Ranking 15 best wide receivers in 2024 NFL Draft class

[sahlensguy]

111

Maybe....barely. But I doubt it.
The two draft analysts I respect the most, Scouts, Inc. and The Athletics Dane Brugler have Pearsall at #10 and #15 respectively.

Where do they rank johnny wilson? I hope we get him. Huge target. Deceptive separation. Somewhat raw. Could even see him as a replacement to Knox. Kincaid/Wilson! I'm guessing third round, but we don't have a third round pick.

[notacon]

111

Where do they rank johnny wilson? I hope we get him. Huge target. Deceptive separation. Somewhat raw. Could even see him as a replacement to Knox. Kincaid/Wilson! I'm guessing third round, but we don't have a third round pick.

Scout's Inc. has Johnny Wilson at #24, and Dane Brugler does not have him in his Top 100.

Scount's Inc. has him ranked #159 overall with a grade of 59. Here is their write up...

Pre-Draft Analysis


Wilson is built more like a tight end than a receiver. He doesn't separate well for a receiver, and he drops too many passes, but the traits and flashes are impressive. He has excellent size, rare length and good top-end speed. Wilson's frame and catching radius make him a tough one-on-one matchup. He's also a vertical threat and is strong enough to break tackles after the catch. A team could move him to tight end in the hopes he follows a career arc similar to the one taken by Darren Waller. -- Steve Muench

When I have more time (I'm catching a flight home soon) I'll post what Brugler says about him in his "Beast" guide.

[Goobylal]

Opinions on wide receivers after the top three go all over the place.

[Ed]

Opinions on wide receivers after the top three go all over the place.

After everything I've read and listened to I'd be excited if the Bills land Xavier Legette, Brian Thomas Jr, Ladd McConkey, or Ricky Pearsal.

[Mad Max]

McConkey is a wildcard for me.

I feel like his measurables just aren’t good enough to become a number one in the NFL too short, tiny hands, too light…BUT the dude can play, is a great route runner and has heart.

That aligns with Josh’ aww shucks boyscout vibe too perfectly.

I wouldn’t want him in the first but wouldn’t put it past Beanie to get him.

[Woodman]

After everything I've read and listened to I'd be excited if the Bills land Xavier Legette, Brian Thomas Jr, Ladd McConkey, or Ricky Pearsal.

Ricky Pearsal don't know much about him 2nd rounder?

[kgun12]

After everything I've read and listened to I'd be excited if the Bills land Xavier Legette, Brian Thomas Jr, Ladd McConkey, or Ricky Pearsal.

I’d be happy with any of them, I know he’s not the biggest guy, but I wouldn’t mind the kid from Michigan Roman. He runs a 4.39 great hands and reminds me of Wes Welker.

[kgun12]

McConkey is a wildcard for me.

I feel like his measurables just aren’t good enough to become a number one in the NFL too short, tiny hands, too light…BUT the dude can play, is a great route runner and has heart.

That aligns with Josh’ aww shucks boyscout vibe too perfectly.

I wouldn’t want him in the first but wouldn’t put it past Beanie to get him.

I know what you’re saying, but the kid just makes plays! He also runs a 4.39 40!

[justasportsfan]

McConkey is a wildcard for me.

I feel like his measurables just aren’t good enough to become a number one in the NFL too short, tiny hands, too light…BUT the dude can play, is a great route runner and has heart.

That aligns with Josh’ aww shucks boyscout vibe too perfectly.

I wouldn’t want him in the first but wouldn’t put it past Beanie to get him.

I like MCConkey but anything less than Diggs is going to be a problem. If teams can keep him in check in the playoffs, they are just going to do the same with a number 1 or 2 who isnt better than Diggs.

An awesome number 1 will also make life easier for Allen that we wouldnt have to put everything on his shoulders. I dont want hero ball making appearances come playoffs.

We need better than Diggs to beat KC in the playoffs as well.

I am also not sold on Brady's system being better than Daboll+Diggs (who couldnt beat KC in the playoffs) just yet.

[sukie]

Diggs ever do anything against the Chiefs in the playoffs?

improving on nothing should be easy.

[Mad Max]

I like MCConkey but anything less than Diggs is going to be a problem. If teams can keep him in check in the playoffs, they are just going to do the same with a number 1 or 2 who isnt better than Diggs.

An awesome number 1 will also make life easier for Allen that we wouldnt have to put everything on his shoulders. I dont want hero ball making appearances come playoffs.

We need better than Diggs to beat KC in the playoffs as well.

I am also not sold on Brady's system being better than Daboll+Diggs (who couldnt beat KC in the playoffs) just yet.

Yep. Mcconkey is a high floor lower ceiling kind of player IMO.

I feel like Julian Edelman is his ceiling…that’s terrific if he reaches it.

We however need a Jefferson or Chase not Edelman.

[Woodman]

We better double or triple down on the WR's this time.

These contracts are completely insane.

[sahlensguy]

Yep. Mcconkey is a high floor lower ceiling kind of player IMO.

I feel like Julian Edelman is his ceiling…that’s terrific if he reaches it.

We however need a Jefferson or Chase not Edelman.

edelman was drafted in the 7th round and dind't break out until season 5, the first season with over 250 yards in recieving.

I hope our 1st round pick doesn't have an Edelman like trajectory. Allen may be elsewhere by then!

[Mad Max]

edelman was drafted in the 7th round and dind't break out until season 5, the first season with over 250 yards in recieving.

I hope our 1st round pick doesn't have an Edelman like trajectory. Allen may be elsewhere by then!

Mcconkey won’t take very long to be good in the league unlike Edelman who had to learn how to be a WR after converting from QB. He’ll become Edelman like very soon (if he hits his ceiling) not years down the road.

He just won’t be a number one (IMO) which is why I hope we pass. Now if he somehow drops and we double dip in the second. I’d be all for that scenario.

[notacon]

111

Where do they rank johnny wilson? I hope we get him. Huge target. Deceptive separation. Somewhat raw. Could even see him as a replacement to Knox. Kincaid/Wilson! I'm guessing third round, but we don't have a third round pick.

As promised here is the full write up for Johnny Wilson from Dane Bruglers "The Beast" guide for 2024.

He ranks him as #22 for WR's and gives him a 4th - 5th round grade.

22. JOHNNY WILSON | Florida State

6' 6 3/8" | 231 lbs. | 4JR

Pacoima, Calif. (Calabasas)

4/3/2001 (age 23.06)

2020 - 3 GP - 1 GS - 6 Rec - 89 Yards - 14.8 AVG - 0 TD - 1 Drop
2021 - 5 GP - 2 GS - 12 Rec - 154 Yards - 12.8 AVG - 1 TD - 3 Drop
2022 - 13 GP - 13 GS - 43 Rec 897 Yards - 20.9 AVG - 5 TD - 6 Drop
2023 - 10 GP - 10 GS - 41 Rec 617 Yards - 15.1 AVG - 2 TD - 5 Drop

Career:

31 GP - 26 GS - 102 Rec - 1,757 Yards - 17.2 AVG - 8 TD - 15 Drop


BACKGROUND: Johnny Wilson, who has a younger brother, grew up in Pacoima. He started playing football at age 8 at the Pop Warner level (North Valley Golden Bears), and the coaches put him at running back and “every position on defense,” because of his size and speed. In seventh grade, he outgrew running back and made the switch to wide receiver. He hit another growth spurt soon after, sprouting up from 6-foot-1 in eighth grade to 6-5 as a high school sophomore. Wilson attended Calabasas High School, where he was teammates with several future FBS players, like CB Darnay Holmes (UCLA) and WR Jermaine Burton (Georgia and Alabama). He broke into the varsity starting lineup midway through his freshman year and announced himself as a playmaker with 58 receptions for 855 yards and 14 touchdowns, while leading Calabasas to a 14-1 record and the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship. As a sophomore, Wilson totaled 52 catches for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns, as the team won the league title. As a junior, he missed some time because of injury but still finished with 40 catches for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a senior, he was named an Under Armour All-American with 37 receptions for 606 yards and eight touchdowns — he finished his prep career with 43 receiving touchdowns. Former NFL receiver Curtis Conway was his position coach at Calabasas. Wilson was also a standout receiver on 7-on-7 teams in Pylon Elite Camps.

A four-star recruit, Wilson was the No. 21 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 11 recruit in California (No. 4 re ceiver in the state, just behind Burton). He earned his first offer (UCLA) as a freshman, after Bruins head coach Jim Mora Jr. saw Calabasas in person. Nebraska, USC, Oregon and Fresno State followed with offers. Wilson wound up being one of the most sought-after receiver recruits in the country and received almost 40 offers from national programs, including Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He narrowed down his choice to Oregon, Texas, UCLA and Washington and initially committed to the Ducks in July 2019. However, Wilson flipped to Arizona State and former head coach Herm Edwards before signing day (current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was one of his main recruiters). After two seasons with the Sun Devils, he was part of the mass exodus that saw multiple coaches leave the program amid NCAA investigations and 17 players (including quarterback Jayden Daniels) enter the transfer portal. Wilson struggled to get noticed in the portal, until he reached out to Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and was able to secure a scholarship with the Seminoles. He opted out of the 2023 bowl game and declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson accepted his invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Large target and looks like a basketball forward in pads … owns the arm length to make tough adjustments or pull down throws that defenders can’t reach … long strides help build up his acceleration on runway routes … at his best on one-cut routes (slants, posts, etc.), so he can tempo/stem his pattern to shake off-coverage defenders without having to gear down … not elusive after the catch, but he’s able to break tackles using his big body … accounted for 30 catches of 20-plus yards over the last two seasons (second most in the ACC over that span) … did a nice job moving the sticks (77.4 percent of his grabs at Florida State resulted in a first down or touchdown) … looks to get busy as a blocker when passes go away from him.

WEAKNESSES: Looks imposing, but he’s high-cut and doesn’t consistently play up to his size … average speed player and needs a moment to get back up to full speed after he is slowed by defenders … loose route runner (with flailing arms/limbs) and struggles to separate from corners on his hip … will struggle to escape NFL press …not a natural hands-catcher … inconsistent rescuing throws away from his chest … solid 50-50 receiver in contested situations, but that ratio should be more in his favor considering his size … was allergic to the end zone in 2023 (scored a touchdown in only one of his 10 games) … defenders will push him around, and he struggles to match their physicality … hears footsteps, which disrupts his focus, especially on in-breaking routes … missed most of the 2021 season because of a hamstring injury; missed three games as a redshirt junior because of injury (October 2023) … brings zero special-teams value.

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Florida State, Wilson was primarily an outside receiver in head coach Mike Norvell’s up-tempo scheme. A former top recruit, he struggled with injuries at Arizona State before becoming a focal point of the Seminoles’ offense, although he took a backseat to Keon Coleman in 2023. Wilson eats up grass with his long strides and does his best work on one-cut/runway routes, but he isn’t a natural separator and lacks nuance as a route runner. Even though he will occasionally expand his catch radius and dunk over defenders, he fights the ball too much and makes routine grabs tougher than they should be (15 career drops). Overall, Wilson has imposing size and stride length for potential mismatch opportunities, but he doesn’t always play up to hi s frame and currently lacks consistent focus and route precision for what the NFL requires. He reminds me of a lesser version of Devin Funchess (considered a tight end by several teams).

GRADE: 4th-5th Round

[notacon]

Opinions on wide receivers after the top three go all over the place.

The opinions that I have read all agree on the top 3, Harrison, Nabers and Odunze.

Then a separation between them and Brian Thomas.

And then another (smaller) separation between Thomas and rest of the top 15 or so, with most placing Adonai Mitchell after Thomas.

McConkey has gotten a lot of attention, but he does not seem to fit the Bills very well since his skill set are a duplication of what we already have in Shakir and Samuel.

The big risk would be to move up in the draft to get Nabers or Odunze.

Slight risk (and what I'm favoring) is less of a costly move up to get Thomas....or if not possible (or worth what it costs to move up) either stay put or move down if all of those four are not possible, with (as most mocks have) getting Adonai Mitchell.

I would not be surprised if they don't even go WR in the first round and draft another need if prospects higher on their draft board are there at #28.

This is going to be a very interesting draft for the Bills with the WR position so deep (unlike last year which was pretty weak).

[sahlensguy]

The opinions that I have read all agree on the top 3, Harrison, Nabers and Odunze.

Then a separation between them and Brian Thomas.

And then another (smaller) separation between Thomas and rest of the top 15 or so, with most placing Adonai Mitchell after Thomas.

McConkey has gotten a lot of attention, but he does not seem to fit the Bills very well since his skill set are a duplication of what we already have in Shakir and Samuel.

The big risk would be to move up in the draft to get Nabers or Odunze.

Slight risk (and what I'm favoring) is less of a costly move up to get Thomas....or if not possible (or worth what it costs to move up) either stay put or move down if all of those four are not possible, with (as most mocks have) getting Adonai Mitchell.

I would not be surprised if they don't even go WR in the first round and draft another need if prospects higher on their draft board are there at #28.

This is going to be a very interesting draft for the Bills with the WR position so deep (unlike last year which was pretty weak).

I'm coming around on AD Mitchell.

His lack of game day strength and game day speed etc was too much to use the 28th pick on. But...he is diabetic. Perhaps a lot that I don't like about him can be explained away maybe because he doesn't manage that well. If managing that better as a pro, would put him in a consistently better place on Sundays, he'd be a steal.

[kgun12]

I'm coming around on AD Mitchell.

His lack of game day strength and game day speed etc was too much to use the 28th pick on. But...he is diabetic. Perhaps a lot that I don't like about him can be explained away maybe because he doesn't manage that well. If managing that better as a pro, would put him in a consistently better place on Sundays, he'd be a steal.

My son played college football at Albany 1AA and after injury D111 at St. John Fisher. The medical staffs were excellent at both schools. The team surgeon at Fisher was the same surgeon for the Amerks and the Ref Wings. If being a diabetic was the reason for the issues you mentioned and the team medical staff couldn’t manage it I don’t want anything to do with him. Hopefully he under performed because of scheme or whatever, then that’s a different story and he’ll be fine.

[sahlensguy]

My son played college football at Albany 1AA and after injury D111 at St. John Fisher. The medical staffs were excellent at both schools. The team surgeon at Fisher was the same surgeon for the Amerks and the Ref Wings. If being a diabetic was the reason for the issues you mentioned and the team medical staff couldn’t manage it I don’t want anything to do with him. Hopefully he under performed because of scheme or whatever, then that’s a different story and he’ll be fine.

Diabetes is a disease though, not an injury. Management of that disease is much more self imposed lifestyle, although I am not a diabetic myself. Starting with diet. Mismanagement of that can easily alter the energy of a player's energy. It's a disease that I doubt many college programs deal with regularly and expertly.

Maturity manages diabetes. Not a medical staff.

[kgun12]

Diabetes is a disease though, not an injury. Management of that disease is much more self imposed lifestyle, although I am not a diabetic myself. Starting with diet. Mismanagement of that can easily alter the energy of a player's energy. It's a disease that I doubt many college programs deal with regularly and expertly.

Maturity manages diabetes. Not a medical staff.

This is just silly! My mom had diabetes so I know a lot about this disease. So did a few of the players on my son’s college teams. They don't play sports at a high level by mismanaging their life styles and/or diets, they would be able to handle the rigors of the sport. The medical staff was always monitoring their blood sugar sometime if there were issues before, during, and after practice or games. They monitored every aspect of these kids activities and diets.
BTW even my mom had to be very diligent with everything or she could function in everyday life, it doesn’t work that way for diabetics.