The 2024 NFL Draft is just a few days away, and the New York Jets have conducted extensive research on many of the top wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft. Perhaps no position has a more obvious need than this.
The Jets enter the draft in need of additional wide receiver help, even after signing Mike Williams in free agency. The team’s interest in the position group is reflected in their top-30 visits.
Wide receivers account for six of the Jets’ 26 identified prospects for top-30 visits, more than any other position. It is quite plausible, if not likely, that the Jets will choose a wide receiver in the first several rounds.
But who among the six wide receivers to visit the Jets is the best? Let’s rank each wide receiver prospect that the Jets invited on a top-30 visit this year.
The Jets have met with four potential Day 2 wide receiver prospects, the first of whom is USC’s Brenden Rice. Rice, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 208 pounds, is an inexperienced route runner with questionable separation abilities, but he compensates with exceptional strength and contested catch ability.
Rice is the son of the legendary Jerry Rice, and while he will most certainly never match the best wide receiver in NFL history, he possesses the physical tools to be a very good professional player. He’s a work in progress, but the fundamentals are there.
Troy Franklin had one of the most remarkable receiving seasons in Oregon history in 2023, finishing with 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns as way to a second-team All-American selection.
Franklin is a lanky receiver with blazing downfield speed and YAC skills, but his slight frame and drop concerns will make defenses nervous. He’s still too inconsistent to be considered a viable Day 1 candidate, but his talent and game-changing abilities likely make him a lock for Day 2.
Malachi Corley is one of the more intriguing wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft, as shown by the fact that over half of the league has scheduled top-30 visits with him. Teams want to know more about the talented Western Kentucky receiver.
Corley has been compared to Deebo Samuel in terms of both his role at Western Kentucky and his potential NFL career. Corley is still developing as an overall receiver, but he is explosive with the ball in his hands and plays with the attitude of a running back. A creative offensive coordinator can help him establish a role early on.
Roman Wilson has been one of the steadiest draft risers in recent months. Though Wilson never surpassed 800 yards in a season at Michigan, many believe he possesses the talent needed to be a more effective player in the NFL.
Wilson is a great route runner with a 4.39 speed, giving him a dangerous weapon out of the slot. Wilson’s diminutive body limits his potential, but his speed and separation skills should allow him to contribute immediately in the NFL.
The Jets have visited with two of the top three wide receiver prospects in this year’s class, with Washington’s Rome Odunze being the most likely to wind up in New York.
Odunze accumulated over 1,600 yards in his final season at Washington, overpowering opposing defenders with his size, athleticism, and aggressiveness. The 21-year-old is projected as an immediate starting X receiver in the NFL, with All-Pro potential.
In any regular draft class, Malik Nabers would be the obvious WR1 (the same could be said about Odunze). Despite his average size, Nabers is an excellent athlete, a brilliant route runner, and one of the most dynamic playmakers in this class.
At only 20 years old (he won’t turn 20 until the summer), Nabers has an All-Pro potential in the NFL and projects as an immediate top weapon in any team’s offense. He believes he has the best chance of becoming a future NFL great.