Will Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers Be The First Wide Receiver Selected? 2024 NFL Draft Outlook

March 28, 2024

Will Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. or LSU's Malik Nabers be the first wide receiver to get selected in the 2024 NFL Draft? Read the 2024 NFL Draft outlook of the two top prospects.

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a month away. Teams around the league are working towards setting up their draft boards, and there are a lot of talented players available in the first round. Many teams are interested in drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, who are considered the two best wide receivers in the upcoming draft.

While Harrison Jr. has been seen as one of the best prospects coming into the NFL, Nabers' performance at LSU has risen him up the draft boards. Some teams even view him as a better player than the Ohio State star.

Based on the various mock drafts and reports around the league, Marvin Harrison Jr. is the favorite to be the first wide receiver picked. He is projected to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the fourth overall pick, while Nabers is also viewed as a top-seven pick in the upcoming draft.

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Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers: Which WR Was Better In College?

Both Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr. played three years in college before declaring for the draft. The LSU product is currently 20 years old, while the winner of the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award is a year older.

In three years at LSU, Nabers played 38 games and had 189 receptions for 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns. He didn't have a great freshman year at LSU but took off after Jayden Daniels became the quarterback in 2022. Nabers' best year in college was his last one, where he had 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 17.6 yards per reception. Nabers recently ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at LSU's Pro Day and has all the tools to be successful in the NFL.

In comparison, Harrison Jr. also played 38 games and had 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 16.9 yards per reception. Both of them have had stellar careers in college, but the Ohio State product's big frame makes him harder to defend.  Despite not participating in any drills at the NFL Combine or Ohio State's Pro Day, Harrison Jr. maintains his status as the top wide receiver in the draft.

Malik Nabers with a u4.35 40-yard dash. 💨

📍 LSU Pro Day pic.twitter.com/ywfy0izFzn

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 27, 2024

Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers 2024 Fantasy Outlook

As of now, Marvin Harrison Jr. is projected to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, whereas Malik Nabers is projected to be drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers or the New York Giants.

Harrison Jr. will be the WR1 in Arizona, and we can expect a Ja'Marr Chase-esque rookie season from him alongside Kyler Murray. The 6'3 Ohio State player is likely to have a better production than DeAndre Hopkins had for Arizona and will be a much-coveted guy in fantasy drafts.

No matter where Nabers ends up, he will also be the WR1 on the team. Both the Giants and the Chargers don't have good wide receivers on their teams, and players like the LSU star will immediately make them better. Similar to Harrison Jr., expect a big season from Nabers, as he will be heavily targeted by whichever quarterback he ends up playing with. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, Justin Herbert will love if the Chargers draft Nabers with the fifth overall pick in the draft.

You better double Marvin Harrison Jr 😤 pic.twitter.com/PxkkMVHD4R

— PFF (@PFF) March 25, 2024

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