NFL Draft prospects: Ranking WRs heading into the 2024 NFL Combine

The first round of the NFL Draft is usually dominated by people being excited about the quarterback class or the top defenders to look out for. Wide receivers sometimes fly under the radar, but there are consistently five or six WRs drafted in the first round every year. This year is no different as the class is led by Marvin Harrison Jr., but there are plenty more names to familiarize yourself with before draft day.

Harrison Jr. was long considered the top wide receiver prospect and was expected to be a tier above everyone else. Malik Nabers from LSU and Rome Odunze out of Washington pulled their best Lee Corso impression and said, “not so fast.” MHJ is the top prospect at the position, but the gap between him and Nabers/Odunze isn’t as wide as it once was.

Harrison Jr. had to play behind some impressive teammates with Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon-Smith Njigba during his time at Ohio State. He finally got the chance to shine this year and didn’t waste it. Harrison played in 12 games and finished with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns on 67 receptions. It was the second year in a row that he ended the year with at least 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

Nabers played three years for the Tigers and started his breakout as a sophomore in 2022. He played in 14 games and had 1,017 yards and three touchdowns. Nabers made a name for himself in 2022 not only with his 89 receptions but because of the 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had the second-most receiving yards last season, behind only Odunze. The Washington wideout spent four seasons playing for the Huskies, with his breakout starting in 2022. Over his final two seasons at Washington, Odunze put up 2,785 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

Just because the class has some great players at the top doesn’t mean they are the only talent in this class. There are plenty of NFL-caliber receivers in this class, even if they aren’t taken in the first round. The upcoming NFL Combine will help more guys stand out, but it will be worth keeping tabs on Keon Coleman, Brian Thomas Jr., Troy Franklin, Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, Tez Walker and Xavier Legette. Even guys projected to be Day 3 picks like Ainias Smith and Malik Washington have a lot of upsides.