2024 WR Draft Class

[gonzo1105]

5 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Coleman may be the most polarizing WR in the draft, followed by Franklin. I don't trust either of them, but some of the folks who like them are certainly bright. Looks like the experts are all over the map on the next tiers, though it seems BTJ is nearly always in the top 5. Maybe Beane will have a plan to go get him. If not, I think you stick at #28, and decide based on what's on the board and what trade back deals are available.

 

 

It would not surprise me if they think there is a large gap between Thomas and then next guy that they give up the 2025 1st round pick. The early look at next years crop of WR's isn't as strong. If he drops down to the 14 range or so I could see Beane making that move it would still leave us with 8 picks next year even without the first rounder.

 

I've said it numerous times that Coleman fits their type of person that they like just not sure if that is the direction they go. I could def see it though esp if the Bills drop down to the beginning of round 2.

[Dr. Who]

6 minutes ago, gonzo1105 said:

 

It would not surprise me if they think there is a large gap between Thomas and then next guy that they give up the 2025 1st round pick. The early look at next years crop of WR's isn't as strong. If he drops down to the 14 range or so I could see Beane making that move it would still leave us with 8 picks next year even without the first rounder.

 

I've said it numerous times that Coleman fits their type of person that they like just not sure if that is the direction they go. I could def see it though esp if the Bills drop down to the beginning of round 2.

If they are trading the 2025 1st to move up, I hope they go big and trade up into the top 10 to grab a top 3 WR if someone falls. (It would cost more than #28 and next year's first to do so, I know.) But I would take Thomas as a solid choice, though that would be a high price to pay. Not sure I would. Coleman I just don't like, even at the top of the second, so I'll have to hope I am wrong if he is the pick. I like Mitchell, Legette, and McConkey there. Anyway, going to be a long three-and-a-half weeks while we endlessly rehash the scenarios.

[gonzo1105]

1 minute ago, Dr. Who said:

If they are trading the 2025 1st to move up, I hope they go big and trade up into the top 10 to grab a top 3 WR if someone falls. (It would cost more than #28 and next year's first to do so, I know.) But I would take Thomas as a solid choice, though that would be a high price to pay. Not sure I would. Coleman I just don't like, even at the top of the second, so I'll have to hope I am wrong if he is the pick. I like Mitchell, Legette, and McConkey there. Anyway, going to be a long three-and-a-half weeks while we endlessly rehash the scenarios.

 

Yup haha I hear ya, I'm tired of it as well. I'm not necessarily advocating for Coleman but we know the type of people that McDermott and Beane gravitate towards and Coleman is for sure that guy on a person level.

[HappyDays]

Joe Marino broke down another set of WRs:

 

Notably he really likes Legette and sees him as worthy of our pick at #28.

[LEBills]

These are my rankings, 20 deep of the 2024 NFL draft. Can’t wait for the draft to be here!

 

1. MHJ

2. Nabers

3. Odunze

Pretty Consensus.

 

4. Troy Franklin

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A three level WR that is useable in screens and great at slants, posts and comebacks. It is rare he is pressed at the line because opponents respect his speed. When defenders do close the space, he has a nice release package to quickly get into a slant, or dip his shoulder and get vertical. This combination of speed and technique led him to be THE most explosive WR in draft. He was also always on the same page as Bo Nix nickeling and dining defenses. One of my favorite games of his was against Oregon State where he and Nix option routed and combacked OSU to death. Literally had defenders shaking their head after another Franklin catch. It is the sign of a very mature game. Now to the one glaring concern - his hands are not the best. We all saw it at the combine gauntlet drill and it does pop up in his game where he lets balls get into his body.    His hands and arms are not very big and it leads to a smaller catch radius than someone his size should have. But he was so effective even with those concerns, I think he will overcome and be a really good pro.

 

This earlier post further delves into my admiration for Franklin

 

5. Xavier Worthy

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Worthy has his warts. He is very small and can get rag dolled easily. His hands are inconsistent and he can be lax with the ball allowing it to get punched out while picking up RAC. But man his combination of route running and speed make him worthy of a top pick. His fluidity in his routes and ability to decelerate on a dime are lethal. He also has some dog in him too despite being on the smaller size which lets him win some tackle attempts or fights for the ball. He will be best playing off the line in the NFL, but he can improve any team.

6. Brian Thomas Jr

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Mr. Built in a lab. What he does very well is very valuable - stretch the field. He doesn’t have a ton of development to his game at this point, but his threat of hitting the deep ball does open up the curls, slants and crossers underneath as CBs give him a lot of cushion. Though other receivers had more big plays than Thomas, his size, speed, length and yac creativity combination make him the most intimidating presence in the draft. Some concerns for Thomas is that he did only really have one year of production and his career drop rate was higher than you’d like. The drops are partly a function of his continued development and his useage as a downfield player. 

7. Javon Baker

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One of the more difficult decisions in this draft process. I’m going to start with the negatives: He is a goofy player. There are times he is late off the line after the snap because he was distracted by something. He had a high drop rate over the last two years exceeding 10% both years, and the misses do show up spectacularly. Whether it is kicking an interception into a CBs hands that would have otherwise fallen incomplete or dropping a few touchdowns on the goal line - he is goofy. Despite those flaws, he is too good to pass up. It all starts with his route running, he fires low out of his stance and is very fluid with his movements. Good at using this to set up CBs and then break the other way. When CBs try to get physical with him he is able to rip through with his hands or just catch the ball over them through the contact. Aside from Legette, he is the best jumper in the draft able to get great air off of one leg which leads to him winning a lot of jump balls and putting some awe inspiring highlights on tape. In addition to being physical through the catch, he shows great physicality with his yac often spinning away from would be tacklers. Though his speed is not elite he has enough juice to run away from defenders. He has a rare combination of high ADOT and good run after the catch. A very complete receiver and I think getting out of the Gus Malzaan offensive monstrosity and into an NFL team with a QB that doesn’t spray balls everywhere will mitigate some of his drop concerns.

End of Day 1 Receivers

 

8. AD Mitchell

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AD Mitchell is probably the second best receiver in this class if the rule was you couldn’t run after the catch. His route fluidity and ability to create separation is amazing and it’s no wonder he excelled in crunch time in the playoffs. But despite his amazing combine, he just is bad with the ball in his hands. Whether it’s going down on first contact or slipping on the turf, he just can’t seem to break a big play after the catch. Some players just don’t have the vision to be good runners. Now his skill set is valuable and he could still be a top WR in the league, but his game is not as well rounded as I would like and could limit him if the wrong team selects him. 

9. Ladd McConkey

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McConkey is the back breaker. When defenses think they have everything covered, McConkey catches a first down or scoots into the end zone. Against zone he has that Dalton Kincaid-like instant transition into a runner, is great on screens where he is elusive in the open field and can get vertical after turning his defender around. I thought he really grew his game this year showing a more vertical component to his game. The downside to Ladd is I don’t think he will ever be a WR1 in the league, but an awesome compliment to a passing offense. The injuries that shortened and hampered his 23 season also worry me.

10. Jermaine Burton

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Burton played in a game against Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell this year and was the best receiver on the field. He had 3 TDs that game - catching a tipped pass in the EZ, breaking a long catch and run for another TD, and finally tracking a deep ball in the corner of the EZ. Unfortunately for Burton and Alabama, the first two were negated by penalties away from the play. What I like about Burton is he is very effective as a downfield receiver, especially if he is able to get a step on his defender. Though he was credited with 0 drops this year, there were moments where the defenders won at the catch point against him and he dropped the ball. Despite that he does show the aggressiveness that I think he can improve at the catch point, and he is willing and able to put his body on the line to make a play. His biggest concern is going to be his immeasurables. He had an ugly incident with a fan last year, and Alabama fans were not impressed prior to last year. If teams feel confident with his character, I liken him a lot to last years Marvin Mims and think he will go day 2

 

11. Roman Wilson

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Scrappy slot receiver who has the speed to go vertical out of the slot which is becoming more important in today’s game. Money on third down and in the redzone this year. People point to JJs third down percentage being the best of this years prospects. He should give some of that signing bonus to Roman. 

12. Xavier Legette

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Humans should not have that type of hangtime when they jump and his coordination in bringing in those contested balls was very impressive. You see the physicality and speed overwhelm some of these defenders on his crossers especially. I was also surprised how much his useage reminded me of Tyreek Hill’s where SC would give him a running start after bringing him in motion pre snap or even have him start in the backfield. Having him release like that did accentuate his physical gifts and mitigate what is still a very raw game where he is not creating separation using route running. Since he was a pretty good kick returner, I was surprised by how unimpressed I was with him as an open field runner. He did have his moments but there were a lot of plays where he was tackled one on one by guys who went to Furman or who were probably 50 pounds less than him. I think the Clemson game is a good example of where his boom/bust nature could land in the darkest timeline. He started the game off dropping a backward pass that went for a scoop and score, the next play he got out jumped (on a badly underthrown ball by Ratler) for a pick, next catch he got submarined by the defender and was hurt, when he returned he caught the ball on an out at the two yard line and got caught and tackled one on one before the end zone. My biggest concern for him though is his injury history. Injuries cost him many games before 2023, which contributed to his infamous late breakout. I dont think he ever looked the same after his injury against Mizzou, though he did fight through it to still have a really good back half of the year. His up and down Senior Bowl was marred by an injury as well. I still have him ranked pretty high because it’s tough to predict injuries and his traits are tough to ignore. All reports I have read from SC fans is he is one of the hardest workers on the team so hopefully he can get better.

13. Keon Coleman

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This lower ranking doesn’t mean I don’t love Coleman. The second youngest receiver in this draft. What he did at Florida State offense - which was limited with Travis and vomit inducing without him - leaves some to be desired but I think he is someone who will be better in the pros. His ceiling is the question. I think it has to start with his receiving technique: he has great hands but is raw and too often will only use one hand to try and bring in the catch. Many times it works! But being more consistent getting both hands up I think will lead to many more explosive plays for him. 

14. Malik Washington

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Muscle Hamster WR alert. Washington’s game is that of a top 10 WR but his slot only role limits his value. But this isn’t the Cole Beasley type of player, he is more like a rocker up Christian Kirk. It was impressive his ability to get vertical out of the slot even though he has only average at best speed. His contact balance allows him to have value after the catch and his TD against UNC was an impressive showing of his physicality. 

 

15. Brenden Rice

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I’m too high on Brenden Rice. He should be listed as a day 3 guy. The way he runs is funny, pumping his arms and legs like he is trying to run through a wall. But man do I like him. He won’t be a top end receiver but he is low end starting X in this league. Not many players have that X size, physicality, and never stop attitude. The Oregon game was my favorite of his where he showed how he could just out strong the press to get open. Or he could push off late against a defender, flash his hands and catch a crucial Redzone touchdown. Or you could get him into a slant and let him just be a big guy getting yards after the catch with defenders tearing his Jersey. Any team with a QB who likes to extend the plays should value him as a depth player as he was very helpful to Caleb Williams late in the play to get out of trouble.

16. Devontez Walker

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Walker may be the most raw receiver in the draft. His ability to stack defenders is really good and he has an immediate role as a deep threat. His intermediate game is lacking as he rounds routes. Despite his limited routes, he got the better of Nate Wiggins in their matchup even though Drake Maye struggle terribly in the game. Walker is not someone ready to do anything more than run 9s and screens in the NFL, but there is talent in there to develop. Being in one system for 4 years will probably help him a lot as he has bounced around colleges. By the end of his contract he may really start to flash.

17. Malachi Corley

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A RB playing WR. I’m skeptical his hard running style will hold up against NFL defenders like they did against C-USA defenders. He does have tools to work with including a great build with big hands and long arms but I think he has a long way to go.

 

End of day 2 guys

 

18. Jalyn Polk

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Polk is a very smooth athlete. I like him running crossers, can fight through contact, and he has the ability to get deep on a defense. I do think he is very inconsistent. He went without a catch against OSU and WSU and displayed some terrible drops over those two games. 

19. Ricky Pearsall

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In addition to a great Senior Bowl and Combine showing, I like Pearsall’s versatility. Someone who can line up at each position and even do some end arounds and screens effectively. Despite his testing, the athleticism isn’t high end but is good enough to pull away from defenders. He sinks his hips and can wiggle in his routes to get DBs to flip their hips and then beat them to the opposite shoulder. The Florida/SC game was a bit of a back and forth between Pearsall and Legette as both players put their team on their backs. I do think the best role to maximize his talents will be in the slot where he won’t be pressed as much and can get into his bag of tricks a little easier.

20. Jamari Thrash

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Jamari can really shine in highlights. His route running and yards after catch are both good. His touchdown against Notre Dame was an impressive showing of getting open at all costs. But he does struggle significantly with drops and is at best a short and intermediate weapon

 

Edited April 25 by LEBills

[Donuts and Doritos]

 

 

[BillsFanForever19]

20 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Derrik Klassen with Bleacher Report, whose opinion I really respect, wrote up his top 16 WR prospects:

 

He breaks down what makes each of the prospects special in their own right. It's a fantastic read.

 

His list in order:

 

1. Marvin Harrison Jr

2. Rome Odunze

3. Malik Nabers

4. Keon Coleman

5. Brian Thomas Jr

6. Jalen McMillan

7. Roman Wilson

8. Ja'Lynn Polk

9. Xavier Worthy

10. Ladd McConkey

11. Adonai Mitchell

12. Jermaine Burton

13. Xavier Legette

14. Malachi Corley

15. Troy Franklin

16. Ricky Pearsall

 

Wow. I like McMillan, but WR6? Mitchell as WR11? And I'm down on Troy Franklin too, I have him as WR10, but WR15? 

 

I guess it just goes to show how deep this class is and how similarly graded a lot of them are. One guy's WR4 can be another guy's WR15.

 

Though I sometimes can't help but wonder if certain experts are basing their rankings on being contrarion for the sake of being contrarion and/or hoping that someone they rank much higher than others hits so they can look like a genius in hindsight.

Edited April 2 by BillsFanForever19

[transplantbillsfan]

5 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Joe Marino broke down another set of WRs:

 

Notably he really likes Legette and sees him as worthy of our pick at #28.

 

He doesn't only like Legette... he seems to love him.  He actually ranks Legette as his WR #4 ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. and Adonai Mitchell.

 

He didn't seem to have a negative thing to say about his game.  The question mark was just the 1 year of production.

 

For value I almost hope we trade back from #28 to draft him, but who knows what actual NFL teams value him as?  Maybe just draft him at 28 if he's there.

[3rdand12]

22 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Coleman may be the most polarizing WR in the draft, followed by Franklin. I don't trust either of them, but some of the folks who like them are certainly bright. Looks like the experts are all over the map on the next tiers, though it seems BTJ is nearly always in the top 5. Maybe Beane will have a plan to go get him. If not, I think you stick at #28, and decide based on what's on the board and what trade back deals are available.

 

I think Beane also need to look closely and fit well , for what they are doing.  Allen specifically under Brady , If staying in the first for WR

 And more so if moving up in the second.

Probably gotta nail this 1st WR pick, Second WR picked just needs to ran fast as heck

But 28 could go any which way at this point

Draft is always exciting last few years with Beane's Bills. You're gonna find a treat in there somewhere

Edited April 3 by 3rdand12

[BillsFanForever19]

1 hour ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

He doesn't only like Legette... he seems to love him.  He actually ranks Legette as his WR #4 ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. and Adonai Mitchell.

 

He didn't seem to have a negative thing to say about his game.  The question mark was just the 1 year of production.

 

For value I almost hope we trade back from #28 to draft him, but who knows what actual NFL teams value him as?  Maybe just draft him at 28 if he's there.

 

He's far from the only Bills reporter that feels this way. If you watch One Bills Live, he's the favorite of both Chris Brown and Steve Tasker at 28.

 

The Bills Guys at Cover 1 did their first full Round 1 Mock for every team and took Legette with Mitchell, Worthy, McConkey, Coleman and Franklin still on the board:

 

 

As we get closer to the Draft and coming off the Combine, he is rising more and more. Good chance that's from hearing things from teams. He was picked at 29 in Mel Kiper's latest Mock.

 

This idea that he's a 2nd Round prospect that we can probably get at 60 or in a small trade up and we can afford to wait on him doesn't seem to be based in reality, in my opinion. The feeling I'm getting right now from people is that the first 3 guys are gone by Pick 8. That Thomas is going to go higher than expected and that Mitchell is closer to him in league circles than people expect. Both will most likely also be gone by the time we pick.

 

If he's the guy Beane likes, he should take him at 28 and shouldn't try and get cute about it. Coming off his measurements and performance at the Combine and the type of WR he is, I think his current value is a Late 1st to Early 2nd Round as the Floor type of guy. It's no guarantee he'll be there in a Trade Down and I don't think we'll be able to Trade Up from 60 far enough to still get him.

Edited April 3 by BillsFanForever19

[Donuts and Doritos]

 

 

 

 

 

[DCOrange]

On 4/1/2024 at 9:40 PM, HappyDays said:

Derrik Klassen with Bleacher Report, whose opinion I really respect, wrote up his top 16 WR prospects:

 

He breaks down what makes each of the prospects special in their own right. It's a fantastic read.

 

His list in order:

 

1. Marvin Harrison Jr

2. Rome Odunze

3. Malik Nabers

4. Keon Coleman

5. Brian Thomas Jr

6. Jalen McMillan

7. Roman Wilson

8. Ja'Lynn Polk

9. Xavier Worthy

10. Ladd McConkey

11. Adonai Mitchell

12. Jermaine Burton

13. Xavier Legette

14. Malachi Corley

15. Troy Franklin

16. Ricky Pearsall

I like Klassen, particularly for his QB breakdowns. These are some real interesting rankings. I really don't see it with McMillan personally; he's on my do not draft list. He's much lower on Franklin than I am too, but some of the other stuff lines up pretty similarly with me. Relatively high on Coleman, relatively low on Worthy, Mitchell, and Legette. Interesting stuff.

2 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

He's far from the only Bills reporter that feels this way. If you watch One Bills Live, he's the favorite of both Chris Brown and Steve Tasker at 28.

 

The Bills Guys at Cover 1 did their first full Round 1 Mock for every team and took Legette with Mitchell, Worthy, McConkey, Coleman and Franklin still on the board:

 

 

As we get closer to the Draft and coming off the Combine, he is rising more and more. Good chance that's from hearing things from teams. He was picked at 29 in Mel Kiper's latest Mock.

 

This idea that he's a 2nd Round prospect that we can probably get at 60 or in a small trade up and we can afford to wait on him doesn't seem to be based in reality, in my opinion. The feeling I'm getting right now from people is that the first 3 guys are gone by Pick 8. That Thomas is going to go higher than expected and that Mitchell is closer to him in league circles than people expect. Both will most likely also be gone by the time we pick.

 

If he's the guy Beane likes, he should take him at 28 and shouldn't try and get cute about it. Coming off his measurements and performance at the Combine and the type of WR he is, I think his current value is a Late 1st to Early 2nd Round as the Floor type of guy. It's no guarantee he'll be there in a Trade Down and I don't think we'll be able to Trade Up from 60 far enough to still get him.

I think you're probably correct that if he's the guy Beane wants, he should just take him at 28. I hope that's not the case though personally.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Xavier Worthy. Final answer.

[GunnerBill]

5 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

He doesn't only like Legette... he seems to love him.  He actually ranks Legette as his WR #4 ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. and Adonai Mitchell.

 

 

Suddenly I think Joe is a very smart man 😂. I will listen to the podcast on the way to work, but if he does have Legette as his WR4 he can join me in a club of 2 😁.

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Suddenly I think Joe is a very smart man 😂. I will listen to the podcast on the way to work, but if he does have Legette as his WR4 he can join me in a club of 2 😁.

 

You should listen.

 

When are you going to come out with your own WR Big board?

[Locomark]

All 4 key round 1 graded WRs will be gone by 14-17. So we may not go round 1 WR, when guys like Legette may go the mid to end round of 2.

i personally want a top WR, so I would push to trade up using either our 2025 2nd or just trading Dawson Knox as part of the round pick swap.  

[BillsFanForever19]

1 hour ago, Locomark said:

All 4 key round 1 graded WRs will be gone by 14-17. So we may not go round 1 WR, when guys like Legette may go the mid to end round of 2.

i personally want a top WR, so I would push to trade up using either our 2025 2nd or just trading Dawson Knox as part of the round pick swap.  

 

Again, I disagree with the concept of mid to late Round 2 for Legette. You don't get that kind of size and speed often and it's not littered all over the Draft. Lately, he's been climbing the boards when it comes to the experts. RIght now, I would be extremely surprised if he falls any later than the 35-40 range.

Edited April 3 by BillsFanForever19

[BillsFanForever19]

Buffalo Fanatics Writers Mock Drafts: 3 for Adonai Mitchell, 3 for Xavier Legette 

 

https://thebuffalofanatics.com/2024-buffalo-fanatics-writers-mock-draft-round-4/amp/

[MrEpsYtown]

I’m into Brian Thomas, Keon Coleman and Leggette. 
 

Thomas is always behind the defense and I love the contested catches. Coleman is a huge playmaker and is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Leggette is a freak. Those three guys I think really complement the roster and provide a guy who is very different from what we have. 
 

I would not be upset with Worthy, Mitchell or Franklin. Mitchell actually reminds me of Diggs. My gut says they really like Franklin. Honestly we are in a position for a really nice upgrade. I would be happy with any of these 6 guys, assuning MHJ, Nabers, and Odunze are gone. 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, transplantbillsfan said:

 

You should listen.

 

When are you going to come out with your own WR Big board?

 

My top 15 were published here the other day: https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/253033-gunners-2024-mock-draft-v20-now-live-p8/page/11/#comment-9001407

 

I have a further 5 after that: Polk, Cowing, Corley, Rice and McMillan in my top 100 making it 20 in my top 100. What I think has been a bit under discussed in this talk about the depth of the WR group is that it does drop off a bit after that. I think there are 20 maybe even 21 (I have Malik Washington not far outside my top 100) who legit could go in the first two days.... but then when I get into day 3 receivers that I like as developmental pieces..... it is relatively slim pickings compared to some other years. I like Thrash some as a round 4 guy, Cornelius Johnson as a late 4th rounder and then McCaffrey and Johnny Wilson are 5th round grades for me. After that you are into Jha'Quan Jackson and Anthony Gould as return guys who can play some gimmick receiver in a pinch for you who I think are draftable. 

 

Some of the other guys I have seen talked about as day 3 prospects - Isaiah Williams, Jalen Coker, Jordan Whittington, Xavier Weaver.... they are 7th round flier / UDFA types to my eye.

1 hour ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Again, I disagree with the concept of mid to late Round 2 for Legette. You don't get that kind of size and speed often and it's not littered all over the Draft. Lately, he's been climbing the boards when it comes to the experts. RIght now, I would be extremely surprised if he falls any later than the 35-40 range.

 

Yea, while I do not think there is a consensus out there at all on Legette - because the decision on him basically comes down to risk appetite - it only takes one team to be at the higher end of that scale and he is gone.