Dynasty Rookie Draft Targets: Devontez Walker, Malachi Corley, Keon Coleman (2024)

The 2023 fantasy football season may be over, but for those of us who start our 2024 seasons in January, our sights are on the upcoming NFL Draft class. Whether you’re an avid dynasty player or only drive in the redraft lane, this class has a crop of players you need to know as you head into next season.

While the world has its eyes on where Caleb Williams will land, the position you need to get most acclimated with before your fantasy and rookie drafts is wide receiver. The strength of this WR class doesn’t just lie in the first round, either. There are viable options to help you win your leagues in 2024 and beyond at X, Flanker and slot WR.

Below are the ones you need to know about before your leaguemates.

2024 NFL Draft: Rookie Wide Receiver Targets

Devontez Walker (WR – North Carolina)

Height: 6’2?
Weight: 200 pounds
Current Year: RS Junior

Devontez Walker has had an interesting road to getting on the field in his college career. The last two seasons he has spent with Kent State and UNC, the latter allowing him to catch passes from highly-touted QB prospect Drake Maye. During his past two seasons, Walker played in 20 games and averaged five receptions for 80 yards and just under one touchdown per game. He wraps up tier four for me at the WR position and has all the physical attributes to make him a difference-maker at the NFL level. While “Tez” sports a similar upside to the players ahead of him, the one thing holding him back is how raw he is as a prospect. His floor is the lowest among the top-seven WRs in this class.

What He’s Got:

Premier burst and acceleration
Solid footwork
Solid strength and contact balance
Can bring versatility to an offense
Late hands

What He’s Not:

He needs to improve nuance in his routes
Needs to expand route tree
Has dealt with focus drops

Fantasy Outlook: Walker will likely not be much of an asset in redraft fantasy football leagues. It’s not an indictment on the player as much as it is just a massively oversaturated position in terms of fantasy-impactful players. Dynasty managers who are in a rebuild should make Walker a priority. He may be more of a developing player in year one for an NFL team, but if he can stay healthy, you could be looking at a massive value in your mid-to-late second round.

Malachi Corley (WR – Western Kentucky)

Height: 5’10”
Weight: 211
School Year: Junior

Malachi Corley is one of my favorite WR prospects in the class. He is an aggressive player who doesn’t shy away from contact. Corley runs good routes and has strong hands, but he would benefit from continuing to develop a more complete route tree and diversify his footwork and hand technique off the line. He reminds me of a poor man’s DJ Moore, and NFL teams will likely be drafting him in the third round.

What He’s Got:

Elite short routes
Good intermediate routes
Big playmaker threat
Elite agility
He plays bigger than his size

What He’s Not:

Needs to improve consistency in contested-catch situations
He must improve deep-route consistency to take the next step in his game
More consistent hand technique

Keon Coleman (WR – Florida State)

Height: 6’4″
Weight: 215
School Year: Junior

Keon Coleman is a difficult evaluation. He has good-to-OK production between his time at Michigan State and Florida State. He also has probably the best highlight reel of anyone in the class. The issue is what Coleman does between those highlights. He shows flashes of competent route running but needs to be more consistent. Coleman relies on his size and athleticism more than he will be able to in the NFL. It will likely create issues when trying to do the same against NFL DBs. The range of outcomes for Coleman is somewhere between George Pickens and Laviska Shenault. I want to see him land with a team that is willing to take the time to develop him as a true wide receiver rather than an elite athlete who plays wide receiver before I completely buy in.

What He’s Got: