Welcome to the thick of the pre-draft process. With a little over a week until practices kick off in Mobile, Alabama, I’ll be providing a layered look into each positional group set to compete at the 2024 Senior Bowl.
The draft cycle’s premier showcase presents prospects with the opportunity to don their respective college helmets just one final time. Let’s get rolling with a peek into the headlining players set to compete at wide receiver.
Senior Bowl 2024 WR Primer
Xavier Legette, South Carolina
I expect Legette to solidify himself as a day-one pick in Mobile. A blend of size, speed, and separation ability, he’s got excellent hands and the athletic profile to simply embarrass opposing corners. Talents like him at a verified 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds don’t grow on trees.
Tez Walker, North Carolina
It’s a big week for everyone in Mobile, but it’ll be especially big for Walker. Depends on who you talk to, but his range stems from day one all the way to the early portions of day three (Rounds 4-7). Showcasing a nuanced release package against a variety of leverages is something NFL evaluators will have their eye on.
Roman Wilson, Michigan
Wilson is going to make some GM very, very happy come April. He’s not the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but he understands how to create space, has excellent hands, and has no issue doing the dirty work as a blocker or ranging over the middle of the field. He’s a flat-out ballplayer I would take in a heartbeat.
Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Arguably the top prospect from the Group of Five level, Corley has been the focus of draft conversations for some time now. What makes the Western Kentucky product special is his ability after the catch, where his 211-pound(v) frame is a nightmare to take down in space. The play only starts when he gets the ball in his hand.
Jamari Thrash, Louisville
A transfer to Louisville from Georgia State, Thrash is an inside-out versatile weapon with the physicality to overpower versus man coverage and throttle up to run past opposing corners.
Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane
“There’s a lot of Zay Flowers to his game,” one NFC rep said about Jackson. One of Michael Pratt’s favorite targets this fall, Jackson is lightning in a bottle who will also earn work as a punt returner in Mobile.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia
One of the premier blockers at the position, Rosemy-Jacksaint will provide excellent depth to whichever team turns in his draft card this spring. Scouts believe he’s only just now starting to realize his potential after totaling more touchdowns this year (4) than his previous three years in Athens combined (3).
Ladd McConkey, Georgia
One of the class’ premier route-runners, McConkey is mature beyond his years in understanding soft spots and leverage. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ranks near the top of a variety of categories (among rookie wideouts) next fall should he fall in the right situation.
Ricky Pearsall, Florida
Similar to McConkey, Pearsall is an excellent route-runner who plays bigger than his verified 6-foot frame. There has to be an appreciation during the process for just flat-out good football players, and Pearsall fits the script to a T.
Johnny Wilson, Florida State
A big man at 6-foot-6(v), Wilson is also expected to get work at tight end in Mobile. While many see Wilson’s size and label him directly as a pure in-line flex talent, he’s got a heck of an amount of juice and suddenness as a route-runner to give corners fits on the outside.
Javon Baker, UCF
A transfer from Alabama, Baker has tremendous ball skills and remains one of the more underrated players at the position. He checks off a ton of the boxes teams look for in a separator with legit juice to run by people.
Brenden Rice, USC
One of Caleb Williams’ favorite targets for the Trojans this fall, Rice understands the finer nuances of the receiver position that often presents him the opportunity for a heavy volume of targets. He’s a friendly face for quarterbacks on short down-and-distances and also has the body control and strength to overpower corners in the red area.
Jacob Cowing, Arizona
A riser in the process as we sit here today, Cowing is expected to shine all week long. Not only is he excellent in space on designated touches, but he can run the full route tree and holster the workload of a WR1. He totaled 309 yards receiving with three touchdowns in his final two games as a Wildcat.
Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
Expected to serve as a core return man from day one at the NFL level, Smith has legit get-up-and-go ability out of the slot, as well. Teams with a creative offensive architecture will prioritize Smith due to his short-area quickness and rapid acceleration to pull away from defenders.
Luke McCaffrey, Rice
It was a heck of a season for McCaffrey amassing career highs in receptions (71), yards (998), and 13 touchdowns (sixth among all FBS wideouts). He’s an extremely cerebral athlete who won’t ‘wow’ with measurables or in testing, but, again, he’s just a flat-out good football player. You don’t want to be the guy two years from now saying, “Where did he come from?” Pay attention to McCaffrey in Mobile.
Jordan Whittington, Texas
There were a ton of headlining names on either side of the ball for Texas this year, but Whittington, a fan favorite in Austin, should begin to earn his spotlight with a good showing in Mobile. He’s got excellent size working out of the slot and is a tough kid who will boost an offense in both phases due to his willingness as a blocker.
