Welcome to Part 7 of our 2024 draft preview series, which will be a position-by-position look at key prospects and where the Chargers roster stands ahead of the NFL Draft. This series will include a look at which prospects could be options for the Chargers later this month.
We chatted with ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid to break down the wide receivers in this draft class. Reid, one of the most well-respected draft analysts in the country, can be found on Twitter @JordanReid for his analysis.
Chargers status at WR
Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko, Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer
This position group looks vastly different than it did at the end of the 2023 season. The Bolts traded Keenan Allen to the Bears for a 2024 fourth-round pick and also released veteran Mike Williams.
Palmer is now the most established wide receiver on the roster with 143 catches for 1,703 yards and nine touchdowns. Johnston endured an up-and-down rookie season but the Chargers are confident he can make a strong leap in 2024.
"Quentin is still young," Reid said. "He was a rookie [in 2023] so they'll give him more opportunities to prove he was worthy of a first-round pick."
Davis is a star returner on special teams but could be in line for more offensive snaps depending on what happens with this position group going forward. Fehoko joined the Chargers in September and had just one reception although it went for a touchdown.
Is WR a position of need?
Given the departures of Allen and Williams, Reid noted that wide receiver has now become one of the Chargers biggest priorities in the 2024 NFL Draft.
So much so, in fact, that he opined the Chargers could take more than one wide receiver in the draft.
"They need some help," Reid said. "I still think they need multiple new guys in that room so it wouldn't be surprising to see them double dip at wide receiver.
"That could be at No. 5, or they could take two guys on Day 2 or Day 3. It just depends on how they want to address it," Reid added.
Key draft questions
1. Who is your No. 1 WR prospect?
Reid: "Marvin Harrison, Jr. is my top guy. And he's actually my No. 1 player overall in the draft regardless of position. That shows you how I feel about Marvin. I just think he's on a different tier than any receiver in this draft class just because of the body control, hand-eye coordination, the route running and just the way he moves. I think, right away, he's going to potentially be a top 10 receiver in the NFL. That's how good he can be right away. After that I have Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze and you can't go wrong with either one either."
2. How many WRs could go in the 1st round?
Reid: "I think we could get as many as seven. That number would not surprise me and that's a very, very high number. It just goes to speak of how good this WR class is as a whole. Even if the Chargers don't take one at No. 5, they'll have opportunities to get others on Day 2 or Day 3 just because of how stacked this class is. We could get 15 or more through the first two days, which is an astronomically high number."
3. Who are some Round 2 prospects the Bolts could target?
Reid: "There's quite a few guys. Xavier Legette of South Carolina is one I like quite a bit. I have him graded early in the second round right now. Saw him at his Pro Day and he looked the part. Really strong build at 6-1 and 223 pounds. Another is Ladd McConkey from Georgia, who is one of the better route runners overall. He just understands how to get open and is really good at creating separation. Strong hands, too."
Expert Rankings
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah currently has 12 wide receivers in his latest overall Top 50 list, while ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., has five in his Top 25.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler has 17 wide receivers in his most recent Top 100 list, with the highest coming in at No. 2 (Harrison).
Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus has 21 wide receivers in the top 100 in their Big Board Rankings, with a highest of No. 1 (Harrison).
Potential Chargers Options
School: Ohio State | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 209 pounds
2023 stats: 12 games; 67 receptions for 1,211 yards (18.1 avg.) and 14 touchdowns; 5.6 receptions per game; 100.9 yards per game
Quick fact: The 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner (most outstanding receiver), Harrison is the only two-time All-American receiver in school history, earning unanimous All-America honors in both 2022 and 2023.
School: LSU | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot | Wt: 200 pounds
2023 stats: 13 games; 89 receptions for 1,569 yards (17.6 avg.) and 14 touchdowns; 6.8 receptions per game; 120.7 yards per game
Quick fact: A consensus All-American in 2023, Nabers capped his LSU career as the school's all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003).
Reid's Report: "Just his explosiveness, he brings a different dynamic after the catch. I think he had 28 broken tackles last year which was tops in the country for wide receivers. And there's so many different ways you can use him — jet sweeps, reverses — you could even put him at running back. He turns 5-yard catches into 60-yard touchdowns. He's just dynamic."
School: Washington | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 212 pounds
2023 stats: 15 games; 92 receptions for 1,640 yards (17.8 avg.) and 13 touchdowns; 6.1 receptions per game; 109.3 yards per game
Quick fact: Odunze set a Washington single-season record with 1,640 receiving yards and posted 10 different 100-yard games in 2023.
Reid's Report: "So polished. He plays the game at his own pace. He's never hurried or rushed, just has so much poise. He's really good at the catch point, too."
School: LSU | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 209 pounds
2023 stats: 13 games; 68 receptions for 1,177 yards (17.3 avg.) and 17 touchdowns; 5.2 receptions per game; 90.5 yards per game
Quick fact: Thomas led the nation in touchdown receptions, as his 17 scores rank third in LSU single-season history.
Reid's Report: "There's so much to like about him. His down-the-field ability, he had 17 receiving touchdowns last year and 10 of those came on vertical patterns down the field. He's really a field-stretcher. And with a strong-armed quarterback like Justin Herbert, he would unlock that downfield dimension that has been missing in the Chargers offense. Still needs to improve in the underneath area, but right away you know he's going to be really good down the field."
School: Texas | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 205 pounds
2023 stats: 14 games; 55 receptions for 845 yards (15.4 avg.) and 11 touchdowns; 3.9 receptions per game; 60.4 yards per game
Quick fact: Mitchell transferred to Texas from Georgia and was named the 2023 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press and was selected as the Offensive Newcomer of the Year by the conference's coaches
Reid's Report: "He's consistent in the underneath stuff. They ran him on quite a few in-breaking routes and then he has some experience with intermediate stuff, too."
School: Florida State | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 213 pounds
2023 stats: 12 games; 50 receptions for 658 yards (13.2 avg.) and 11 touchdowns; 4.1 receptions per game; 54.8 yards per game
Quick fact: Coleman earned First-Team All-ACC honors as a wide receiver, all-purpose player and return specialist to become the first FSU player to earn three First-Team All-Conference honors in one season.
School: Georgia | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-0 | Wt: 186 pounds
2023 stats: 9 games; 30 receptions for 478 yards (15.9 avg.) and two touchdowns; 3.3 receptions per game; 53.1 yards per game
Quick fact: The National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete, McConkey also won the Wuerffel Trophy, which honors the player "who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement."
School: Texas | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 165 pounds
2023 stats: 15 games; 74 receptions for 1,014 yards (13.5 avg.) and five touchdowns; 4.9 receptions per game; 67.6 yards per game
Quick fact: Worthy clocked in a record-setting 4.21-second time in the 40-yard dash at the 2024
School: Oregon | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 176 pounds
2023 stats: 13 games; 81 receptions for 1,383 yards (17.1 avg.) and 14 touchdowns; 6.2 receptions per game; 106.4 yards per game
Quick fact: Franklin set Oregon single-season records in receptions, touchdowns and 100-yard games (eight) in 2023.
School: Michigan | Year: Senior | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 185 pounds
2023 stats: 15 games; 48 receptions for 789 yards (16.4 avg.) and 12 touchdowns; 3.2 receptions per game; 52.6 yards per game
Quick fact: Wilson, Michigan's Co-Offensive Skill Player of the Year, helped the Wolverines win a national title this past season.
Reid's Report: "He just understands how to create separation. I thought he was terrific at the Senior Bowl. He was only there the first two days but he was one of the better players there. His flashes are really good and I think he's only going to get better."
School: South Carolina | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 221 pounds
2023 stats: 12 games; 71 receptions for 1,255 yards (17.7 avg.) and seven touchdowns; 5.9 receptions per game; 104.6 yards per game
Quick fact: A former high school quarterback, Legette was South Carolina's Offensive MVP in 2023.
School: North Carolina | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-1½ | Wt: 193 pounds
2023 stats: 8 games; 41 receptions for 699 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven touchdowns; 5.1 receptions per game; 87.4 yards per game
Quick fact: Walker transferred to North Carolina from Kent State in 2023. He earned Third-Team All-American honors in his lone season for the Tar Heels.
