It’s not a landing spot that will produce a ton of target volume for Wilson, but the departure of Diontae Johnson to Carolina this offseason opens up a potential WR2 role in Arthur Smith’s run-first offense. Wilson (5’11/185) played 59.6 percent of his career snaps from the slot while with Michigan, and will likely see a similar role at the NFL. Playing in a run-heavy offense led by Jim Harbaugh, opportunities in the passing game were sparse for Wilson, who totaled just 107 catches for 1,707 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four-year career. The efficiency metrics of 5.5 YAC/REC and 2.29 YPRR he posted for his career are more than passable for NFL prospects. Showing off 4.39 speed at the NFL Scouting Combine, Wilson has the explosiveness and athleticism to flourish at the next level. Prior to last season, he never saw more than 37 targets come his way. It’s possible there’s still some untapped potential for Wilson to display once he’s operating in a more traditional offense. Wilson could be relevant right away in Pittsburgh.

It would appear Kyren Williams is not going to lead the NFL in rushing yards per game this season. Corum is the third RB off the board in this weak class. Arguably the draft class’ most famous runner, Corum (5’8/205) is far from 2024’s best back. You could argue it was Michigan’s “cloud of dust” system, but Corum was a genuine plodder in Ann Arbor. Of the 40 1,000-yard rushers in FBS football last season, Corum’s 4.7 yards per carry was the lowest. He also had the lowest broken tackle rate amongst the 35 highest usage backs. His 2.47 average yards after contact ranked 137-of-152 amongst backs with at least 100 carries. Corum just isn’t an explosive player. He is ridiculously strong, staying low to the ground as a runner and as artillery waiting to go off as a pass blocker. You simply cannot get lower than Corum on the blitz. As powerful and savvy as it gets in short-yardage situations, Corum can also move the chains and finish drives as a role player. He just doesn’t profile as a feature back for the modern era, especially since he’s below-average as a pass catcher. It’s a worrisome situation for Williams, as Corum’s initial calling card figures to be short-yardage work.

Burton (6’0/196) doesn’t have the kind of production profile we’ve become accustomed to seeing from recent Alabama receivers, but he’s proven to be explosive and accustomed to finding the end zone. Despite amassing more than 2,300 yards in his four-year career, Burton’s career-high in receiving yards (798) came in 2023, when he caught 39 balls for eight scores. He was targeted on 18.1 percent of his routes run during his career and has been treated primarily as a deep threat, as evidenced by his 16.8 career ADOT. A physical receiver who is capable of beating the press and hauling in contested targets (52.6 percent contested catch rate), Burton could earn early playing time on the right roster and with a solid offseason.

Corley (5’11/215) has a strong, compact frame that helped him slip 70 tackles throughout his college career. Corley played 91.6 percent of his college snaps from the slot and was often tasked with creating yards after the catch. A career 6.3 ADOT is paired with an 8.2 YAC/REC, but Corely did catch 35-of-71 intermediate and deep targets over his final two collegiate seasons while totaling 870 yards and 10 touchdowns on those targets. He was the beneficiary of manufactured touches during his days at Western Kentucky and could thrive as an outlet option for Aaron Rodgers. He won’t see an overwhelming number of targets as a rookie, but the presence of Garrett Wilson will open up space for him to beat defenses with the ball in his hands.

The Panthers gave away the 52nd, along with picks No. 142 and No. 155, to move up to No. 46 and select Brooks. Buried behind Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson on the depth chart in 2021-22, Brooks (6’0/216) finally emerged No. 1 triumphant in 2023 with 187/1,139/10/6.1 in 11 games. It should have been 15 games, but Brooks tore his ACL on November 11th against TCU. Supposedly already running again, Brooks looked like the complete NFL package last season, creating 63 missed tackles, producing 24 runs of 10-plus yards, and catching 25 passes. He was trusted as a genuine receiver and not just a safety valve, aligning 2.5 percent of the time in the slot and splitting out wide on a further seven percent of his routes. That means he was actually trusted to execute a route and catch the ball. Brooks is also an excellent pass blocker, perhaps the best in the entire class. If not for the knee injury, Brooks would have undoubtedly been a more hyped prospect. As it is, he remains three months shy of his 21st birthday and should be a dynasty league factor for years to come. New head coach Dave Canales has put a strong emphasis on the running game this offseason, which could make Brooks a strong value in fantasy drafts.

McConkey instantly becomes LA’s No. 1 receiver ahead of Josh Palmer and Quenton Johnston. He should see solid target volume despite playing in Greg Roman’s ultra run-heavy offense under a head coach that wants nothing more than to establish the run. A former three-star recruit, McConkey (6’/186) was redshirted for his first year at Georgia before taking on a part-time role in the offense in 2021. He excelled on his limited number of routes, leading the team’s wide receivers—which at the time included Adonai Mitchell and Jermaine Burton—with 31 catches. His role and his stats took a step forward the following year and he appeared poised for a breakout as a senior. Instead, back and ankle injuries limited him to nine appearances in which he posted a 30/478/2 receiving line. McConkey posted an elite, 3.3 yards per route run in his final season. He proved to be more than just a crafty slot receiver at the combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash. McConkey later added top-notch marks in the three-cone and short shuttle to his resume at Georgia’s Pro Day. McConkey’s combination of route-running and athleticism makes it easy to downplay his lack of production given how quickly he should adapt to the NFL’s speed and physicality.

Coleman (6’3/213) began his collegiate career as a two-sport player for Michigan State. He was used sparingly as a football freshman but went straight onto the court after the season ended, appearing in six games for the basketball team. In his second season, Coleman led the Spartans with 56 catches for 798 yards and seven scores. Coleman then transferred to Florida State for his final season and crossed the 30 percent college dominator threshold, which he narrowly missed out on in 2022. He caught 50 balls for 658 yards and 11 scores. Coleman’s basketball background is readily apparent on tape. Not much of a separator, Coleman attacks contested passes and has no problem leveraging his frame to box out weaker corners. Still, for as much of a part of his game as contested targets are, you wish he had caught more than a third of his contested looks in his final season. He made it clear that he won’t be blowing by defenders in the NFL with his 4.61 40-yard dash at the Combine. Without top-notch speed, Coleman may be stuck in a big slot role in the pros despite having the size of a prototypical X receiver. For what it’s worth, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reports Coleman was the wideout Josh Allen wanted at the end of Round 1/beginning of Round 2.

The Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi reported earlier that the Bills and Patriots both had interest in Samuel, but Schultz’s sources don’t think either team will move to close a deal for the All-Pro receiver. The 49ers clearly aren’t opposed to shopping Samuel, but the price will have to be right if they’re going to break up a star-studded receiving corps that could very well make another run at a Super Bowl title next season. It’s still possible a deal for Samuel gets done at some point in the very near future, but the buyers may not come in the form of the Bills or Patriots.

The smoke that the 49ers are preparing to deal one of Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk is thickening instead of dissipating, and the Bills have a key piece of trade ammunition after modestly trading down on Thursday and acquiring the No. 33 overall pick. The Pats select at No. 34. At this point, it is beginning to appear likely that Samuel has a new home in the next couple of hours, but the all-in 49ers could maintain trade discipline and hold onto both wideouts with an eye toward a “last dance"-style run with this skill group in 2024.

As of right now, the Cowboys’ top running backs are Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Dallas will next take the podium at pick No. 56. Brooks is the favorite to be the first running back drafted and most analysts see him as a second-round talent. There isn’t much dot-connecting to do here because Jones is doing most of it for us. All signs point to the Cowboys drafting Brooks if he makes it to them. Brooks was an elite runner in his lone season as a starter at Texas but is coming off a torn ACL. Though it was late in the season, all reports indicate he will be ready by Week 1, if not earlier.