Top Five WR Prospects Of The 2024 NFL Draft: Scouting Reports And Analysis

Kyle Lindemann - RotoBaller
Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks
In This Article hide
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Junior, Ohio State
Malik Nabers - LSU, Junior
Rome Odunze - Washington, Junior
Troy Franklin - Oregon, Junior
BrIan Thomas Jr. - LSU, Junior
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Ah, the sweet season of the NFL Draft, the light at the end of the post-Super Bowl tunnel of despair. As the last bits of confetti find their resting places and the echoes of the game's final moments whisper into silence, we all start to dream a little bigger. It's this enchanted time when losses and wins are wiped clean, leaving every team shimmering with possibilities. Each roster appears just a couple of genius moves away from basking in the glow of victory, and the future? Well, it's gleaming a tad brighter than the glow of yesterday's dusk.

Compared to last year's WR class where many of the top wideouts were undersized, this year features an array of big-bodied, alpha, X-type of wide receivers who can win 1-on-1 on the outside. With some of the top wide receivers like Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. getting franchise tagged and not hitting the open market, certain teams are only going to grow even more desperate for a top-notch WR once draft day arrives.

In a league where defensive coordinators are leaving two safeties deep in order to eliminate explosive plays, pass-catchers with big-time speed and the ability to gain yards after the catch are becoming even more important. This year's class is absolutely loaded and there should be plenty of WRs go off the board in the first 64 picks of the NFL Draft, which definitely makes things interesting for dynasty and fantasy purposes.

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Marvin Harrison Jr. - Junior, Ohio State

Clocking in at a towering 6-foot-4 and tipping the scales at about 205 pounds, Harrison Jr. is what happens when you decide to mix a freight train with a sports car and sprinkle in the agility of a cat for good measure. Considering the conveyor belt of wide receiver talent Ohio State has been churning out to the NFL -- think Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba -- it's saying something that Harrison Jr. might just steal the spotlight and run away with it.

Talking about a lineup that reads like a who's who of receiver royalty, yet here comes Harrison, possibly outshining them all. Since Ja'Marr Chase had us all picking our jaws up off the floor in 2021, Harrison Jr. is shaping up to be the next 'pause your game and watch this kid' kind of prospect.

Harrison Jr. won't be testing at the NFL Combine, which is disappointing to all of us from a fan perspective. He's a lock to be a top-five pick on draft weekend and so he likely has more to lose than he does to gain by testing. The yards per route run metric is usually a good formula for wide receivers to see how good they are at getting open and creating yards after the catch. There really isn't a single flaw in Harrison's game.

 

Malik Nabers - LSU, Junior

Malik Nabers isn't just dishing out appetizers; he's serving up main course feasts with an eye-popping 18.0 yards per grab. This LSU standout is doing more than just plugging holes -- he's redefining the role, moving around the gridiron like the roadrunner.

Clocking in at an impressive 3.81 yards every time he struts his stuff down those routes, Nabers isn't just another face in the wide receiver crowd; he's blasting his way to the top as the undisputed No. 2 pick of this WR class.

He isn't as big of a receiver as Harrison Jr. or the next WR on this list, but Nabers is a big-play explosion waiting to happen. He can pick up yards after the catch and also make plays downfield.

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Nabers was a huge part of LSU QB Jayden Daniels' Heisman campaign and is such a playmaker that some scouts and analysts even have him with a higher draft grade than Harrison Jr. It's really hard to imagine a world where Nabers would fall past the New York Giants at No. 6 overall.

 

Rome Odunze - Washington, Junior

Odunze didn't just play this season; he owned it, racking up a jaw-dropping 92 catches, 1,640 yards, and dancing into the end zone 13 times. He's honestly probably the best WR3 in years and many will be surprised if he makes it out of the top 10 picks on draft day.

With the kind of body control that'd make a gymnast envious and a talent for snagging the ball in a crowd that's nothing short of wizardry, Odunze has got this uncanny ability to make those nail-biter catches look like a walk in the park.

Washington's offense was incredibly explosive this year and Odunze was a large part of QB Michael Penix Jr.'s success as well. The two made it look like they were playing backyard football with how in sync they seemed to be and with how easily Odunze was able to win downfield as his quarterback was able to seamlessly drop every throw into the bucket.

There are some who have questioned Odunze's ability to separate, but he should test well at the NFL Combine this weekend. A former track star, it would be surprising to see Rome run anything less than in the 4.4 range.

 

Troy Franklin - Oregon, Junior

Enter stage left, Franklin -- not just any receiver, but a skyscraper at about 6-foot-3 with the kind of speed that could give a cheetah a run for its money. Sure, he might have let a few balls slip through his fingers this season, but let's talk about the electricity he brought to the field.

Franklin wasn't just part of Oregon's offensive revival; he was the spark plug, hauling in 81 catches for a whopping 1,383 yards and crossing the goal line 14 times. Averaging a cool 17.1 yards every time he got his mitts on the ball and strutting down the field at an impressive 3.32 yards per route, this guy's been lighting up defenses left and right.

Despite being a powerhouse on the field, he's flying under the radar this draft season. Time to shine a spotlight on this dynamic powerhouse.

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The only knock on Franklin right now is just his slender build and there are questions about his ability to win against press coverage and fight for contested catches in the NFL. However, he has the potential be a complete YAC monster and has the ability to be a vertical deep threat.

Most would agree that there's a pretty clear tier break among the WRs after Odunze, but Franklin is a true home run hitter who shouldn't have to wait too long to hear his name called on draft day.

 

BrIan Thomas Jr. - LSU, Junior

Thomas is the kind of receiver who doesn't just play the game; he stretches it, turning the field into his personal runway. With a frame that’s more ‘small forward’ than ‘wideout’ and the kind of speed that makes you wonder if he’s got jet engines for legs, he wrapped up the 2023 season like he was collecting stats for fun: 68 catches, 1,177 yards, and a jaw-dropping 17 touchdowns.

He wasn't just a player in LSU's offensive machine; he was the spark plug in Jayden Daniels' sprint to Heisman glory. Watch for Thomas at the NFL Combine, where he’s set to light the fuse and rocket his draft stock to the stars. This guy’s not just on the rise; he’s ready to explode.

There has been some debate about just how long Thomas has been playing football. He might not be as polished of a route runner as some of the others in this class, but he's going to be incredibly difficult to defend in the NFL. Thomas has some incredible bend and acceleration for someone of his size. Once he turns on the after burners, he's gone.

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