Senior Bowl 2024 Review: Wide Receivers

As the NFL season comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the Browns' positions of need in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama gives us a great insight into the players of tomorrow, and I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat. With the evident lack of an explosive second option in the receiving room, we’ll start by looking at receivers. The Browns could find themselves searching for a receiver somewhat early in the draft. Luckily, Browns assistant wide receivers coach Callie Brownson has the honor of coaching the National team receivers. Based on the first day alone, she has a lot of talent to work with. With that said, here are some names I feel the Browns could be interested in:Florida WR, Ricky PearsallPearsall started his career off at Arizona State where he played with now Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. At Arizona State, Pearsall accumulated 794 yards with 580 of those coming in his 3rd year. He then transferred to Florida where he spent another two years and was able to show off his full potential playing alongside now Colts QB Anthony Richardson. Ricky exploded for 965 yards in his final year and finished his college career averaging an impressive 15.2 yards per reception. At 6 '1 190, he is almost identical to David Bell, but Pearsall’s route tree and speed make him the quick, twitchy downfield receiver that Andrew Berry has been looking for. USC WR, Brenden RiceBrenden Rice happens to be the son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, and the genes have flashed a little here in Mobile. While he never took on a concrete WR1 role at USC, Rice’s 6’3 frame made it easy for a QB to trust him when a big play is needed. He racked up 1,402 yards in 2 years at USC with 16.4 yards per catch. His burst off the line of scrimmage, contested catchability, and overall catch radius would entice any GM, but there are concerns about his ability to fight through contact. There have been several points where he gets stopped mid-route and almost gives up on his route. No rookie is perfect, some minor tweaks to his game could turn him into the future of this WR corps. UCF WR Javon BakerBaker has the most impressive stat line out of the receivers I’ve already mentioned. If you’ve ever seen UCF’s offense, you would know that these stats are VERY hard to achieve. He had just 9 catches in his first 2 years at Alabama, but he bounced back when he transferred to UCF and brought in 56 yards and 796 receptions his junior year. His senior year? A whopping 1,139 yards, 7 touchdowns, and TWENTY ONE yards per reception. He did all of this with four fewer receptions than he had his previous year. The tape will show you a guy who has mastered hand technique, body control, and vision. My only knock on him would be his ability to sell DBs with his hips and speed when he’s going vertical. He allows DBs to catch up and get hands on him, similar to what Cedric Tillman struggled with this year. Overview:The Browns have not had the best luck when it comes to drafting receivers recently. With as much talent as there is here in Mobile and this year's draft class in general, AB is bound to hit on a pick. As the week goes on, we will see if interest generates further.