Mel Kiper Jr. ranks wide receivers on his big board

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked the wide receivers on his big board for the upcoming NFL Draft since it’s that time of the year.

When you look at the amount of talent coming to the NFL next year, there could be a lot of wide receivers off the board in the first round. Kiper asked First Draft co-host Field Yates what he would take if the total was set at 5.5 or six.

Fields took the over for a loaded wide receiver group in the first round.

“The way I line them up right now,” Kiper said. “Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, then Keon Coleman. Then you can’t forget about this other group of receivers like Adonai Mitchell from Texas, Xavier Worthy from Texas. I mentioned Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette from South Carolina is really good. Brian Thomas Jr., the other wide receiver we talked about with his size and catch radius … To me, this receiver group is the best in the draft.”

Notice how Kiper did not mention Marvin Harrison Jr., the Heisman finalist. The Ohio State Buckeyes star did not officially declare for the draft or decide to stay at school for 2024.

If Harrison Jr. goes to the NFL, he’s expected to be the top wide receiver off the board.

Odunze is a nice consolation prize though. He had 81 catches for 1,428 yards, 13 touchdowns and 17.6 yards per catch this season. Odunze and the Washington Huskies will take on Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal. 

Nabers and Thomas Jr. were a deadly duo at LSU for Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels while Mitchell and Worthy will try to outdo Odunze and company in the CFP. Both were key for Quinn Ewers all season long and could be the difference on offense to get to the national championship.

McConkey made his presence known on Georgia’s offense and it definitely clicked when he was healthy. The game goes for Legette.

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.

Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.

The three-day event will be broadcast throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.