2024 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Bracket Challenge Round One features top 32 prospects at the position

March Madness is here! Underdogs. Cinderellas. And inevitably one champion. It's one of the most epic events in all of sports. So why not borrow the bracket style format and apply it to NFL Draft wide receivers prospects? The 2024 NFL Draft is stacked full of good wide receivers, but which ones are the best? […]

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor
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Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

March Madness is here! Underdogs. Cinderellas. And inevitably one champion. It's one of the most epic events in all of sports. So why not borrow the bracket style format and apply it to NFL Draft wide receivers prospects? The 2024 NFL Draft is stacked full of good wide receivers, but which ones are the best? We're only a month away from draft day, so it's time we try and find how the top 32 wide receiver prospects stack up against each other.

I put together a series of polls so that you (the people) could vote on which wide receivers you prefer in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Today we'll just be going through round one of the Wide Receiver Bracket Challenge results, highlighting some key details on the receivers in each matchup. But if you want to see the full thread with results you can do that here:

We'll be going through each of the four regions in the bracket, named for the consensus top four wide receivers in this NFL Draft class according to the most recent mock draft data. Enjoy!

Marvin Harrison Jr. Region

Marvin Harrison Jr. (1) vs Bub Means (16)

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR Ohio State – 96.2%
Bub Means, WR Pittsburgh – 3.8%

There's not a serious person on planet earth who would prefer Bub Means over Marvin Harrison Jr., but Means has certainly helped his NFL Draft stock this spring. He posted a 96th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite at the NFL Combine, running a 4.43-second forty at 212 pounds. Marvin Harrison Jr. is locked in as a top five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jalen McMillan (8) vs Brenden Rice (9)

Jalen McMillan, WR Washington – 60.8%
Brenden Rice, WR USC – 39.2%

Jalen McMillan struggled with injury last fall, but compares similarly to Amon-Ra St. Brown via his pedigree, athleticism, and production profile. He was also a huge reason Washington won the Pac-12 Championship last fall. Brenden Rice is the son of Hall of Fame WR, Jerry Rice. Rice was a touchdown-scoring machine last season, but needs to improve on his separation skills. McMillan has the clear edge in that regard.

Roman Wilson (5) vs Ainias Smith (12)

Roman Wilson, Michigan – 91.8%
Ainias Smith, Texas – 8.2%

Roman Wilson dominated Senior Bowl practices at the end of January and just won a national championship with Michigan. He's not the biggest wide receiver, but still scored eight touchdowns in Michigan's first five games last fall. Ainias Smith is a do-it-all talent who can play receiver, special teams, and even running back at the next level, but he might not be an every down player.

Troy Franklin (4) vs Tahj Washington (13)

Troy Franklin, WR Oregon – 90.4%
Tahj Washington, WR USC – 9.6%

Troy Franklin racked up over 2200 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in his last two seasons for Oregon. He's a fringe first round pick projection at the moment with multiple plays on his resume where he peaked above 22 miles per hour on-field, so it's no wonder he won easily here. Tahj Washington is a hyper-flexible slot receiver projection with great ball skills, but he's more of a day three talent given his tiny stature with hands under 8.5 inches and 29-inch arms.

Malik Nabers Region

Malik Nabers (1) vs Cornelius Johnson (16)

Malik Nabers, WR LSU – 96%
Cornelius Johnson, WR – 4%

Malik Nabers is a lock for top ten NFL Draft capital coming off a season where he averaged more receiving yards per game than any other player in the country. Nabers is an explosive, creative, and shifty wide receiver who should be the lead target for an NFL team. Cornelius Johnson was a consistent outside option for Michigan over the last two seasons who tested and measured almost identically to first round prospect Rome Odunze at the NFL Combine. He may have some sneaky upside.

Jermaine Burton (8) vs Devontez Walker (9)

Jermaine Burton, WR Alabama – 36.7%
Devontez Walker, WR North Carolina – 63.3%

Both of these players look to be great deep threats at the next level while lacking down to down consistency. Devontez Walker surprisingly won the vote by a wide margin despite struggling at the Senior Bowl and weighing in with a 13th percentile BMI at the NFL Combine. Jermaine Burton could very easily be selected ahead of Walker in the draft thanks to his deep ball tracking and superior physical build.

Ladd McConkey (5) vs Jacob Cowing (12)

Ladd McConkey, WR Georgia – 92.1%
Jacob Cowing, WR Arizona – 7.9%

Ladd McConkey wasn't the most productive wide receiver, but his elite route running and agility is undeniable. Some project him as a late first round pick now. However, this result should have been much closer. Jacob Cowing has the seventh most receiving yards in college football history and found immense success at two different schools. Both ideally play slot in the NFL.

Keon Coleman (4) vs Luke McCaffrey (13)

Keon Coleman, WR Florida State – 69.7%
Luke McCaffrey, WR Rice – 30.3%

Keon Coleman's disappointing NFL Combine made this result closer than it probably should have been. Yes, he disappeared for long periods of time in games last fall, but the peaks and highlight plays for Coleman are absurd. Luke McCaffrey pulled some votes via name association since he's Christian McCaffrey's little brother. He also had a strong Senior Bowl week and great agility times at the Combine.

Rome Odunze Region

Xavier Worthy (3) vs Isaiah Williams (14)

Xavier Worthy, WR Texas – 95.3%
Isaiah Williams, WR Illinois – 4.7%

Xavier Worthy set the all-time NFL Combine forty-yard dash record running it in 4.21 seconds and broke out at Texas when he was just 18 years old. An incredible vertical threat with underrated route running. Conversely, Isaiah Williams bombed the NFL Combine posting a 3rd percentile Speed Score. Williams brings versatility, but he's a late day three player.

Xavier Legette (6) vs Jamari Thrash (11)

Xavier Legette, WR South Carolina – 82.3%
Jamari Thrash, WR Louisville – 17.7%

Xavier Legette did absolutely nothing until year five of his career, but he starred last season and posted a 99th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite at the NFL Combine. He's been trending upward for months. Jamari Thrash has smooth speed working the vertical route stem and proved to be productive at two different schools, but that wasn't enough to come anywhere close to Legette. Round four or five likely for Thrash.

Ja'Lynn Polk (7) vs Malik Washington (10)

Ja'Lynn Polk, WR Washington – 66.4%
Malik Washington, WR Virginia – 33.6%

Ja'Lynn Polk stepped up big last fall as his teammate Jalen McMillan struggled with injuries. The Washington offense probably props him up to be perceived better than he truly is, but Polk has become a popular round two or three pick by many NFL Draft analysts. Malik Washington posted an insane 99th percentile production profile score last fall, but he's just barely taller than 5'8". Tank Dell would be his best case scenario outcome. Unlikely though.

Rome Odunze (2) vs Ryan Flournoy (15)

Rome Odunze, WR Washington – 97%
Ryan Flournoy, WR SEMO – 3%

Rome Odunze has aced every portion of NFL Draft season and finished last fall with more receiving yards than any other player in the country. Old school alpha wide receiver at 6'3", 212 pounds with a 94th percentile athletic profile. Ryan Flournoy held his own at Senior Bowl practices and helped himself at the NFL Combine, but still looks like a late day three prospect coming out a small school.

Brian Thomas Jr. Region

Adonai Mitchell (3) vs Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (14)

Adonai Mitchell, WR Texas – 94.4%
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, WR Georgia – 5.6%

These two former teammates are on completely different levels, skills-wise. Adonai Mitchell caught a receiving touchdown in five different College Football Playoff games and posted a 99th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite at the NFL Combine. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint tested poorly as an athlete and never produced at Georgia. Late round prospect who may actually go undrafted.

Ricky Pearsall (6) vs Johnny Wilson (11)

Ricky Pearsall, WR Florida – 79.4%
Johnny Wilson, WR Florida State – 20.6%

Ricky Pearsall found success at Arizona State and Florida despite major program dysfunction at both spots. His Burst Score and Agility Score at the NFL Combine were both over the 95th percentile, which has sparked even more interest in him. Johnny Wilson's positional ambiguity (WR or TE) at 6'6" makes him a tough projection for some, but he should be a mismatch problem and deserved more than 20% of the vote here.

Malachi Corley (7) vs Javon Baker (10)

Malachi Corley, WR Western Kentucky – 54.4%
Javon Baker, WR UCF – 45.6%

Javon Baker is a bit of a Draft Twitter darling, but still couldn't defeat Malachi Corley for some reason. Baker was the most efficient deep threat in the nation last season averaging almost 22 yards per reception. Malachi Corley projects as a pure slot-only high volume player who brings great physicality as a Deebo Samuel-lite type.

Brian Thomas Jr. (2) vs Anthony Gould (15)

Brian Thomas Jr., WR LSU – 95.4%
Anthony Gould, WR Oregon State – 4.6%

Brian Thomas Jr. is a consensus mid-first round prospect after scoring 17 touchdowns (most in FBS) last season. He wins with both speed and physicality, utilizing his 97th percentile athletic profile at 6'3", 209 pounds. Anthony Gould has incredible short area quickness, but projects to a special teams and gadget player.

Round two of the 2024 Wide Receiver Bracket Challenge will publish here soon! Be on the lookout for more unique NFL Draft coverage here at A to Z Sports in the coming weeks. Follow me on X (Twitter) @FF_TravisM for NFL Draft and College Football coverage year-round!

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