2024 NFL Draft: The Wide Receiver Class

[shopson67]

Look at these WR’s. Insane class from an athleticism standpoint

PFF announces new PFF Game Athleticism Rating (PFF GAR) | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF

2024 NFL DRAFT WR SPOTLIGHT​

Our 2024 draft spotlight focuses on wide receivers and their max percentile in PFF GARover their careers. We've seen that earning a high PFF GAR in any season is the most useful for predicting NFL players, so we've called out the highest ranking in their NCAA career.

• Malik Nabers, LSU — 99th percentile
• Adonai Mitchell, Texas — 99th
• Xavier Worthy, Texas —99th
• Xavier Legette, South Carolina — 99th
• Rome Odunze, Washington — 98th
• Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State — 96th
• Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State — 93rd
• Keon Coleman, Florida State — 93rd
• Troy Franklin, Oregon — 92nd
• Johnny Wilson, Florida State — 91st
• Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky — 81st

Your boy Egbuka is still in there, must be an old article?

 

[Wolvie]

Your boy Egbuka is still in there, must be an old article?

I think that article was from January. Interesting metric but they don't even provide that data to their regular subscriptions. You have to have a "business" sub.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Believe it or not, but we actually have THREE Washington wide receivers getting top 100 buzz. You can officially add Jalen McMillan to that list. He made the top 100 from CBS Sports, ESPN, and NFL Mock Draft Database.

Jalen McMillan
- 22 years old. Will be 23 in December.
- 6'1, 192 pounds
- Played for Washington between 2020 and 2023
- Missed half the season due to a knee injury in 2023. Got injured in September, but came back for the Apple Cup and the playoffs.
- In 2022, he had 9 receiving touchdowns, 1,098 receiving yards, and averaged 13.9 yards per reception.

 

[Clayton]

Kollman says 'people who have Legette in late rd 2 just stop. He is probably going in the 20s or late rd1'

I do think the Chiefs would take him

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

What does everybody think of Brenden Rice? He's the son of Jerry Rice.

 

[cwalke3408]

 

[cwalke3408]

I don't ask for much but If MHJ could fall to #9

 

[shopson67]

Man, I can't see putting Thomas #2. I think the top 3 are pretty firmly set and Thomas is a tier down.

 

[Clayton]

Man, I can't see putting Thomas #2. I think the top 3 are pretty firmly set and Thomas is a tier down.

I will say that maybe I'm too low on Thomas. I just watched his game against Mizzou and Alabama and not the rest of the season. The only big play he had against both of them is a deep TD against Mizzou's...3rd or 4th?...string CB. Some much of Thomas' production is against college non #1 CBs, single coverage, or no coverage as these poor defenses were terrified of Daniels' running ability. That said, he did have about 6 or 7 spectacular catches last year. He isn't Quinton Johnson. Ball is in the air and he can track it and come down with it. Slows down for Jayden Daniels' throws. You also see 6 or 7 times that Daniels' really throws it behind where he needs to when looking at all of Thomas' targets.

Thomas looks like he should go between 10 and 20. I might have been too harsh on him based on what I saw from 2 games and what PFF was saying. That said, I'd be a little shocked if he was better than Harrison. Equal tier? Very possible.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Shots fired.

 

[Clayton]

I mentioned Thomas had to deal with 6 or 7 bad throws. It's probably closer to 20 for AD Mitchell. That Texas QB is rough

 

[shopson67]

I mentioned Thomas had to deal with 6 or 7 bad throws. It's probably closer to 20 for AD Mitchell. That Texas QB is rough

Yet Ewers is projected to be near the top of next year's QB class and is still blocking Manning.

 

[shopson67]

I will say that maybe I'm too low on Thomas. I just watched his game against Mizzou and Alabama and not the rest of the season. The only big play he had against both of them is a deep TD against Mizzou's...3rd or 4th?...string CB. Some much of Thomas' production is against college non #1 CBs, single coverage, or no coverage as these poor defenses were terrified of Daniels' running ability. That said, he did have about 6 or 7 spectacular catches last year. He isn't Quinton Johnson. Ball is in the air and he can track it and come down with it. Slows down for Jayden Daniels' throws. You also see 6 or 7 times that Daniels' really throws it behind where he needs to when looking at all of Thomas' targets.

Thomas looks like he should go between 10 and 20. I might have been too harsh on him based on what I saw from 2 games and what PFF was saying. That said, I'd be a little shocked if he was better than Harrison. Equal tier? Very possible.

I had a similar thing with Maye recently. Watched his last game vs NC State and hated his tape (but started loving Payton Wilson more) lol.

 

[Clayton]

Yet Ewers is projected to be near the top of next year's QB class and is still blocking Manning.

He could always get better, I guess.

I'm thinking Xavier Worthy might be overhyped, though. He looks like more of a project than any of the other WRs I've looked at.

 

[shopson67]

He could always get better, I guess.

I'm thinking Xavier Worthy might be overhyped, though. He looks like more of a project than any of the other WRs I've looked at.

There's a reason why he dropped the mic after the 40 and skipped the rest of the drills.

 

[Clayton]

There's a reason why he dropped the mic after the 40 and skipped the rest of the drills.

I don't believe he even hit Chris Simms' honorable mentions which means he is outside of his top 10. I get that Worthy has a ton of upside but I don't like what I'm seeing with him as an outside receiver. Pushing him into the slot probably drops his value down a ton.

 

[shopson67]

I don't believe he even hit Chris Simms' honorable mentions which means he is outside of his top 10. I get that Worthy has a ton of upside but I don't like what I'm seeing with him as an outside receiver. Pushing him into the slot probably drops his value down a ton.

Slot doesn't take advantage of his long speed as much, more of a quickness position the majority of the time. He could be a tough fit.

 

[Clayton]

Slot doesn't take advantage of his long speed as much, more of a quickness position the majority of the time. He could be a tough fit.

His 10 yd split is pretty darn good but I agree that you aren't getting the most of his abilities without him being a deep threat. The Alabama/Texas game is a really interesting one to watch. Worthy is just so skinny that he just gets swallowed up by man coverage on the outside. His catch radius isnt great, his hands are great.

Stash him for a year on special teams. Have him put on some weight. He might come out in year 2 and tear up the league.

Im reminded a little of Darnell Washington last year where he tore up the combine and then went late rd3 in the draft. Calvin Austin is also someone who fell in the draft as an undersized speed receiver.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I don't ask for much but If MHJ could fall to #9

While it's virtually imposserous for him to fall to #9, I'm now wondering if he remains a lock to be the first WR taken off the board, especially in lieu of the decision to skip his pro day:

Marvin Harrison Jr. will not work out at Ohio State Pro Day

Ohio State's Pro Day is today, but Ohio State's best prospect won't work out.

sports.yahoo.com

It's one thing skipping the combine, but to skip both? Hmmm........

 

[Clayton]

While it's virtually imposserous for him to fall to #9, I'm now wondering if he remains a lock to be the first WR taken off the board, especially in lieu of the decision to skip his pro day:

Marvin Harrison Jr. will not work out at Ohio State Pro Day

Ohio State's Pro Day is today, but Ohio State's best prospect won't work out.

sports.yahoo.com

It's one thing skipping the combine, but to skip both? Hmmm........

He'll be the first non QB off the board. That said, I do think Arizona would entertain trade down offers to a team like the Vikings if they got a major haul.