With some electric performances in the past two weeks, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has made us extremely excited for the 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class. Of course, we get to enjoy watching these elite pass catchers play college football for the best part of two years. However, a quick glance into the future reveals another deeply talented class of wide receivers for NFL teams to prepare for in just under two years’ time.
Marvin Harrison Jr. leads a stellar potential 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class
We’ve been spoiled with exceptional WR classes in recent years. At first glance, it looks like the 2024 NFL Draft class is going to be equally talented and every bit as exciting as the ones that have come before. While it’s a long way away, we’ve done some early scouting to compile some noticeable names while listing some of the prospects with exciting potential.
What better place to start than with the man who inspired this way-too-early dive into the 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class?
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
In this week’s college football winners article, I described how Harrison “makes the acrobatic look commonplace and the impossible seem achievable.” The 6’3″, 202-pound sophomore WR has an otherworldly element of body control to his game. Meanwhile, Harrison defies gravity with his catch-point acrobatics while possessing acute awareness.
Furthermore, Harrison has the size and physicality to compete at the catch point plus the speed and route-running ability to create separation with relative ease. Through three games of the 2022 season, he’s tallied 342 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 19.0 yards per catch.
Xavier Worthy, Texas
Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy exploded onto the scene as a true freshman last fall, with many people crowning him the WR1 of the 2024 NFL Draft as the result of a season where he scored 12 touchdowns and registered 981 yards at over 15 yards per reception. Although the touchdowns are yet to come, Worthy has been on similar form so far this season despite a QB situation impacted by the injury to Quinn Ewers.
Measuring in at 6’1″ and a little over 160 pounds, Worthy might get the “DeVonta Smith” treatment in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, it’d be a fool who lets his slight frame cloud their vision from his obvious talent.
A former high school track star, Worthy is a genuine speed threat whose acceleration allows him to burn defensive backs for fun. He’s also showcased good ball tracking and route running, although there’s room for improvement with his hand reliability. Worthy also adds special-teams excellence and experience.
Adonai Mitchell, Georgia
Worthy and Harrison were two of the top recruits in the 2021 recruiting class. But you have to scroll a little further down the rankings to find Adonai Mitchell.
The Georgia pass catcher was a three-star recruit coming out of Cane Ridge High School. Meanwhile, Mitchell was only the 64th-ranked WR recruit and failed to crack the top-300 recruits in the class, according to 247Sports. All that matters for naught when you watch Mitchell out on the field for the Bulldogs.
He was a key element of their national championship-winning offense last fall, snagging touchdowns in both playoff games. In those games, you saw true glimpses of the skill set that should make Mitchell one of the top wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 6’4″, 190-pound pass catcher moves with ludicrous twitch for his size. He’s a dangerous route runner who regularly breaks ankles with his change-of-direction ability. Furthermore, his body control, physicality, and catch-point prowess are all at a ridiculously high level.
Mario Williams, USC
Much was expected of Mario Williams during his freshman season at Oklahoma. From a box-score perspective, 380 yards, 10.9 yards per catch, and four scores might not quite have lived up to that expectation. However, within three games of his transfer to USC, the 5’9″, 185-pound pass catcher has flashed the skill set that made him the fourth-ranked WR in the 2021 recruiting class.
That ability is what makes Williams an exciting wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft class. He’s a monster after-the-catch threat who has explosive acceleration and insane lateral agility to leave defenders grasping at thin air.
Witness his “shake and bake” touchdown against Stanford this season for a true example of what Williams is capable of after the catch. Despite his diminutive size, the USC receiver is also capable of performing at the catch point, with good ball tracking and body control allowing him to reel passes in.
Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Like Ohio State, LSU has a genuine claim to being called “Wide Receiver U” and the success of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase in the NFL only strengthens that argument.
The Tigers will add Kayshon Boutte to their list of draftees next April, and there are already multiple pass catchers waiting in the wings including Malik Nabers, Jaray Jenkins, and Jack Bech. However, there’s another on the LSU roster that demands close attention in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Measuring 6’3” and 205 pounds, Brian Thomas Jr. boasts excellent size. Meanwhile, he’s blessed with great length and wingspan, which is apparent in his ability to pluck the ball out of the sky with an impressive catch radius. He also showcases vertical explosion, going up to snag the ball above the rim.
This should make Thomas an alluring red-zone threat at the NFL level. Although he’s not a straight-line burner, Thomas has long-strider speed plus the agility to be elusive in the open field.
Other 2024 NFL Draft wide receivers to know
- Keon Coleman, Michigan State
- Beaux Collins, Clemson
- Kaden Prather, West Virginia
- Troy Franklin, Oregon
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- Romello Brinson, Miami (FL)
- Dominic Lovett, Missouri
- Andrel Anthony, Michigan
- Rara Thomas, Mississippi State
- Ja’Corey Brooks, Alabama