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With the NFL combine just around the corner, now is a perfect time to rank the top 12 dynasty rookie wide receivers. Not only will I be ranking each player one through 12 but I’ll be putting them in tiers so you can get a better understanding of how to value them in your rookie drafts. That said, let’s dive right into this 2024 dynasty rookie wide receiver rankings and tier list.
Tier 1
1. Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
Marvin Harrison Jr is in a tier of his own, and there shouldn’t be much debate about that. Harrison Jr is truly a generational prospect, and right now, he’s projected to go 4th overall in the NFL Draft, according to the NFL Mock Draft Database. During Harrison Jr’s 2023 season, he posted an 89.9 PFF grade, 26.7% target share, and a 20% touchdown rate.
Harrison Jr looks amazing on tape as well, showcasing his tremendous speed, catch radius, and hands. Before even playing a snap in the NFL, Harrison Jr is being ranked as a top five dynasty wide receiver and for good reason.
Tier 2
2. Malik Nabers, LSU
Let me start by saying Malik Nabers would have been the WR1 in any other draft class. Nabers actually had the best PFF grade for a wide receiver in 2023 (93.1) and posted a 26% team target share playing next to Brian Thomas Jr. Although Nabers broke out as a sophomore, he wasn’t quite on Marvin Harrison Jr’s level in 2022. Nonetheless, Nabers is projected to go sixth overall and should be a cornerstone dynasty asset the moment he enters the NFL.
People are going to say Marvin Harrison Jr. is generational… but Malik Nabers:
Malik Nabers in 2023
1,569 Receiving Yards (#2)
- #1 in the SEC
89 Catches
- #1 in the SEC
14 Receiving TDs (#3)
- #2 in the SEC
17.6 YPR
9 100+ Yard games
- lead in YAC(yards after catch)
- had… pic.twitter.com/9p5JX2731h
Tier 3
3. Rome Odunze, Washington
Following yet another tier drop, we have Rome Odunze as the WR3. Odunze had a 19.6% team target share in 2022 and a 15.3% mark in 2023. That said, Odunze put up better overall stats in 2023 (92-1,1640-13), and he was playing alongside two other NFL draft prospects in Ja'lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan.
Although Odunze isn’t an early declare keep in mind Washington only played four games in 2020 because of Covid. Odunze is still only 21 years old, so seeing him hit these marks at such a young age is impressive. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Odunze is projected to go 9th overall, which gives him phenomenal draft capital as well.
Tier 4
4. Brian Thomas Jr, LSU
Tier four is where things get dicey, but I believe Brian Thomas Jr and Troy Franklin should be ranked together. It’s very close, but Thomas is my WR4 due to his high expected draft capital and ability to play next to elite talent. In 2023, Thomas was good from a statistical perspective, drawing a 16.2% target share and recording 2.86 yards per team pass attempt.
What’s most promising to me is that Thomas put up a 68-1,117-17 season while playing next to Malik Nabers. Right now, Thomas is projected to go 26th overall in the NFL draft, which means he’ll likely be a WR2 on a contending team. As a Junior, we saw Thomas have a great season as a WR2, which gives me confidence that he can translate to the next level.
5. Troy Franklin, Oregon
Coming into the off-season, I wasn’t sold on Troy Franklin, but after doing some more research, he’s impressed me a ton. For starters, Franklin broke out as a sophomore at Oregon, catching 61 passes for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. What truly impressed me is that Franklin had a 20.6% team target share in 2022.
My god Troy Franklin… pic.twitter.com/yGcDWeLoSD
Although Franklin’s counting stats improved in 2023, he dropped to a 16.2% team target share which is disappointing. Don’t get me wrong; that’s still good, but I would have liked it to be higher due to Franklin’s lack of competition and great quarterback play.
Tier 5
Keon Coleman has such a wide range of outcomes, hence why he’s in tier 5. There’s no denying that Coleman has the potential to be great in the NFL due to his size and elite athleticism. Standing at 6’4 220 lbs, Coleman is eye candy for many NFL teams, which boosts his draft capital. Right now, Coleman is projected to go 18th overall, which would make him the fourth highest drafted receiver on this list.
That said, I have a few worries with Coleman. One is that even if Coleman finds success in the NFL, this may be because of his ability to play as an outside receiver without drawing many targets. My main concern with Coleman is that he didn’t have a great senior season, recording 1.87 yards per route run, 1.94 yards per team attempt, and a PFF grade of 70.6.
7. Xavier Worthy, Texas
At seven and eight, you can make the argument for either Texas receiver, but I’m going to give the edge to Xavier Worthy. Worthy broke out as a freshman, putting up a 62-981-12 state line to go along with an absurd 30.1% team target share. The concern with Worthy is that these numbers got worse every single year from a team target perspective. Worthy had a good season in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns, but his team target share dropped to 19%.
Xavier Worthy showing off his acceleration & ball tracking on this moon ball
Also, a nice head fake at the top of the route to widen the safety slightly & give himself a little more space insidepic.twitter.com/AYzZV6arfK
Due to his size, Worthy is a consensus second-round pick (54th overall). Worthy is measured at 6′ 1″ 172 lbs, likely making him a slot player in the NFL. That’s not a concern for me because we’ve seen that slot receivers can command a ton of targets. On top of that, we’ve seen more and more smaller receivers find success recently (Tank Dell & DeVonta Smith) because cornerbacks can’t be nearly as physical anymore.
8. Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Adonai Mitchell is projected to go higher than Xavier Worthy in the NFL draft, which is a big plus for Mitchell. Mitchell is a much bigger receiver at 6”4” 190 lbs, which is very appealing to NFL scouts. That said, Mitchell has been downright bad from an analytical perspective in college.
Mitchell played two full seasons in college and was never able to draw a target share above 15%. As a Junior, Mitchell finished second last in yards per route run (1.68), 23rd in yards per team pass attempt (1.78), and 22nd in PFF grade (74). Due to his draft capital, you still have to put Mitchell in tier five, but there are a lot of red flags on his profile.
Tier 6
9. Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Ladd McConkey has been a big riser due to his senior bowl performance, and for good reason. McConkey showed out at the senior bowl, showing his next-level route running that NFL teams will flock over. McConkey is projected to go 45th overall in the NFL draft, which means he’ll be given the opportunity to run a lot of routes.
Golly, Ladd McConkey pic.twitter.com/VFkUMdthvd
McConkey was never great from a numbers standpoint, as he never officially broke out. During his 2022 season, McConkey drew a 15% team target share, but keep in mind he was playing next to Brock Bowers. Many expected McConkey to improve even more in 2023, but he suffered an injury and only played in nine games. McConkey is a player you should keep an eye on during the pre-draft process.
10. Ja'lynn Polk, Washington
Despite playing next to Rome Odunze, Ja’lynn Polk had a good 2023 season, catching 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns. Polk finished 24th in yards per route run (2.3), yards per team pass attempt (2.14), and 17th in PFF grade (76.1). Although these numbers aren’t great, they’re much more impressive because Washington had two other NFL-caliber wide receivers.
There isn’t as much data on Polk regarding the NFL draft, but according to Sports Illustrated’s recent mock draft, Polk is the projected 49th overall pick. Draft capital will be huge for Polk, but I’m assuming he goes in either round two or three and will play the WR2 or WR3 role for an NFL team.
11. Jalen McMillan, Washington
Jalen McMillan is easily the most disrespected player in the 2024 draft class. I would rank McMillan as high as the WR6, but there are still concerns about his injury and draft capital. McMillan flashed as a freshman and broke out as a sophomore, catching 79 passes for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. These stats aren’t just an example of a player putting up good numbers with a ton of volume; McMillan was very efficient, drawing a 21.2% team target share.
McMillan suffered a knee injury in 2023, which caused him to miss some time, and even then, he didn’t look 100% until the college football playoffs. Right now, McMillan’s injury and draft capital are in question, but according to NFL Mock Draft Database, McMillan is projected to go in the third round. If everything goes right for McMillan, he should fly up rookie draft boards.
Jalen McMillan is SO back?
pic.twitter.com/IQO9ynrAmE
12. Xavier Legette, South Carolina
Xavier Legette is, without a doubt, the most overrated player in this class. The only reason I even have Legette in the top 12 is because he’s projected to go 43rd overall in the NFL draft. Legette was great in 2023, but that’s because he’s a fifth-year senior with no target competition.
It’s not impossible for prospects to find success with this type of path; look at Terry McLaurin. The big difference is that McLaurin was playing with top receivers at Ohio State. Legette couldn’t get on the field in his fourth year playing with 244th overall pick Jalen Brooks. Please don’t overthink this.
