10 months ago
#3306096 Quote
Quarterbacks are clearly the NFL's, and every level of football's, most valuable position. That's not debatable.Wide receivers, a quarterback's primary pa s-catcher, aren't too far behind and definitely ranking inside the top five most valuable positions in the sport. The 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings here at CBS Sports reflect that with nine wide receivers inside our .Let's examine who those prospects are and where they could land in the 2024 NFL Draft.             OHIOST  WR  #18  No one had more receiving touchdowns acro s all of college football over the past two seasons (28) than Marvin Harrison Jr., who enters this draft cycle as the clear-cut WR1. Harrison (6-foot-four, 2-5 pounds) has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald and Justin Jefferson early in the draft proce s. His talent will give Kyler Murray a much-needed top target.  Harrison caught pa ses from C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord in college at Ohio State, two pa ser who did most of their work from the pocket. Murray is much more of a dynamic scrambler than either of those two were in Columbus, Ohio, but Harrison is the best receiver prospect in a generation.His footwork, change-of-direction, and ability to win at the point of attack on jump-balls and contested catches are what you would use in a lab if concocting an ideal receiving prospect from scratch. Even if a defensive back gets luck enough to stay with Harrison Jr. step-for-step, his length and strong hands allow him to corral the football even when it's thrown well away from his body. All defenders can Alex Wilson Jersey  do is pray and hope Harrison Jr.'s quarterback makes a mistake. Otherwise, the wideout makes the play. He is a virtual lock to be the first non-quarterback drafted in 2024.The Cardinals didn't get the top-flight wide receiver they were hoping for when they traded a first-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for Marquise Brown, but Arizona provides Murry with a legit WR1 in Harrison with the fourth overall pick come April.               LSU  WR  #8  The Chargers will likely be in the market for another wideout after po sibly needing to make tough salary cap decisions with wideout Mike Williams, who tore his ACL in 2023. Los Angeles selected TCU's Quentin Johnston (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) in the first round in 2023, and in 2024, they take a receiver with a different build in LSU's Malik Nabers (6-0, 200).Nabers is a killer after the catch. His blend of speed and lateral quickne s in the open field leaves defenders laying down wondering where their ankles went. Nabers' 51 forced mi sed tackles leads all SEC wide receivers and ranks as the fifth-most among all Power 5 wide receivers since 2022. He seems to almost never go down on first contact, and Nabers is a master at finding the hidden yards each play. His ability to stop and cut on a dime downfield after hauling in a deep ball is special. Nabers' acceleration is high-end and makes it seem like he's being fired out of a cannon. Nabers' speed, agility, and tenacity with the football in his hands make him one of the best receiving prospects in the entire country.He was the most electrifying receiver in the nation last year, and Justin Herbert has one of the strongest arms in the NFL. Nabers will allow him to let it rip.                WASH  WR  #1  No one had more receiving yards in college football last season than Washington' Jordy Mercer Jersey s Rome Odunze. The New York Giants are starving for receiver production. The Giants last had a player rack up 1,000 receiving yards back in 2018. Odell Beckham Jr. capped his final year in the Big Apple with 1,052 that season.Odunze, standing at 6-3 and weighing 215 pounds, runs like a high-end sports car, adeptly gear-shifting from fast to slow and then back to fast in a hurry, and can provide immediate help to whomever New Yor
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