The 2024 NFL Draft featured arguably the best wide receiver class in modern draft history, and a trio of top prospects made an immediate impact at the next level.
Malik Nabers of the New York Giants, Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Ladd McConkey of the Los Angeles Chargers all made an instant splash for their respective teams, delivering big numbers and immediately establishing themselves as impact players against pro competition.
But how will they follow up their impressive rookie season? Will they build on last year's success, setting the bar even higher in Year 2?
On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," I sat down with Matt Harmon of Yahoo! Sports to talk about what we saw from those three receivers as rookies, and what we can expect to see in 2025.
darnay holmes
Brian Thomas Jr. put up huge numbers for the Jaguars in his rookie campaign.
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"Progression isn't always linear with these guys," Harmon said. "We want it to be. We want them to set the floor in Year 1, and they're just gonna continue to improve. Generally, that's true . . . usually, these guys show us who they are and set that floor for themselves sometime in those first three years."
"That being said, it's gonna come down to a lot of the surrounding variables," Harmon continued. "We want to say about Malik Nabers, 'Oh, he had this disgusting quarterback situation, it's only gonna get better from there.' It doesn't always get better. Sometimes you get stuck in the Allen Robinson, D.J. Moore . . . Terry McLaurin is just now finding himself in a good quarterback situation. That's what a lot of it comes down to."
Nabers caught passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito last season, but will have an entirely new trio of veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, as well as rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart as his potential starting quarterbacks in 2025.
Thomas will have Trevor Lawrence throwing to him again this season, but he still put up big numbers when Lawrence went down with an injury last season, with Mac Jones taking over for seven games.
McConkey had the most stability at quarterback last season, with Justin Herbert starting all 17 games, and set to return as the starter this season.
Ladd McConkey
Ladd McConkey quickly became Justin Herbert's favorite target for the Chargers.
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For some rookies who break out right away, their immediate success can be attributed to exterior factors which are far more volatile than the things each player can control for themselves, but Harmon doesn't see that being and issue for Nabers, Thomas or McConkey.
"When it comes to the individual skill sets of these three guys, I don't come out of Year 1 thinking there was any kind of fraudulence in their production," Harmon said.
Harmon was particularly impressed with McConkey last year, as the undersized second-round pick out of Georgia became Herbert's favorite target.
"McConkey might have been the best of all three on film," Harmon said.
To check out the entire conversation, including a deep dive on the entire 2024 receiver class, watch the full episode of BPA: