With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching, let’s take a look at each individual position’s rankings. Here’s a look at the top 10 wide receivers.
[Nate Tice’s NFL Draft top 100 big board ⊥ Top QBs ⊥ Top RBs ⊥ Top TEs ⊥ Top OL]
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
I’ll just keep repeating what I ended my piece on Harrison with: Do. Not. Overthink. Him. A special combination of size, speed, footwork, catching range and route-running polish, Harrison has the maturity to step in right away and eat targets in a passing game as the leading man. Even things like Ohio State expanding his role this season with more snaps from the slot, mostly out of necessity, allowed Harrison to showcase even more to his deep game.
With college basketball done and MLB Opening Day in the rearview mirror, attention is heating up on the NFL’s marquee offseason event. Let’s make our turn toward the NFL Draft. (Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports)
2. Rome Odunze, Washington
As I watched more (and more) players from Washington’s offense or on defenses going against the Huskies, my eyes just kept coming back to Odunze. He does so many things well — actually not just well, he is simply great at so many things. Plenty of speed to win down the field and the burst to create yards after the catch, with route-running polish at all three levels, excellent catching range and hand-eye coordination and strength that stands out on film. That strength and burst help him consistently beat press and break tackles with the ball in his hands.
I have compared Odunze to Chris Godwin during this process. I also think Odunze has even more upside than the former second-team All-Pro. Odunze is as scheme- and situation-proof as they come and I think he can be a productive player no matter where he ends up.
3. Malik Nabers, LSU
Nabers is an end zone threat no matter where he touches the ball, with true gamebreaking speed and explosive play ability, whether it’s hauling in a deep ball or taking a short crossing route to the house.
Nabers will automatically raise the ceiling of whatever offense he joins in the NFL because of his package of speed, agility and body control. He has a flair for the highlight-worthy grab, especially around the sideline, but has a few too many body catch attempts when working over the middle of the field and has to continue to refine some of the sloppier aspects of his route running. But his top-tier athleticism and body control shows a clean path for projecting growth and polish in the area.
4. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Thomas is an excellent athlete (4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine) with very good size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) and a rapidly developing game. His route running improved throughout the season, showing off his agility that is especially impressive given his frame and helps project an even more fully formed route tree down the road. Thomas’ foot quickness also shows up when he beats press coverage, opening up quick-hitters to his route tree and keeping him on time in the offense. He has the burst to separate after the snap and has the long speed to take the top off the coverage.
Thomas still has some work to do with his overall game, but his arrow is strongly pointing up. His potential as a true isolated wide receiver with a vertical route tree makes him another strong addition to this wide receiver class.
5. Adonai Mitchell, Texas
One of my biggest risers, Mitchell’s quick-twitch athleticism as a bigger receiver shows up on his film over and over again. He has good size and ball skills and can consistently adjust for passes away from his body. In the red zone he is so dangerous when paired with his ability to pick up speed and jump out of the gym (11-4 broad jump and a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine).
Mitchell is such an impressive athlete that it can seem like he is simply gliding when running routes, but his actual speed becomes more apparent when you see the ground he is eating up and the heat he puts on defenders down the field. Mitchell is a good route runner because of his impressive body control, but his discipline and effort still have room for improvement.
Mitchell has true “X” wide receiver upside and can win down the field and in isolated situations. It’s hard to find players who move like this with Johnny Bench-like catching range.
6. Keon Coleman, Florida State
Coleman’s basketball background oozes off the screen when you watch him. He is a ball-winner, through and through. An outside wide receiver who may lack a few limbs on his route tree but makes up for it with his ability to finish alley-oops and adjust for throws all around his body.
Coleman is going to be a weapon in the red zone right away, his athleticism best exemplified with his jumping ability and burst. His long speed is more fine than overwhelming, something that was reflected with his 4.61 40 time at the combine, but Coleman can create a few yards after the catch because of his balance and body control (he was a top performer in the gauntlet drill). Coleman could excel as a secondary player early in his career as he continues to add refinement to the more subtle aspects of the position. But his wow plays will be worth it as he adds more down-to-down consistency.
7. Ladd McConkey, Georgia
All he does is move the chains. McConkey’s production at Georgia might not jump off the page, but he is a route-running dynamo that is explosive with the ball in his hands.
McConkey’s size will limit some of his upside on the outside, but his burst, balance and footwork let him win out there more often than you’d think. McConkey thrives against man coverage and he can pick apart his defender with his ability to bend and vary up his tempo in his route running. He is another player with limitations to be a true No. 1, but McConkey has all the makings of a third-down target monster who can create explosive plays at the underneath and intermediate levels. He has some similarities to Emmanuel Sanders, but with a smaller catching range.
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8. Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
Like his teammate Odunze, Polk checks a lot of boxes at wide receiver. Inside-outside versatility? Check. Good hands? Check. Smooth athleticism with some glimpses of a deeper bag of tricks as a route runner? Check. Willingness as a blocker? Check.
Polk has above-average-to-good size, speed, foot quickness and contact balance along with everything listed above. He might not have true No. 1 option upside, but he can carve out a role in a lot of different types of offenses as a No. 2 option and become a reliable target-eater no matter what’s asked of him. He’s the ultimate useful type of wide receiver.
9. Troy Franklin, Oregon
Long and twitchy, Franklin eats up ground quickly bounding down the field. Although he looks more like a classic outside-only “X” wide receiver, Franklin has the quickness to win underneath and from the slot as well. Franklin is explosive and has more to his game than first meets the eye. He’s a good route runner with long speed and will snatch throws from all angles that can help him in contested catch situations and in the red zone. He is skinny, but has more real “football player” to him than you’d think and plays with toughness and is a willing blocker. I struggle with Franklin a bit, especially considering his weight.
10. Jalen McMillan, Washington
McMilan has good size and is a smooth athlete who mostly operated out of the slot in college. McMillan has some of the same qualities as Christian Kirk. He can stretch the field and win consistently inside. He plays with just average strength as a route runner, but that does not hold him back in the run game, where he is willing to scrap and contribute.
McMillan won’t make a ton of defenders miss, but has some YAC ability as a defender splitter who can plant his foot and get upfield. He could be a strong secondary option at the next level.
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