The wide-receiver position has become home to the NFL’s biggest collection of egomaniacs, prima donnas, malcontents and misfits.

And this year’s draft-eligible wideouts should have little difficulty swelling the ranks.

Consider the hubris of Southern California’s Dwayne Jarrett, who, although he did put up monster numbers, has most NFL scouts questioning his character, maturity, work ethic, quickness, speed and intelligence.

Dwayne Jarrett caught 41 touchdown passes in three years at USC and had a total of 3,135 receiving yards on 216 catches.

Still, it’s possible he could fall out of the first round — and five or six wide receivers could be drafted before him.

Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson could be the first overall selection, and Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. and Tennessee’s Robert Meacham are safer picks than Dwayne Jarrett and have more athleticism.

But Dwayne Jarrett says he’s better.

“Just look at my body of work,” he said. “I won a national championship as a freshman.”

Apparently the remainder of the Trojans’ roster was just window dressing or played only a supporting role.

“Sophomore year, we went back and lost,” Dwayne Jarrett said. “And then the Rose Bowl, we happened to win that game. I’ve been All-American two times, broke every record at USC, fourth in NCAA history in scoring touchdowns. So look at the film.”

No doubt watching the film is more bearable than listening to the self-centered wideout, whose 4.64-second 40-yard dash time is easily the slowest of the top 20 prospects at this position.

Most of the same criticisms are repeated about South Carolina’s Sidney Rice, who declared for the draft after playing just two seasons while piling up 142 receptions for 2,233 yards and 23 touchdowns. He did not display much toughness, strength, work ethic, maturity or mental toughness, though.

Nevertheless, at the scouting combine he said: “I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I’m just going to do what I have to do.”

It’s different when Georgia Tech’s Johnson is asked if he agrees with the consensus that he’s the best player in the draft and says, “I definitely feel that way.”

As they say, it’s not bragging if it’s true.

Miami’s 6-foot-2, 217-pound Ryan Moore has enough talent to be considered on the second day of the draft, but he has had so many off-the-field problems and underachieved to such an extent with the Hurricanes that it’s doubtful any team will spend even a late pick on him.

Moore was suspended for the Peach Bowl after the 2005 season, then for the first eight games of last season for an Aug. 26 incident in which police said he kicked a woman’s car door, then grabbed her by the neck and pushed her down. He pleaded no contest to charges of criminal mischief, a felony, and simple battery, a misdemeanor.

LSU’s talented wideouts, Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis, could be late first-round picks, and both are skilled players, but their talents fall short of their egos. They can still learn something about self-promotion, though, from Dwayne Jarrett, who actually implied that playing on the most talented team in the nation might have hindered his career.

“I know I played with a lot of talent,” Dwayne Jarrett said. “But that made it harder for me to get my numbers up there. I played with Reggie Bush and LenDale White. All those guys want the ball, and I still had to put my numbers up. So that speaks for itself.”

Unfortunately, Dwayne Jarrett speaks for himself, too.

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