Ten 2024 NFL Draft-eligible wide receivers to know ahead of 2023 college football season
While Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is the easy WR1 in the 2024 NFL Draft class, there’s no shortage of potential NFL stars beyond the Buckeyes star — including one of his teammates. Ahead of the 2023 season, PFF highlighted Harrison and nine other college wideouts to keep tabs on.
Along with the Ohio State duo, Washington and Texas each feature a pair of players on the list. And the other four players play at Florida State, LSU, Oregon and USC, respectively.
The 10 wideouts to know who are eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft, according to PFF (in no particular order):
- Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- Rome Odunze, Washington
- Jalen McMillan, Washington
- Xavier Worthy, Texas
- Adonai Mitchell, Texas
- Johnny Wilson, Florida State
- Troy Franklin, Oregon
- Malik Nabers, LSU
- Mario Williams, USC
Harrison is the best wide receiver in college football and could be the best player in the sport. NFL draft analysts said he could’ve been WR1 in the 2023 NFL Draft class. So, barring catastrophe, a polished 6-foot-4 wideout with elite athleticism is worth the watch. And his teammate, Egbuka, could go and headline a passing attack at any number of schools. He put up 1151 yards receiving and 12 total touchdowns last season.
Washington’s duo of Odunze and McMillan might not get the hype or attention that their Ohio State or Texas counterparts might, but they’re the real deal. In 2022, Odunze had 75 catches for 1145 yards and McMillan had 79 for 1098. They combined for 16 receiving touchdowns and should be poised for more elite production with Michael Penix Jr. back at quarterback.
Between Worthy and Mitchell, Texas might have the most explosive receiver pairing in college football. Worthy had a down 2022, but his elite speed and change of direction ability make him an enticing playmaker. Mitchell transferred from Georgia where he showed flashes, particularly in the postseason, but struggled to capture a bigger role in the offense. These two will tax opposing secondaries for the Longhorns with their athletic abilities.
Moving away from the trio of duos, Wilson — along with new arrival Keon Coleman — is trying to push Florida State into the College Football Playoff. At 6-foot-7, Wilson is among the biggest non-tight end targets in college football. And Wilson is a big-play merchant, averaging 20.9 yards per reception in 2022 at Florida State, his first season there after transferring from Arizona State.
Nabers continues in the long line of top-shelf LSU receivers in recent years. And while it was Kayshon Boutte who was supposed to star as a pass catcher for LSU in 2022, it was Nabers who paced the Tigers in receptions (in part because he played three more games). Nabers had 1017 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, the only LSU receiver to hit the 1000-yard threshold last year.
Few players benefitted from the Bo Nix renaissance at Oregon last year more than Franklin. In his second year for the Ducks, he hauled in 61 passes for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. A tall, long target, he’ll look to keep being on the receiving end of vertical shots in the Oregon offense.
Even Heisman winners like Caleb Williams need good pass catchers. He had Jordan Addison last year and in 2023 the USC quarterback will likely be finding Williams plenty. After moving to USC from Oklahoma along with Lincoln Riley and his quarterback, Williams caught 40 passes for 631 yards and five touchdowns. Without Addison in the passing attack, Williams should be featured heavily in 2023.