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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