brees, Meachem was one of the NFL's biggest boom-or-bust downfield weapons. At his height with his speed, the former Tennessee standout averaged a hefty 16.1 yards per reception with 23 touchdowns on just 141 receptions in four seasons with the Saints. He was never a yards-after-the-catch specialist. Chark has tremendous long speed but is a high-cut, linear deep threat only.