Skip to main content
Animated graphic with dark background and information about Chargers @ Cardinals for Monday Night Football
Advertising

Arizona Cardinals Home: The official source of the latest Cardinals headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters and game day information

Draft Primer 2024: Wide Receiver

Tons of playmakers on the board as Cardinals search for WR1

AZC_24_DraftConcepts_DraftPrimer_16x9

The Cardinals have been at the center of the NFL draft conversation for weeks, sitting at the top of the league with the most picks (six) within the first 90 selections of the draft. There's a lot of areas the Cardinals will look to address through the draft. General manager Monti Ossenfort's first draft was a success, adding multiple full-time starters and role players that played meaningful snaps. He will look to replicate that performance when the Cardinals are on the clock. Before the draft kicks off on April 25th, let's take a look at each position group and see how the Cardinals may use the draft to evaluate their needs.

Primer Schedule: QB April 9; TE April 10; RB April 11; OL April 12; CB April 15; ILB April 16; Edge April 17; S April 18; DL April 19

Draft primer: WR

Players under contract: Michael Wilson, Zach Pascal, Chris Moore, Greg Dortch, Dan Chisena, Andre Baccellia, Kaden Davis, Jeff Smith, Daniel Arias

Need: High

The Cardinals' situation: Injuries sidelined Michael Wilson for a handful of games during his rookie season, but the Cardinals got a glimpse into what the young receiver can bring into the offense. In 13 games, Wilson hauled in 38 receptions for 565 yards and averaged nearly 15 yards per reception. Besides a late surge from Greg Dortch, the Cardinals wide receiver room struggled to click with the Cardinals quarterbacks all season long. Now that Hollywood Brown is no longer on the roster, the Cardinals are in need of a No. 1 wide receiver for Kyler Murray.

The draft class: This is one of the best draft classes in recent history at the position. It's so loaded that regardless of if the Cardinals were to draft a receiver within their first three picks -- 4, 27, or 35 -- the player could be in contention for WR1. Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. is the marquee name headlined to be drafted by the Cardinals according to plenty of experts. The consensus best non-quarterback prospect has earned tons of praise following back-to-back seasons of 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Washington's Rome Odunze and LSU's Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are not far behind if the Cardinals opted make a different decision, potentially with a trade down. South Carolina's Xavier Legette, Georgia's Ladd McConkey, and Texas' Adonai Mitchell are notable prospects as well.

The conclusion: With as many playmakers on the board, the Cardinals figure to bring in a wide receiver sometime early in the draft. It's critical for Ossenfort to find a weapon that not only fits offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's scheme, but also can complement and develop chemistry with Murray. Fortunately for the Cardinals, there's a lot of good options from which to choose.

A look at some of the top wide receivers entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

Advertising