2024 NFL Draft: Scouting Notes on Top Wide Receivers

As the clock ticks down to the much-anticipated 2024 NFL Draft, a palpable sense of excitement envelopes the football world. Teams are gearing up to secure the best young talent available, and scouts are tirelessly evaluating potential game-changers who can make an immediate impact on the gridiron. Among the positions that perennially captivate the imagination of fans and franchises alike are wide receivers, who symbolize the pinnacle of athleticism, versatility, and spectacle.

In this article, we delve into the scintillating realm of the 2024 NFL Draft’s top five wide receiver prospects, a group of young athletes who possess the potential to redefine the sport and revitalize the fortunes of their future teams. Within this elite crop of receivers lies an array of diverse playstyles, from towering red-zone threats with unmatched catch radius’ to agile speedsters who can leave defenders grasping at thin air.

As fans prepare to welcome the next generation of NFL talent, it’s essential to recognize the impact these young receivers can have on the league’s landscape. We embark on a thrilling journey through the potential-filled lives of these five future stars, exploring their strengths, weaknesses, and how they stack up against each other in this hotly contested draft class. Brace yourselves for an exhilarating glimpse into the future, as we unveil the top five wide receiver prospects poised to captivate the NFL and leave an undeniable mark on the sport we all cherish.

Preseason watch list: The top five wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft

1. Marvin Harrison Jr – Ohio State

Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison’s son is becoming one of the most heralded wide receiver prospects of the past decade and has been drawing comparisons to players such as Randy Moss, and Calvin Johnson.

Over Marv’s last 14 games as a Buckeye, he has totaled 83 receptions for 1334 yards, and an absurd 17 touchdowns. To put that into further context, he was PFF’s highest-graded and most valuable receiver in the country last season, as a true sophomore. Furthermore, his 878 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns against single-coverage led all FBS wide receivers.

If that’s not enough he is also a freak athlete at 6’4″, 205 pounds, making unnatural things like sinking, separating, and converting at the catch point look effortless. According to Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List, as a sophomore, Harrison Jr could bench 380 pounds, as well as doing 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He does this while also having a 10-9 broad jump, a blistering 3.94 pro shuttle time, and a top speed of 23 mph.

Additionally, the Philadelphia native has excellent hands evidenced by his 60% contested catch rate last season. And if all that wasn’t enough MHJ also led the FBS in 2022 with his 36 explosive plays (passing plays of 15 yards or more).

2. Emeka Egbuka – Ohio State

Outside of his Buckeye teammate Harrison Jr, Egbuka has the highest ceiling of any wide receiver prospect in this class. He was arguably the 2nd best WR in the country in 2022 as a true sophomore, and that is backed up by PFF’s wins above average metric where he ranked second.

Standing at 6’1″, 205 pounds, Egbuka has good size, length, and strength when paired with his elite speed and acceleration. The Washington native would be the top receiver on any other team in the country and would be the top receiver in a lot of other drafts, including 2023.

Last season at Ohio State, Egbuka totaled 74 receptions for 1,152 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also adding 87 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Among returning Power Five receivers only Marvin Harrison Jr recorded more receiving yards and touchdowns. Additionally, his 2.98 yards per route run rank third among returning power five receivers.

Egbuka is a savvy receiver who excels at creating after the catch, although he can struggle at times with physical, in-your-face press corners. All things considered, Egbuka possesses all the tools of an elite NFL #1 WR including frame, speed, route running, hands, and play strength.

3. Rome Odunze – Washington

Rome Odunze checks all of the height, weight, and speed boxes required to become a true #1 X-Receiver in the NFL. The Nevada native is listed at 6’3″, 215 pounds, and is expected to run somewhere in the low 4.4s. Aside from that, some of his best attributes include his reliable hands and excellent body control.

Odunze has shown excellent growth over his three seasons in Washington. As a freshman, he played in just two games totaling 6 receptions for 72 yards and no TDs, but then as a sophomore, he appeared in 9 games and combined for 41 receptions for 415 yards and 4 touchdowns. Last season, however, is when he really broke out, amounting to 75 receptions for 1,145 yards and 8 touchdowns. Furthermore, his 605 yards against single coverage, trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr among returning Power-Five receivers.

One of the major knocks on Odunze is that for a receiver of his stature, he still struggles with contested catches at times. His contested-catch percentages have been very low over the past two years, with a 16.5% rate in 2021 and 25% in 2022. All in all, Odunze is a silky smooth vertical WR who can offer whatever team takes a chance on him a shot at a high upside big play target down the field.

4. Malik Nabers – LSU

The Louisiana native, Nabers is a true-born playmaker. Last season at LSU he totalled 72 receptions for 1,017 yards and 3 touchdowns. The stat that truly jumps off the page though is that 41.1% of his receiving yards last season came after the catch. Additionally, Nabers’ 21 forced missed tackles on receptions were the fifth most among power-five receivers, and his 204 receiving yards after contact was eighth.

Beyond his fantastic run-after-catch ability, he is one of the more reliable receivers in the class as well, boasting a 93.5% catchable-pass percentage and a 61.9% contested-catch percentage. On the other hand, one of the concerns from scouts on Nabers is that at times he can struggle to separate against top-level corners and that he can rely too much on his athleticism. Additionally, he has struggled with physical press corners in the past.

Nabers is an athletic route specialist and a tough competitor with size-defying contact balance and RAC ability. If he can improve on his weaknesses and show off his route-running and versatility he has the potential to be a first-round maybe even top-20 pick come next April.

5. Xavier Worthy – Texas

A dynamic playmaker out of Texas University, Xavier Worthy is renowned for his explosive speed and quick acceleration. Standing at 6’1″, 172 pounds, Worthy possesses a natural flair for big plays and has been a nightmare for opposing defensive backs at times during his first two seasons in Austin.

Worthy’s time at Texas has been characterized as a tale of two seasons right now. As a freshman, he was incredibly productive totaling 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns, breaking multiple Texas freshman receiving records in the process. These records include the most receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in a season, as well as the most receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in a single game.

Despite this, in 2022, Worthy just didn’t look like the same player with some head-scratching drops throughout the season. Additionally, he actually saw a decrease in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Worthy is a tremendous athlete with fantastic long speed, and great body control. If his consistency and production from his freshman season return, expect him to be a riser in the 2024 Draft and a potential first-rounder.

It is also worth mentioning that my three honorable mentions for this list include Florida State’s, Johnny Wilson, Texas’, Adonai Mitchell, and Oregon’s, Troy Franklin.