The wide receiver draft classes continue to increase in value year after year, with multiple teams taking pass catchers at the top of the class in an effort to match the high-powered offenses around the league.
This crop of receivers may be the most talented group we have seen in quite some time with as many as seven playmakers potentially hearing their names called on day one of the draft. Let’s take a look at the top five players of that group before we get to pre-draft process.
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
There is very little debate about who the top receiver in the class is, and while it is closer than some people think, Marvin Harrison Jr. certainly sits at the top of the pack. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison has a tight grip on a top-five draft pick and has all the desired traits of a top-end receiver at the next level. Harrison Jr. headlines what looks to be one of the best receiver classes in years.
2. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
The run on LSU receivers continues this year with Malik Nabers and the next receiver on this list expected to be snagged high in the first round. Nabers is one of the most explosive and smooth route runners in this class and absolutely dominated in the top offense in college football this year. There is going to be some whispers of Nabers as the first receiver to go in this class, and it will be justified given just how well his game translates to the next level and the desire to find explosive playmakers.
3. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
It felt like every time you watched a Washington Huskies game and they needed a play the team would turn to their star wide receiver Rome Odunze and he would make it. Oduzne has the size, route running, and ball skills to be a top level receiver in the NFL and could be yet another pass catcher in the top half of the 2024 NFL Draft.
4. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
The other LSU receiver who might very well hear his name called in the top half of the first round, Brian Thomas Jr. is every bit of a threat as the rest of the receivers in this class, which is saying something. With a 6’4 frame and top end speed Thomas has all the makings of a top level ‘X’ receiver in the NFL. Thomas Jr. dominated his final year of college with 17 touchdowns and it wouldn’t be hard to believe if Thomas had a Mike Evans level of impact in the red zone over the next few years at the next level.
5. Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
If you were to build an NFL wide receiver in a lab South Carolina’s Xavier Legette wouldn’t be far off of what would come out. Standing at 6’3 with an excellent frame and terrific speed for his size, Legette is a legitimate matchup nightmare on the outside for corners and is an imposing threat anytime he is on the field in college. Legette’s game translates well at the NFL level and he could sneak himself into the top 20 of the NFL Draft if he performs well in the pre-draft process.
