Exclusive:2024 NFL Draft: Top WRs’ Biggest Strengths and Best Team Fits to Maximize Potential

The 2024 wide receiver class has something for everyone.

Think of any wide receiver archetype imaginable and I bet there is a top-75 prospect in this class who fits the bill.

From big to small, fast to quick, polished to physically overwhelming, this class has elite talents at the top and a deep roster of Day 2 players to fill out the rest of the group. It will be almost impossible for receiver-needy teams to walk out of draft weekend without a fresh face at the position.

Talented as they all are, it’s worth exploring why they’re different from each other, especially within each tier.

Take the top three receivers, for instance: Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers. They’re all multi-faceted receivers worth a top-10 pick, but all of their calling cards are vastly different. One technician, one ball-winner and one YAC specialist.

That’s true even in the next tier with the speedy Brian Thomas Jr. and powerful Keon Coleman. It’s true again in the following tier with the dichotomy between Jalen McMillan and Roman Wilson versus Ja’Lynn Polk. Jump yet another tier and you still get vastly different skill sets right up against each other, such as the short and burly Malachi Corley versus the tall and lanky Troy Franklin.

Even when two receivers are seemingly equals in terms of quality, they couldn’t be further apart in style. That’s the beauty in this class. No matter one’s preferences or prospect guardrails, there will be a bevy of options to choose from.

It’s not right to say Marvin Harrison Jr. has one standout trait. He’s awesome at everything. It’s why he is considered one of the best wide receiver prospects of a generation.

Maybe he isn’t as dynamic with the ball in his hands as some of his contemporaries, but he’s otherwise a sensational prospect.

If we have to pick a single area to define Harrison’s game, though, it would be his route-running.

It’s wild that the son of a Hall of Fame wide receiver knows how to run routes, right? It’s so obvious when you watch Harrison on film.

At the line of scrimmage, the 21-year-old shows he can vary the speeds and presentation of his releases to keep DBs guessing. That alone gives his route-running a good foundation.

Harrison shows the same traits at the top of his routes. He understands how to throttle up and down to make DBs uncomfortable and keep them on their heels. From there, he shows ruthlessly efficient footwork to get in and out of routes, not to mention the explosiveness to create consistent separation out of those breaks.

What really dazzles about the Ohio State product’s route-running is how smooth he is for his size. He is a tall, lanky player at 6’3″ and 209 pounds. He doesn’t move like a stiff at all. He is both quick-footed and explosive, yet smooth and flexible as he drops his hips to bend for certain routes.

There just aren’t a whole lot of receivers with Harrison’s size and length who move the way he does as a route-runner. Short-area quickness, burst, long speed, flexibility; you name the trait and he has put all of it on tape while running routes.

Combine that with his ability to find the ball in the air, and you’ve got a pretty special receiver prospect.

Potential Fits: New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, any of the other 30 teams

Some receivers just catch the ball. Simple as that.

Think of players such as Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins. Skilled as they may be at other aspects of the position, the foundation of their games is that the ball does not escape their grasp under any circumstance.

Like those greats, Rome Odunze is an enticing prospect for a laundry list of reasons, but it’s his ball skills that stand out above the rest.

At a fraction under 6’3″ and 213 pounds, the 21-year-old brings the exact type of frame you expect of a ball-winner. He’s tall, long and well-built, perfectly sculpted for the task of bringing down difficult catches.

From a technical standpoint, it’s hard to do it any cleaner than Odunze. He does an incredible job of tracking the ball and understanding where the earliest point of access will be. With that information in mind, he times his jumps incredibly well and almost always makes sure to secure inside positioning on the ball to box out defenders. It’s nigh impossible to lodge the ball out of his grasp from that position.

The Washington product also plays with a death grip over the ball. The instant the football touches his hands, he squeezes it and tucks it tight to his frame as quickly as he can. He leaves almost no chance for defenders to pry it loose.

It’s not just a matter of remembering Odunze’s best moments in the air, either. He is exceptionally consistent at making tough catches.

According to Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports and Reception Perception, about 23 percent of his charted targets were contested. That’s a huge number, less a product of any separation issues and more a product of Michael Penix Jr.’s blind faith.

Odunze delivered on that blind faith. He was successful on 88.9 percent of his charted contested catch targets. Moreover, he did not drop a single pass in the games Harmon charted.

So, when we say Odunze catches everything, it’s not really hyperbole. He really does haul in just about everything that comes his way. He’s a vacuum of space that footballs can’t escape.

Potential Fits: New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars.