On April 25, the 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit. The opportunity to present the different prospects in more detail through new thematic articles, the “Prototype”. The idea is simple: identify the perfect prospect, with the main quality of each player entered in the draft. Today, focus on targets in general, with the most dominant receivers and tight ends in their sector.
Speed / Verticality: Xavier Worthy
The first seems obvious, given the record broken during the sprint at the last Combine (4.22 seconds). It will undoubtedly be necessary to strengthen his game so as not to make it a simple rocket, but the Texas player has continued to demonstrate his ability to get rid of pressure thanks to his extraordinary speed. A quality which could also allow Xavier Worthy to be active in attack, but also on special teams, where he has very often been used as a returner, with success.
Tracks: Ladd McConkey
In such a dense class, some may wonder about the rather all-purpose profile of the Georgia receiver. However, Ladd McConkey is above all a very above average knowledge of the game. Endowed with good vision and a certain suddenness in movements, the double university champion with the Bulldogs knows how to use these weapons to strike on the different routes he makes. Expected as a slot receiver at first glance, he could quickly surprise by hitting the mark on more vertical circuits.
Fluidity / Changes of direction: Malik Nabers
A living joystick. This is neither more nor less the image we can have of Malik Nabers, capable of finding space in any situation, thanks to explosive support and dazzling acceleration. Enough to make him a danger for creating separation but also for massively garnering yards after reception, as he has done in recent years on the LSU campus. This permanent dynamism will also have allowed him to break a lot of tackles in 2023 (30, the 4th best record in the country).
Reliable Hands: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Beyond a 2023 campaign, where his connection with quarterback Kyle McCord seemed fragile (as with other Columbus targets), the son of the former Colts player is a real ball magnet. His 2022 exercise is a model of its kind with only 3 balls released out of the 80 he was able to catch. Beyond all his other qualities, it is this attribute that makes him the ultimate possession receiver at the next level.
One on one: Rome Odunze
The third thief in the infernal trio of star receivers in this class. Equipped with a more solid build than his two friends, Odunze stands out mainly for his unplayable side in one-on-one situations. The positioning of his body and the way he responds to physical cornerbacks allows him to often have a fairly large radius of action to be able to ensure his reception. Rome Odunze was also the country's reference in 2023, with 21 balls captured under the nose of a defender. This quality should make him an eminently feared player in the red zone and at the edge of the goal.
Cade Stover, a real force in motion!
Yards after reception: Malachi Corley
The title is misleading, because it is quite simply as soon as he has the ball in his hands that Corley is real poison. A running back by training, the Western Kentucky diamond has carried the Hilltoppers' attack on his shoulders in recent years by improving screen passes in his direction, and even being capable of going for big gains coming out of the backfield. Like Xavier Legette, from South Carolina, he will be an intriguing element in this 2024 NFL Draft, due to his ability to be a Swiss army knife, like a Deebo Samuel can be in the modern NFL.
Versatility: Brock Bowers
In this not very stellar class of tight ends, it is inconceivable not to talk about Brock Bowers. Symbol, like Ladd McConkey, of the significant step taken by Georgia to reach the summit of college football, the Bulldog is everything that is asked of a modern tight end in the league. Powerful and incredibly agile, Brock Bowers can be a real anchor point for his quarterback, guaranteeing him time to throw, but also being a constant open solution in the intermediate sector. And try to stop him after the reception, he who accumulated almost 9 yards per carry in 2023 and broke 18 tackles in the same exercise!
Power / block: Cade Stover
Obviously, the most powerful profile also goes to a tight end, who also played in a rather aerial attack at university. If his athletic qualities are surprising for a player of his stature, Cade Stover stands out with a solid technique, both upper and lower body, which allows him to be perfectly anchored in the duel and to free up space for his partners. . He will certainly not be drafted very high in this 2024 NFL Draft (not necessarily in the top 100) but will not fail to invest in his future training!
