DONE DEAL: San Francisco 49ers acquire another strong talented mega-star QB.

What about teams searching for wide receivers in the first round? We know that the Steelers have been recognized as a team that may be likely to trade for a veteran wide out this summer. As usual, teams aiming to select quarterbacks have received a lot of attention, but The Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora gave us the list of clubs that plan to select pass-catchers on the first day of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals, Bears, Colts, Bills, 49ers, and Chiefs are listed by La Canfora as the most likely culprits.

We’ve already heard a lot about a few of these. According to most mock drafts, the Cardinals are slated to trade down from the position of quarterback, since they are positioned at No. 4 overall in the line of picks that are all anticipated to be quarterbacks. Many believe they will return to No. 6 so the Giants may choose Daniel Jones’ possible replacement. This would put them in position to select Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State, the best receiver prospect in the class. This might provide Arizona a fresh wide receiver in the wake of Marquise Brown’s trade to Kansas City.

The Chargers would have to pass on wide receiver, a position that is desperately needed after losing both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen this offseason. Although it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise if Los Angeles selected Harrison, Joe Hortiz, the new general manager (who is from Baltimore), has demonstrated a fondness for Notre Dame prospects like Kyle Hamilton and Ronnie Stanley. It makes perfect sense to link with former Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and add new offensive coach Greg Roman to the mix. In the first round, tackle is a higher priority than receiver because of Roman’s run-heavy offensive philosophy.

Since the Bears acquired Allen from the Chargers in a trade, wide receiver has been viewed as less of a priority. Even so, adding Rome Odunze of Washington or Malik Nabers of LSU to the class of 2020 may provide anticipated new quarterback Caleb Williams with a potent trio of receivers in addition to Allen and D.J. Moore. Since some NFL teams believe Nabers and Odunze are better possibilities than Harrison, Chicago may match the first overall pick in the draft with a possible wide receiver. This information comes from ESPN’s Matt Miller. On most selection boards, the three receivers are closer than one may believe, and scheme and fit may determine which one they favor.

The Colts would be thrilled to sign a first-round receiver in Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson, a quarterback in his second year. Behind Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce were respectable choices, but Richardson and Pittman would benefit greatly from having a legitimate weapon across the field. Brian Thomas Jr. of LSU might be available to the Colts at No. 15 if Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze are gone by then. Odunze, on the other hand, might still be available if no one takes a chance on him as the greatest player available, regardless of position.

Wide receiver has grown to be a major need for the Bills in the tail end of the first round after they lost out on Gabriel Davis in free agency and traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Khalil Shakir now leads the position room. Although it’s unlikely that the top four receivers will be available by the 28th pick, Shakir may be effective when paired with either Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, or FSU’s Keon Coleman.

Regarding the 49ers and Chiefs, who have the final two draft selections, San Francisco is a bit of a surprising choice given that they just paid Deebo Samuel and continue to maintain that Brandon Aiyuk isn’t tradeable. However, if Aiyuk is maybe leaving, taking a chance on Mitchell, Coleman,

or Pearsall might come together.

Kansas City, on the other hand, has tried a number of veteran free agent adds for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. This offseason, they want to try again with the addition of Brown and a few draft picks in the second or later round. The Chiefs have shown success with smaller, faster wide receivers, so adding Ladd McConkey of Georgia, Roman Wilson of Michigan, or Xavier Worthy of Texas could be a wise move.

On the first night of the draft, there shouldn’t be much of a wait for anyone who doesn’t hear their name called. In the most recent mock draft by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, the Panthers selected McConkey with their first pick, which will be the first pick in the second round.

around. Wilson and Worthy have comparable skill sets in the event that McConkey has already left the team.

This year’s wide receiver class is deep. Prodigious talents such as Harrison, Nabers, Odunze, and Thomas are deemed obvious choices for first-round selections. Many of the pass-catchers behind them may also make it into the first round if those four make an early run. Nevertheless, almost twenty wideouts have a projected grade of third round or higher. Teams that need receivers but must prioritize other areas of need will profit from the wide receiver class’s plenty of skill throughout.