Mel Kiper: 'There's a drop-off' after top three wide receivers in draft

This fact seems to be true about the early picks of the NFL Draft. The first three selections should be quarterbacks — you can guess at the other. But receivers are nearly as coveted as the QBs.

That’s why NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper believes that the Cardinals, with pick No. 4, should think extra hard about trading down and allowing a team like the Vikings to control their pick. Sure, the first round is knee deep with wideouts. But there’s a difference between the exceptional upper tier and the rest of the first-round best.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze are big, fast and productive. In other words, Kiper believes each of the three is a game-changing wideout.

“Make no mistake, there’s three and then there’s a gap,” Kiper said this week when he revealed his latest mock draft. “There’s a drop off. Brian Thomas Jr. isn’t Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze or Marvin Harrison Jr. And Xavier Worthy, Adonei Mitchell and Xavier Legette — the list goes on and on — they are not in that tier, that top tier of these super elite wide receivers.”

He added “and if you’re Arizona, you’re losing those three by moving to 11 (if they trade with the Vikings).”

Then Kiper localized the selection for the Cardinals, as he predicted Arizona wouldn’t trade the fourth pick. “I don’t see them doing that,” Kiper said. “They got to get that for (quarterback) Kyler Murray. And you’re staring … Larry Fitzgerald right in the face with Marvin Harrison Jr. History can repeat itself there.”

Fitzgerald, of course, was the third pick of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played his entire career with the Cardinals, earning trips to the Pro Bowl 11 times. So if Harrison, the former Ohio State, is the next Fitzgerald, Kiper thinks Arizona should select him.

There could be six receivers who go in this year’s first round. Plus, many teams view Georgia tight end Brock Bowers as a glorified receiver, since he’ll be drafted for his hands, not his blocking ability. Some mock drafts project him as high as the 10th pick, going to the New York Jets.

The first round of last year’s NFL Draft also featured a top tier of receivers. However, teams didn’t start drafting them until the final third of the opening round. The Seahawks opted for Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th pick. Then the Chargers followed at No. 21 with Quentin Johnston. The Ravens landed Zay Flowers at 22, with the Vikings getting Jordan Addison a selection later.

After the big three in this year’s NFL Draft, there will be receivers comparable to the 2023 first rounders. There’s the Texas Longhorn duo of Worthy and Mitchell. Then there’s Thomas, Nabers’ teammate at LSU, and Legette of South Carolina. Worthy might be the most intriguing. He weighs only 165 pounds, but boy, can he run.

Worthy ran a 4.21-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. The time made him the fastest prospect ever clocked for an NFL Draft. Remember, the first round starts April 25. And you can follow the On3 NFL Draft coverage by clicking here.