NFL Player News

The Eagles selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 152nd overall.

Smith (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) is a short but stocky receiver who showed a fair amount of promise throughout his Texas A&M career. Given his build, it's unlikely that Smith will play much on the boundary in the NFL, but as a horizontally oriented slot type, he might surprise some with his playmaking ability. Although a fifth-year player, Smith was productive during his true freshman and sophomore seasons, so he's already proven that his standout production was not due to any age advantage. Smith should push for slot reps on offense and the punt returner role on special teams for the Eagles.

The Colts selected Gould in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 142nd overall.

Gould will join Adonai Mitchell as rookies in the Colts' receiver room, though Gould is far less likely to make an immediate offensive impact. He didn't break out until his fifth season with Oregon State, when he posted 44 receptions for 718 yards and two touchdowns. However, Indianapolis may have opted for Gould due to his skills on special teams, as he was an elite punt returner with the Beavers -- earning All-American and All Pac-12 Honors in 2022 after leading the nation with a punt return average of 18.3 yards.

The 49ers selected Cowing in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 135th overall.

San Francisco is raising some eyebrows with its draft thus far, making Cowing its second receiver pick in the first four rounds. As the roster's currently constructed, Cowing is effectively blocked from seeing the field, but some movement could change that outlook. As a player, Cowing is best described as an undersized playmaker at 5-foot-8, 168 pounds with 4.38 speed and strong college production. Cowing starred at UTEP with 1,354 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, which put him on the Power 5 radar. He transferred to Arizona, where he caught 20 touchdowns and recorded nearly 2,000 receiving yards over two seasons. The Tank Dell comparisons will follow him as a small and dynamic player out of the slot, but it will take time for him to live up to that in San Francisco as it stands.

The Ravens selected Walker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 113th overall.

Walker led Kent State in receiving yards and touchdowns back in 2022 before transferring to North Carolina last season, but a delay in eligibility saw the soon-to-be 23-year-old play in only eight games with the Tar Heels. Walker still managed to find a way to lead the team in touchdown receptions and by all accounts seems to possess both the level-headed nature and frame (6-foot-2, 193 pounds) to be a productive receiver at the NFL level. The talented wideout didn't necessarily display the type of game speed that saw Walker register a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but his ability to threaten defenses in the second level will add another element to a Baltimore receiving corps that's brimming with young talent.

The Patriots selected Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 110th overall.

Baker was a four-star recruit and spent his first two years of college at Alabama. He struggled to get on the field with the Crimson Tide before ultimately transferring to UCF, where he combined to post 108 receptions for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last two seasons. Baker's ability to translate to the NFL is in question, as he was a big-play threat in college but posted only mediocre size-adjusted speed at the NFL Combine. Nevertheless, the Patriots lack clarity on their wide receiver depth chart, so Baker could emerge with a bigger role than expected.

The Broncos selected Franklin in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 102nd overall.

Franklin had impressive production throughout his collegiate career at Oregon, posting 891 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022. He also showed impressive speed and leaping ability at the NFL Combine, though questions about his route running and thin stature (6-foot-2, 172 pounds) caused him to slip a bit down the draft board. Franklin could contribute immediately on offense, particularly as he'll join Bo Nix -- his college quarterback -- in Denver.

The Commanders selected McCaffrey in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 100th overall.

McCaffrey originally arrived to Nebraska as a coveted quarterback recruit, but he couldn't stick at the position and ended up making the switch to receiver after transferring to Rice. He's a bit thin at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and has little catch radius to speak of, but his athleticism tested well at the NFL Combine (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 6.7-second three-cone drill), and his production at Rice was generally encouraging, especially since he just started playing wideout in 2022. It's possible that McCaffrey might need some more developmental time after switching from quarterback, but the bloodlines are obviously highly favorable, and he clearly possesses starter-caliber athleticism. Washington simply now waits to see how much he can improve with experience.

The Buccaneers selected McMillan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 92nd overall.

McMillan might not have as much hype as former Washington teammate Rome Odunze or even Ja'Lynn Polk, but McMillan was about as productive as Odunze and was more productive than Polk prior to McMillan missing roughly two months with a knee injury in 2023. In other words, if McMillan never got hurt, then Polk might not have been drafted ahead of the former. McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) demonstrated his skill set by producing alongside the likes of Odunze and Polk in college, and his solid combine performance proved the NFL viability of his athleticism (4.47-second 40, 37-inch vertical). Trey Palmer should not be in the WR3 role much longer for Tampa.

The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 84th overall.

Wilson was widely expected to go sooner than this, but he falls to Pittsburgh here likely due to concerns about how well-rounded his skill set may be. The Michigan product is small at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, and his generally strong 4.39-second 40-yard dash was actually a slight disappointment given that he was expected to be one of the three fastest receivers at the combine (his 4.39 was tied for sixth best). Still, Wilson is some version of very fast and should pose a consistent downfield threat in the NFL, even if he lacks other dimensions to his game. He risks getting cast largely as a speed decoy if he doesn't draw targets more consistently than he did at Michigan, however.

The Bengals selected Burton in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 80th overall.

Burton (6-foot, 196 pounds) is a former blue-chip recruit who transferred from Georgia to Alabama, displaying standout talent at both schools but also picking up his share of critics along the way. He developed a reputation for dubious judgement on the field and in the locker room both, and not as many former coaches went to bat for him as they normally would with a player of his abilities. With that said, Burton's fit at the pro level doesn't require much speculation. If he has his head in the game he has the talent to emerge as at least an average starter at some point, and for the Bengals he should be an immediate boost to the deep passing game. With 4.45-second 40-yard dash and impressive hands/tracking ability, Burton could hurt defenses that leave him in single coverage against slower corners.