The draft is less than three weeks away and after hours of evaluations and film study, it’s time for my 2024 Draft Wide Receiver Rankings. This class features a clear-cut top three that are all worthy of being top ten picks in the draft. On top of that, it is truly an absolutely loaded class. NFL teams will get a typical round two talent possibly as late as round four in this draft. After WR7, it’s a cluster of talent that is incredibly hard to separate from each other. Nevertheless, I made my judgments and tried to rank them accordingly. Let’s take a look!
1. Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr
Embed from Getty ImagesThe bloodline of a Hall of Fame wide receiver enters the NFL here. Marvin Harrison Jr had one the best teachers of the position his whole life. He brings a rare blend of elite speed, quickness, and size. There isn’t much of a weakness in his game. He has an extensive route tree and runs them well. He explodes off the line of scrimmage and can win his routes in numerous ways. The one concern would be Harrison Jr’s overall strength but we’ve seen numerous receivers across the NFL excel in the league these days without it.
Player Comparison: Ceedee Lamb with more speed
2. LSU WR Malik Nabers
Embed from Getty ImagesPutting Malik Nabers number two overall feels wrong because he would be the WR1 in many other draft classes. He’s more of a 1B to Harrison Jr’s 1A. That should tell you how special Nabers is too. He’s quick, strong, fast, and can beat defenders at all three levels. He plucks the ball out of the air and can go up and fight for the ball despite not being one of the biggest receivers. That is probably his one deficiency. Other than his size, there is nothing else to dislike about his game, and projecting him to the next level is simple. He will be a star.
LSU WR Malik Nabers highlights from 2023 pic.twitter.com/cYahlkW2XQ
— FNF NFL (@fnfantasyleeg) March 22, 2024
Player Comparison: Amon-Ra St Brown/ DJ Moore
3. Washington WR Rome Odunze
Embed from Getty ImagesRome Odunze comes in at #3 but similar to Nabers, it feels a bit wrong putting him here. Odunze broke onto the scene in 2022 before putting up a dominant 2023 season. Any time a receiver puts up 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns over 15 games, it’s impressive. The biggest difference between Odunze versus Harrison Jr and Nabers is that Odunze does it with a different style. Standing 6’3 and 212 pounds, Odunze has the size and body control to match with anyone in this draft. On top of that, he’s a phenomenal route runner and features impressive quickness for his size. The one downfall in his game is he doesn’t often feature his speed on the deep balls. His 40-time (4.45) tells us he has it, he just needs to use it more.
Player Comparison: DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Pittman. Shades of both
4. LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr
Embed from Getty ImagesBrian Thomas Jr starts what I deem as tier two of the WR group. He comes in at a similar size to Odunze (6’3 and 209 pounds), except Thomas Jr ran a 4.33 40-yard dash. That combination of size and speed is simply rare. On top of that, he has the quickness and ability to create separation at all three levels of the field. I’ve been on the record for weeks now saying the sky is the limit for Brian Thomas Jr. If he can expand his route tree and become a more versatile weapon, he’ll have a phenomenal NFL career.
Player Comparison: George Pickens with more speed
5. Georgia WR Ladd McConkey
Embed from Getty ImagesHave you ever watched a college wide receiver and just know with zero doubt he’s going to find success in the NFL? Not because of their size or athleticism (not that McConkey severely lacks either of those), but his pure abilities at the position. That is Ladd McConkey. He’s simply a magician with his routes. He understands the position very well and always finds a way to get open. Combine that with speed and quickness, it’s tough to see McConkey not finding success in the NFL. His minor deficiencies are his size and strength. He’s not going to overpower you and can sometimes struggle against physicality at the line of scrimmage. Nevertheless, the best path to success in the NFL as a wide receiver is to get open and I am not sure anyone in this class does it better than McConkey.
You can't say Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze – who's the best route runner in the class?
— Dynasty Zoltan (Mike Garai) (@DynastyZoltanFF) February 23, 2024
My vote: Ladd McConkey
A few highlights below pic.twitter.com/6HcJiIug3p
Player Comparison: Garrett Wilson
6. Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
Embed from Getty ImagesAdonai Mitchell is one the most intriguing wide receiver prospects in the draft. The upside is very real and the film matches that. Mitchell is an unbelievable athlete. He brings good size with elite speed, flexibility, and athleticism. He’s a good route runner who knows how to get open and find the sweet spots in a defense. The worry with Mitchell is the consistency he showed at Texas. His effort down to down wasn’t the best and sometimes gave up on routes. He also needs to go and get the ball more often, using his hands more than his body. Truthfully, Mitchell controls his ceiling as an NFL wide receiver. These deficiencies are things that can be fixed. If he does, he’ll be a quality NFL player.
Player Comparison: Tee Higgins with more speed
7. Texas WR Xavier Worthy
Embed from Getty ImagesThe best way to describe Xavier Worthy is pure electricity. Get the ball in his hands and watch him go. After breaking the 40-yard dash record (4.21), Worthy’s stock has slowly trickled up as we approach the draft. The worry with Worthy is obviously his size. That alone might make teams shy away from the player. With that said, you simply can’t ignore his playmaking ability. Players of his size are risky to an extent and are a bit more of a hit-or-miss. Put him in an offense that will know how to use his strengths and he could turn into a serious offensive weapon in the NFL.
Player Comparison: Tank Dell with more speed
8. Washington WR Jalen McMillan
Embed from Getty ImagesJalen McMillan comes in at #8 overall and this may surprise some people. I sort of think of him as Ladd McConkey light. He gets a “slot receiver” label but he has the height and speed to threaten defenders deep. He’s an outstanding route runner who understands the position, creates separation, and knows how to get open. When you watch McMillan’s play-by-play, there isn’t a lot that “wows” you, but if you keep watching, you will almost certainly come away impressed. His upside is a bit of a question mark, but his floor is also high. As a projected day-two receiver, he’s a safe pick who will be a good weapon for years to come.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington, #11
— Nate Christensen (@natech32) April 2, 2024
– Great deep intermediate route runner, loses zero speed in his cuts/strides, but not rounded at all
– Can run routes from backfield
– Option routes shown on film
– Incredible vertical speed
– Sets up vertical routes, explodes at top pic.twitter.com/9KJPjs3Oyu
Player Comparison: Chris Godwin
9. South Carolina WR Xavier Legette
Embed from Getty ImagesHere comes one of the most polarizing prospects of the draft. Xavier Legette is one of the most raw prospects in the class and brings a rare size and speed combination. He’s an electric athlete and has the physical tools to be a dangerous weapon at the next level. The concern comes with his lack of experience and room for improvement. The quickest way to put it is that he needs to get better at almost everything to do with being a receiver. In most scenarios, a player like that wouldn’t be this high on rankings (he’s ranked higher in many places), but his raw physical tools make him such an intriguing player.
Player Comparison: Kenny Britt
10. Michigan WR Roman Wilson
Embed from Getty ImagesRoman Wilson is one of the more impressive and clean prospects in this group. He’s quick, explosive, and fast. He’s a tough slot receiver who isn’t afraid to get dirty and play with grit. He has strong hands and is a willing blocker. Ultimately, his size might limit his upside but he should earn himself a consistent role in the NFL.
Player Comparison: A faster version of Danny Amendola
11. Virginia WR Malik Washington
Embed from Getty ImagesSimilar to Jalen McMillan, Malik Washington is a player I’m likely higher on than most. The undersized slot receiver is mighty impressive the more you watch his game. He’s a quick, elusive, and smart player who isn’t afraid to play inside. He knows how to create separation and how to find the soft spots in zone coverage. It’s easy to get scared by his size but you have to trust what your eyes tell you. Teams made this mistake with Tank Dell last year and the Texans reaped the benefits.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington, #11
— Nate Christensen (@natech32) April 2, 2024
– Great deep intermediate route runner, loses zero speed in his cuts/strides, but not rounded at all
– Can run routes from backfield
– Option routes shown on film
– Incredible vertical speed
– Sets up vertical routes, explodes at top pic.twitter.com/9KJPjs3Oyu
Player Comparison: Tank Dell
12. UCF WR Javon Baker
Embed from Getty ImagesJavon Baker has been one of the biggest risers in this draft class. Once seen as a day-three pick, he is now being projected comfortably in day two. Baker is a film riser rather than someone who impresses on paper. He plays faster than his 40-time will tell you, and he is a legit deep ball threat who can go up and get the ball. He’s also a solid route runner, with good size and length. Baker might be more of a scheme-specific receiver but if he goes to a team that is not afraid to take shots, he can be a legit weapon.
Player Comparison: Michael Gallup
- 13. Florida WR Ricky Pearsall
- 14. Oregon WR Troy Franklin
- 15. Washington WR Ja’lynn Polk
- 16. Florida State WR Keon Coleman
- 17. WKU WR Malachi Corley
- 18. USC WR Brenden Rice
- 19. Louisville WR Jamari Thrash
- 20. Arizona WR Jacob Cowing
- 21. Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith
- 22. UNC WR Devontez Walker
- 23. Alabama WR Jermaine Burton
- 24. Rice WR Luke McCaffrey
- 25. USC WR Tahj Washington
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Featured Image: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
