The following is the third of eight position previews in advance of the NFL Draft.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – There could be as many as six wide receivers selected in the first round of the NFL Draft Saturday, likely led by Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree and Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin.

Crabtree is an athletic, strong and ultra-productive pass catcher who possesses excellent body control and leaping ability. The 6-1, 215-pounder won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s leading receiver twice.

In 2007, Crabtree had 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the country in each category and setting NCAA freshman records. Last season he caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 TDs.

According to Pro Football Weekly’s 2009 Draft Preview, the third-year sophomore is “a very competitive playmaker with bionic arms” who “is big, strong, tough and physical with excellent hands and has everything scouts desire in a receiver except for elite top-end speed.”

Crabtree did not work out at the NFL Combine after a stress fracture was discovered in his left foot. He underwent surgery March 4, and his rehab is expected to last into May. But ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t think that the injury will cause Crabtree to fall in the draft.

“He’s a big-time player who should have a Larry Fitzgerald-type career in the NFL,” Kiper wrote on ESPN.com in projecting that Crabtree will be selected fifth overall by the Cleveland Browns.

Missouri's Jeremy Maclin is an explosive playmaker as both a wide receiver and a return specialist.

Also a third-year sophomore, Maclin started all 14 games in 2008, catching 102 passes for 1,260 yards and 13 TDs and rushing for 293 yards and 2 TDs on 40 carries. 

A dynamic return specialist, the 6-foot, 198-pounder is very fast and versatile. But he is not strong or physical.

Kiper predicts that Maclin will be chosen seventh by the Oakland Raiders, writing that he “will have to adjust to an NFL offense, but I really like his big-play capability and the fact that he’s much more explosive with the pads on than his 4.46 second 40-yard dash at the combine would lead you to believe.”

The next tier of wide receivers consists of Rutgers’ Kenny Britt, Florida’s Percy Harvin, Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey and North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks.

The Big East’s all-time leading receiver with 3,043 yards, Britt set the Rutgers single-season receiving record with 1,232 yards in 2007 and then broke it with 1,371 yards in 2008. The 6-3, 218-pounder boasts size, strength and leaping ability. He’s also an excellent blocker, but drops too many passes.

Pro Football Weekly describes Britt as a “big, strong West Coast receiver in a similar mold as Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall” and predicts that he “could develop into a great pro if he can learn to focus …”

Harvin is an extremely gifted natural athlete who possesses an explosive burst. Elusive and versatile, he lined up at receiver and running back last season at Florida, catching 40 passes for 644 yards and 7 TDs and rushing for 660 yards and 10 TDs on 70 carries.

The 5-11, 192-pounder works extremely hard, but could drop in the draft due to character and durability concerns. He was involved in multiple on- and off-the-field incidents in high school, and missed games in college with neck, hamstring and shoulder injuries.

Heyward-Bey has excellent size, speed and leaping ability. He ran the best time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, clocking a blazing 4.3. The 6-2, 210-pounder had 42 receptions for 609 yards and 5 TDs last season while playing in a run-oriented offense at Maryland.

Pro Football Weekly reports that Heyward-Bey “consistently drew extra coverage playing with a bad quarterback and frequently was used as a decoy to open up the field.” He “did not always capitalize on opportunities, but has shown he is more than just a track athlete playing football and possesses big-play ability.”

Nicks caught 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 TDs last season, becoming the first North Carolina receiver to top 1,000 yards. He set 14 school records, including career marks for receptions, TDs and yards. The 6-1, 212-pounder is a natural receiver and crisp route runner who lacks top-end speed.

Pro Football Weekly reports that Nicks “possesses the pure receiving skills, super-strong hands and competitiveness to become a clutch performer and shows some striking similarities to Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin."

The next group of receivers includes Cal Poly’s Ramses Barden, Oklahoma’s Juaquin Iglesias, Georgia’s Mohamed Massaquoi, Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie and Penn State’s Derrick Williams.

Kiper is predicting that the Bears will select Massaquoi at No. 49 in the second round, while NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan is projecting that Williams will go to Chicago in that spot.