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Writer's pictureJohn B. Everett

SNS 2024 WR Tiers: An In-Depth Look at the 2024 WR Class



The 2024 NFL Draft offers one of the best WR classes in recent memory with tremendous elite talent, a bunch of potential starters, a bevy of difference making slot receivers, and a group of intriguing developmental prospects who could become starters if they develop and enter the right situation. SNS takes a look at this talented class to see what their NFL future might look like.

 

Tier One – Elite Prospects

Marvin Harrison / Ohio State

Rome Odunze / Washington

Malik Nabers / LSU

Brian Thomas / LSU

Keon Coleman / Florida State

Xavier Legette / South Carolina


All six of these WRs could be selected in the first round of the draft and all offer valuable traits that NFL teams covet. Harrison, whose father is an NFL Hall of Famer, looks like a generational talent with a fully developed skill set that makes him his team’s #1 WR from day one. Odunze offers good size and length, is smooth, and possesses extremely reliable hands. Nabers is highly explosive and dangerous with the ball who runs quality routes. He is very difficult to cover and can get open easily against any coverage type. Thomas has height, length, speed, and reliable hands to become a true #1 WR early in his career. Coleman lacks great top end speed but offers a large target with a big catch radius, great body control, and outstanding leaping ability. Legette is fast, tall, long, and a smooth route runner with explosive ability after the catch.

 

Tier Two – Potential Starters

Adonai Mitchell / Texas

Jordan Whittington / Texas

Devontez Walker / North Carolina

Brenden Rice / USC

Troy Franklin / Oregon

Malachi Corley / Western Kentucky

Ricky Pearsall / Florida

Jalen McMillan / Washington

Ja’Lynn Polk / Washington

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint / Georgia

Jermaine Burton / Alabama


Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, offers a great combination of size and speed (6022 / 205 / 4.34 40) and may sneak into the back end of the first round later this month. Whittington has good size, is extremely quick and agile, and works well across the middle of the field. Walker only played eight games last season due to NCAA eligibility issues but displayed the size, speed, and YAC ability to become a quality starting option, although issues with his hands surfaced at the Senior Bowl. Rice, son of the GOAT (Jerry Rice), is rising up draft boards due to him possessing the desired size, length, and athleticism that NFL teams covet and a physical running style where he runs over defensive backs on a regular basis. Franklin would likely be a first-round draft choice in most any draft due to his speed and hands. He is thinner than desired and sometimes has difficulty with getting a clean release from press coverage but has great speed and reliable hands to become a quality #2 WR. Corley led the nation in yards after the catch last season and has a playing style similar to Deebo Samuels. Pearsall has great athletic ability and can sky and get the ball. He is quickly rising up draft boards. McMillan and Polk offer size and speed to threaten the defense deep and the versatility to line up out wide or in the slot. Rosemy-Jacksaint offers size and elite blocking ability. He was never the primary receiving option in Athens but was a 5-star recruit with enticing upside. Burton was Alabama’s best WR last season and offers good size, excellent athleticism, good leaping ability, and very good tracking ability of the ball in the air.

 

Tier Three – Stud Slot Receivers

Xavier Worthy / Texas

Roman Wilson / Michigan

Tulu Griffin / Mississippi State

Ladd McConkey / Georgia

Jha’Quan Jackson / Tulane

Jacob Cowing / Arizona

Tahj Washington / USC

Malik Washington / Virginia

Isaiah Williams / Illinois


Worthy may get consideration as an outside receiver but his build is better suited to slot duties. Regardless his speed (4.21 40) is dynamic and he is a threat to go all the way anytime he touches the ball. Wilson is exceedingly quick and agile and uncovers easily against both man and zone coverage. Griffin is being under looked by most draft analysts but he is productive, fast, quick, durable, and has very reliable hands. McConkey is perhaps the best route runner in this draft and he offers good quickness and hands. He could also line up on the outside. The only concern with the Georgia Bulldog is a history of nagging injuries during his time in Athens. Jackson works underneath zones very well and was effectively Tulane’s #1 receiving option the last two years. Cowing, a transfer from UTEP, caught a pass in all 57 career games and he is a reliable route runner and sure handed receiver. Tahj Washington is a big play waiting to happen. He is explosive and dangerous with the ball in space. Malik Washington, a transfer from Northwestern, exploded on the national scene leading the nation with 110 catches in 2023 and displaying the quickness and agility to uncover easily against any type of coverage. Williams ran much slower than anticipated time at the combine (4.63 40) but his game relies on quickness and agility and as a former QB, he understands coverages and knows how to get open.

 

Tier Four – Potential Contributors

Johnny Wilson / Florida State

Joshua Cephus / UTSA

Bub Means / Pittsburgh

Javon Baker / UCF

Jalen Calhoun / Duke

Devaughn Vele / Utah

Xavier Weaver / Colorado

Luke McCaffrey / Rice

Jamari Thrash / Louisville


Wilson is extremely big with a huge catch radius (6063 / 231 / 35.3” Arms / 84.4” Wingspan) who may be converted to TE. He has trouble creating separation and suffers from concentration drops but has great speed for his size. Cephus has a solid build and seems to relish the contact he receives working the middle of the field. Means is physical and tough with a large wingspan. Almost all of his catches are contested and he doesn’t create much separation but he competes and fights for every yard. Baker, a transfer from Alabama, has outstanding deep speed and is a game breaker with good size and reliable hands. Calhoun lacks some desired size and length and may be limited to slot duties but he is a productive and durable receiver in the ACC for years and will be very difficult for coaches to cut. Vele has very good size and length with a large catch radius. He has strong hands and leaping ability. He doesn’t create much separation and has difficulty getting a clean release against press coverage but he looks like a future #2 WR in the NFL. Weaver is very thin and has trouble with physicality during his route but he is explosive with tremendous deep speed. Injuries have nagged him throughout his career. McCaffrey, a former QB, is a late convert to the WR position but runs good routes and displays good hands. It doesn’t hurt that his father, Ed, played in the NFL and his brother is the perennial Pro Bowl RB, Christian McCaffrey. Thrash, a transfer from Georgia State, runs good routes, is quick, and displays good hands. He lacks some size and length but runs well and looks like a valuable sub-package WR.

 

SNS will be posting new articles every day through the NFL Draft with SNS Final Top 300 Prospect Rankings, a complete set of Final 2024 Position Rankings, SNS’ Annual Deep Dive look at some deep sleepers in the 2024 class, an analysis of Michigan’s 18 invitees to the NFL Scouting Combine, a positional in-depth analysis of the QBs, WRs, and IDL available in the draft, and a complete 7 Round Mock Draft! 


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