‘Prototypical Number One’

Despite bargain signings on the free agent market, the Philadelphia Eagles could look to a deep draft of wide receivers to add to their room behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

On the latest “Intel With Greg Cosell” on “Inside The Birds,” the legendary NFL Films analyst Cosell joined Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher to evaluate the top receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.

GETTY IMAGES: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is the top WR prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

Greg Cosell: “He is a really high-level prospect. He is so fluid that is looks like he is not even moving. This a guy with great size, high-level athleticism and movement. He knows how to run routes, knows how to attack and break down corners, knows how to release versus press. You are dealing with a guy that is a prototypical number one with size, speed, hands, body control, explosiveness, physicality.”

Brian Thomas Jr.

Cosell: “Thomas to me is going to be an ascending player. He was a fascinating watch. This guy is long and you can tell from the tape that he can run. He is smooth, has accelarting speed, has stride length, can get on top of corners.”

Adonai Mitchell

Cosell: “He is all over the board in peoples’ minds. I liked him on tape. His athletic testing measurables are off the charts. He has size, has a strong solid frame, has really good hands, caught the ball away from his frame. He ran a lot of in-breaking routes at Texas. To me, that is something you always want to see because pass games in the NFL have to work the middle of the field.”

Troy Franklin

Cosell: “He is specific because he is very straight-line linear, but he can run. What he did at Oregon was mostly vertical, he did catch in-breakers as well. He has accelerating speed, can run by and get on top of corners. The question is can he effectively defeat physical press coverage at the next level?”

Ricky Pearsall

Cosell: “He turned out to be one of my favorite receivers the more I got into his tape and evaluation. He lines up outside, in the slot. Many might box him in as a slot, with the expansion of NFL pass games, he can line up in multiple spots. He is 6’1, not a little guy…I thought he was a good separation generator with his plus quickness at the top of his route stems.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.