The NFL offseason is nearly upon us. While others (and myself in the coming weeks) focus on 2024 way-too-early fantasy football rankings, 2024 free agency, and NFL team needs, let’s take a look ahead to the 2024 NFL draft and what it has to offer in terms of dynasty fantasy football talent. Here are all of the top dynasty rookie draft wide receivers to know. Below we dive into a few notable names.
- Erickson’s Fantasy Football Forecast: Recap & Takeaways for 2024
- Erickson’s Early Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Notes: QB | WR
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice
Rome Odunze (WR – Washington)
Washington’s Rome Odunze’s four-year career with the Huskies has been marked by consistent improvement, with his junior year in 2022 marking his status as one of college football’s best WRs: accumulating 75 catches for 1,145 yards, averaging 15.3 yards per reception, with 7 TDs.
The 2023 season saw further improvement, with the 6-foot-3 and 215-pound WR amassing 81 catches for 1,428 yards and 13 TDs, leading to a spot on the AP first-team among other awards en route to a career-high 33% dominator rating. And that was accomplished with him battling through a reported broken rib and punctured lung in late September.
Overall, he finished with the fourth-highest dominator rating in the class at 26%. He also broke out at the early age of 19 during his sophomore campaign.
Consensus scouting reports highlight Odunze’s exceptional confidence/leadership, body control, route-running skills, and imposing physical presence, which grants him a wide catch radius.
His athleticism is further evidenced by his inclusion in Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, showcasing his speed and agility based on his former track and field background.
The guy screams next-level alpha and target earner at the next level with shades of DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams in his game.
Jacob Cowing (WR – Arizona)
At 5’11” and weighing 175 lbs, Jacob Cowing may not possess the towering frame of some of his contemporaries, but what he lacks in height, he more than compensates for with his speed, agility, and precise route-running, making him a constant threat to opposing defenses.
Because he dominated production at Arizona and his previous stop at UTEP. 32% career dominator rating ranks No. 1 in the class.
42% dominator rating in 2020 and 41% dominator rating in 2021 were elite numbers he posted while was a member of the UTEP Miners. He represented a top-5 best single-season mark. And Cowing also delivered early on in his college career, breaking out at age 18 in 2019.
His senior year was particularly notable, with Cowing amassing 89 receptions for 868 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging a remarkable 9.8 yards per catch. His ability to stretch the field and create after the catch has been a hallmark of his college career.
Unfortunately, Cowing could not boost his stock at the Senior Bowl. He suffered an injury. Hopefully, this is not a sign of things to come for the undersized WR, who might be pigeonholed into the slot at the next level.
K.J. Hamler-esque.
Brenden Rice (WR – USC)
Brenden Rice, the dynamic wide receiver from USC and son of GOAT WR Jerry Rice, has made a notable impact in the college football arena with his compelling performances. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 210 lbs, Rice brings an imposing, well-built physical presence to the wide receiver position, coupled with an impressive blend of speed and athleticism that makes him a formidable threat on the field.
He immediately produced from the get-go at age 18, breaking out with a 22% dominator rating in a truncated 2020 season for Colorado, albeit on a very small sample size.
Transferred to USC before the 2022 season. His stats in his senior year were particularly impressive, with 45 receptions for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns, boasting an average of 17.6 yards per catch. Although a 25% final season dominator rating is underwhelming compared to the remainder of the class.
Josh Palmer is my comparable NFL WR for him, as I think he will only go as far as his QB, offense, situation, etc. will get him. Although I’ll admit, some of his size, hand work off the line of scrimmage looked like a young, spry Michael Thomas.
Check out all of Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers
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