Harrison Jr:
The Athletic’s
Dane Brugler’s second-ranked overall prospect.
“Bigger, stronger, route refinement, polished, great ball skills,” a scout said.
While Harrison is mostly viewed as the first receiver off the board — even a couple of voters who ranked him second on the scale of personal preference admitted Harrison would probably go first — there are ways to nitpick.
One coach pointed out Harrison’s tape and production were better in 2022, even saying Nabers and Odunze produced better tape than Harrison in 2023. Harrison struggled to break tackles last season and wasn’t a consistently effective blocker. He also had six drops in 2023, compared to four total in the previous two seasons.
Harrison also chose not to work out at the combine or run the 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process. Surely, he showed plenty of ability to play with speed at Ohio State, but the pre-draft decisions raised some eyebrows, particularly in comparison to Nabers, whose speed is his greatest asset.
“Why not run?” a coach said. “Competitors compete.”
An executive added there is, “So much unknown with the way he handled the process.”
Another executive: “It’s an incomplete picture, at least from a comfort standpoint,” an executive said.
It’s more than plausible none of this will matter. Harrison is likely to be drafted somewhere between the fourth and sixth picks, and he’s displayed plenty over the past two years to suggest he’ll have a terrific NFL career.
Nabers:
Brugler’s third overall prospect.
“Pure explosion,” a scout said. “Burst, separates out of his breaks.”
A couple of the executives who ranked Harrison first and Nabers second added that it’d be more accurate to describe them as “1A and 1B.”
At 6 feet and 199 pounds, Nabers may not have the prototypical size for a No. 1 wideout, but he makes up for it with his speed and home run ability. He’s unique in that sense compared to Harrison and Odunze, which adds to the mystery of his standing on the draft board. Nabers ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
If a team wants a game-breaking threat who can turn a short pass or end around into a long gain, it’d be understandable why Nabers could be the first receiver selected. A couple of teams thought Nabors [sic!] could be in play for the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4.
“Flip a coin,” a scout said. “It depends how I’m feeling that day, but I’ve mostly leaned toward Harrison.”
“He’s a classic West Coast receiver who can take a slant and score from anywhere,” an executive said.
Odunze:
Brugler’s sixth-ranked prospect, the 6-foot-2, 212-pounder kept it close with Nabers in the voting. Odunze was well-coached at Washington, had terrific film, improved each season and does just about everything well.
“He’s a gazelle,” a coach gushed.
An executive added, “He’s a freaking stud of a human.”
Odunze is a good route runner for his size, attacks the ball in the air and wins battles for off-target throws. He drew rave reviews for his blocking and effort when the play wasn’t designed for him or the ball went elsewhere.
“He’s the safest pick of the three,” a coach said.
One scout said Odunze has the best ball skills among these receivers. A couple of executives said he’s the safest pick with the highest floor of the trio.
“Very well-rounded, good hands, consistent with everything he does,” an executive said. “He’s productive and effective even when he doesn’t have the ball.”
“He’s maybe the cleanest prospect out of the three,” an executive said.
