Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers lead an elite 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class

2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class ranking No. 21-24

21. Ladd McConkey, Georgia

One of the more overrated wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft is Ladd McConkey. While I love how well he runs his routes, and ability to make yards after the catch I only have a fifth-round grade on him while other draftniks have a second-round grade on him. The biggest concern I have with him is his lack of elite athletic ability. Coming out of high school he only ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and he likely won’t be able to crack a 4.4 at the NFL Combine. He also has battled his share of drops while at Georgia and has had trouble catching the ball in traffic. One more concern is that he missed five games this year due to back and ankle injuries. Draft Grade: Fifth Round

22. Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

Another wide receiver I am lower on than other people is Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley. While I love his production having caught 180 passes and 22 touchdowns over the past two seasons, he lacks the traits that make me think he will be a starter wide receiver in the NFL. To start with he lacks the speed and explosiveness to make plays downfield which helps explain why he only averaged 11.7 yards per catch during his college career. He also is not a polished route runner and has some trouble breaking down at the top of his routes. Yet another issue with him is that he is a shorter wide receiver coming in at 5-foot-11. On the positive side, he is a physical runner after the catch which has helped him pick up plenty of yards after the catch during his time at Western Kentucky. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

23. Jermaine Burton, Alabama

One of the biggest playmakers in the 2024 NFL Draft is Alabama’s Jermaine Burton. This regular season he averaged an impressive 22.2 yards per catch which led the SEC. Along with his speed, another trait that Burton has is his ability to track the deep ball. He also shows the body control to adjust his ball to the deep ball, and the strength to outmusle the defensive back. While this ability to make the big play is impressive there are several reasons why I have a late-round grade on him. The first is that he is not a very refined rout runner, and mainly relies on go routes and hitches to do most of his damage. He also needs to do a better job of reading coverages. One more concern with him is his effort lacks at times which limits his production. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

"“He’s made some catches down the field where whether they’re contested or he had to turn his body a certain way, his ability to track and react to balls really helps our ability to push the ball down the field.""

- Tommy Rees on Jermaine Burton

24. Malik Washington, Virginia

One of the most productive wide receivers in college football last season, was Virginia’s Malik Washington. This season he broke the ACC records for receptions with 110 catches and he also led the ACC in total yards with 1,706. This was quite the breakout year for the former Northwestern Wildcat who never had more than 65 receptions and 694 yards in his four seasons at Evanston. While this production should be enough to get him drafted his lack of size, elite speed, and how he uses his hands to catch the ball will limit him to a late-round draft pick. Draft Grade: Sixth Round