The first-round wide receivers taken in the past five NFL drafts
The 2024 NFL Draft, held from April 25-27 in Detroit, boasts Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers among what could be one of the deepest wide receiver classes we’ve seen in recent years.
While no prospect can be labeled a “sure thing,” recent draft history suggests teams can land a star by selecting a wide receiver in the first round more frequently than not.
With that in mind, here are all 23 first-round wideouts drafted since 2019, accompanied by a grade based on how their NFL careers have unfolded.
Although Brown never emerged as a true No. 1 wideout, he had a productive tenure with the Ravens, leading the team in receiving in 2020 and posting his lone 1,000-yard season in 2021. Baltimore wisely sold high on Brown, trading him in 2022 to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick that was spent on Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, which we’re factoring into our grading for the selection of the current Chiefs wideout.
Harry, who spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, amassed just 598 receiving yards across three years in New England before being traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 seventh-round pick. The Arizona State product is one of the biggest busts in Patriots history. New England drafted him ahead of future Pro Bowl WRs Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf