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Justin looks at the top wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. What are the best landing spots in the draft for these young wideouts?
The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching. This year's draft class is filled with talented players, especially at the wide receiver position.
There are a number of places where each wide receiver could land, but not all of those places are the perfect spot for them. Some teams are better suited as a home for these young wideouts.
Let's take a look at the top receivers in this class and figure out what team would be the best option for them. This is taking the draft board into consideration, so I'm not going to say things like "Marvin Harrison Jr.'s best fit is the Chiefs," since that's unrealistic.
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Marvin Harrison Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Cardinals might be looking wide receiver with the fourth pick if they keep the pick, but Marvin Harrison Jr. should be hoping Arizona trades out with a QB-needy team and he falls to fifth. Nothing against the Cardinals and starting quarterback Kyler Murray, but every top young receiver in this class should want to wind up playing with Justin Herbert.
Career TPRR vs. All Day 1-2 WRs [Since 2014]
Marvin Harrison Jr. (83rd percentile)
Xavier Worthy (73rd)
Johnny Wilson (72nd)
Malik Nabers (65th)
Rome Odunze (56th)
....
Ricky Pearsall (10th)
Adonai Mitchell (8th)
Jermaine Burton (6th)
BrIan Thomas Jr. (5th)
Xavier Legette (4th)— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 13, 2024
With Keenan Allen gone, the Chargers are set to go into the season with Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer as the top two receivers. There's no way that happens. Johnston struggled as a rookie and Palmer is a good complementary piece, but that's not the wide receiver corps you want for Justin Herbert.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a potentially elite NFL receiver. He has it all—speed, explosion, route running. He can go up and get any ball. Maybe he needs to put on a little more muscle, but that's a fairly small concern. Harrison has the tools to be one of the NFL's best receivers.
Malik Nabers
Los Angeles Chargers
Yep, we're going with the Chargers again here, for many of the same reasons. Malik Nabers should be hoping Arizona doesn't trade out of four and that the team takes Harrison there, giving Nabers a path to playing with Herbert.
Personally, I think Harrison is on a different tier than anyone else in this class, but I know a lot of people are very high on Nabers. He's a versatile threat who can play at every receiver position, someone who can make huge plays in deep passing game while also using his acceleration to make plays out of the slot. He's not as good at making contested catches as Harrison is, but he can find a lot of success with Justin Herbert throwing him passes.
Rome Odunze
New York Jets
Rome Odunze is in a tough spot because the New York Giants will likely be looking at him with the sixth pick. The G-Men have been a no man's land for young receivers lately though, so for Odunze's sake, he should be hoping they do a different direction and he can land at tenth with the other team from the Meadowlands, the New York Jets.
Rome Odunze is a route-running maestro who often changes speeds to deceive DBs. This has led many in draft twitter to question his elusiveness, but it’s all by design. More below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VcGJ1XeIxR
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) April 1, 2024
The Jets added Mike Williams this offseason to pair with Garrett Wilson, but that doesn't feel like enough to really take advantage of the fact that the Jets have Aaron Rodgers under center. A healthy Rodgers—which is a question considering he tore his Achilles last season—is still a top quarterback, and the Jets need to surround him with the talent to take advantage of that.
Adding Odunze would be a huge win. He's a sure-handed receiver who made a big impact in the deep passing game at Washington. He might not have elite speed, but he can make any play and is an extremely strong wideout.
Brian Thomas Jr.
Indianapolis Colts
Brian Thomas is really, really fast, so it'd be great if he could land somewhere that has a big-armed quarterback. That's where the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Anthony Richardson come into play.
The Colts have a good young receiver room already with Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, but you can never have too many weapons when your quarterback is on a rookie scale contract.
Thomas is an extremely fast receiver who ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the Combine. He has good size and acceleration, allowing him to get off the line well and find space. He's not the most physical guy, but he has the build to play more physically. Thomas also has some route-running stuff to work on, though that's something that can pretty easily be fixed at the next level. He can be a huge piece for the Colts.
Ladd McConkey
Buffalo Bills
Honestly, the Bills are so bereft of wide receiver talent that I could have put them as the option for every team, but their position near the end of the first makes it unlikely that the names above here fall to them. Still, this is a good receiver class, so getting the fifth guy in it is still a win for the Bills.
Ladd McConkey doesn't really have the build to be an elite WR1, but he's an exceptional route runner whose steady hands can give Josh Allen a reliable weapon over the middle. The Bills don't have time right now to wait for a young receiver to develop; they need a ready-to-play guy. McConkey could be an elite slot receiver thanks to his speed and his ability to hit his marks.
Adonai Mitchell
Kansas City Chiefs
After signing Marquise Brown, one would have thought that Kansas City was no longer in the market for a wide receiver, but then the Rashee Rice street racing incident happened. It's still unclear how that might impact the Chiefs in 2024, as Rice could wind up playing like normal or could wind up with a suspension.
Adonai Mitchell’s IN-GAME ATHLETICISM™ Score of 93.5 is on full display on this touchdown catch. #IGAScore
🔗 https://t.co/UFKB2eWAzCpic.twitter.com/L8GSI12g6e
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) April 12, 2024
Regardless, the Chiefs still could use more talent at wide receiver considering the number three guy is either Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, or Skyy Moore. If Rice ends up suspended, they would enter the year with one of those as the second receiver.
Adonai Mitchell would be a great addition to the Chiefs. The 6-foot-2 receiver has the speed to be a major threat down the field, which would add an intriguing dimension to this offense. Patrick Mahomes had to adjust his game this past season and avoid the deep ball, but the addition of Mitchell in addition to Brown would help Mahomes get his vertical passing back in order.
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