2024 NFL Draft: In strong WR class, does LSU or Ohio State stand out as better college pipeline?

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Quarterbacks are the talk of the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, and rightfully so, considering five different signal-callers could easily come off the board in the first round. But wide receivers may be just as plentiful, with three pass catchers in the top 10 of CBS Sports’ 2024 prospect rankings, and seven in the top 32. By those metrics, 20% of Day 1 picks could come at receiver.

Two schools, in particular, have a heavy hand in the rich class of pass catchers: LSU and Ohio State. The latter produced Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Indianapolis Colts Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison and CBS Sports’ top-ranked overall prospect, widely expected to be a top-five pick. LSU, meanwhile, has not one but two different wideouts projected to be first-round picks in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.

Obviously past prospects can’t fully predict how individual players with individual landing spots will develop at the pro level. Take Alabama, for example: The Crimson Tide appeared to have a historical edge over Ohio State in terms of quarterback prospects ahead of 2023, only for C.J. Stroud to outshine Bryce Young as a rookie. Or Oregon, which had a prominent history of quarterback busts, only for Justin Herbert to burst onto the NFL scene. 

But if you’re wondering which of this year’s top wideouts — Harrison, Nabers, Thomas — hails from a more proven line of recent college-turned-NFL pass catchers, we’ve surveyed the last 30 years of LSU and Ohio State receivers to enter the league. More specifically, any Tigers or Buckeyes product to be picked in the first three rounds of the draft, since the hit rate on post-Round 3 receiver picks is particularly gloomy.

Here’s a look:

LSU

Note: Statistics are for a player’s entire NFL career

Justin Jefferson
(USATSI)
2021Ja’Marr Chase1…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-draft-in-strong-wr-class-does-lsu-or-ohio-state-stand-out-as-better-college-pipeline/

Author : Cody Benjamin

Publish date : 2024-04-10 12:20:32

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