The New York Jets enter the 2024 NFL Draft with various needs primarily on offense. GM Joe Douglas and company as of right now will have eight picks at their disposal to rebuild one of the worst offenses in football. One thing that New York hasn’t found much of is under-the-radar offensive talent in the later rounds.
Today, let’s look at five under-the-radar wide receiver targets for the Jets in rounds three and four.
Jets Five Under-The-Radar Wide Receiver Draft Targets
Ricky Pearsall, Florida
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 lbs
Class: Redshirt Senior
Throughout his entire early life, Ricky Pearsall has flown under the radar and that has continued entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Coming out of High School, Pearsall was just a three-star recruit and ranked outside the top 1,000 prospects. He committed to Arizona State where he played three seasons and then transferred to Florida which ultimately put him on the map. Since joining the Gators he has produced at a very high level and will now wait to hear his name called in April.
In Pearsall’s two seasons with the Gators, he tallied a total of 98 receptions for 1,626 yards and nine touchdowns. Along with this, he was targeted a total of 147 times and only suffered three drops. In total, he logged a sub-three drop percentage which was one of the best in College Football. Another key element to Pearsall’s overall game is his versatility to play on the outside and in the slot.
Current projections have him getting the call early to mid-third round of the draft. There will be a lot of teams looking at Pearsall, especially with his emergence at the Senior Bowl. The Jets should find themselves in that group of teams.
Johnny Wilson, Florida State
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 237 lbs
Class: Redshirt Junior
Johnny Wilson is one of the most intriguing players on both sides of the ball entering the draft. Wilson’s mixture of height, speed and athleticism is something scouts haven’t seen much of before. Similar to Pearsall, Wilson spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Arizona State. He then transferred to Florida State where he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The move for Wilson put him on the map as he got the chance to play alongside fellow draft prospect Keon Coleman in 2023 and Jordan Travis at QB in both years.
In his two seasons at Florida State, Wilson hauled in 84 receptions for 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2022, Wilson led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Despite missing time with an injury in 2023, Wilson was still able to finish second on the team in both receptions and yards. To put it simply, Wilson has arguably the most eye-popping physical traits in this entire class.
Most projections show Wilson going as high as the second round or as low as the fourth round. The first Wilson-to-Wilson connection/combo did not work in The Big Apple as Zach Wilson struggled in all three seasons. However, what Johnny Wilson was able to do alongside Keon Coleman should get fans excited about the potential of what he can do alongside Garrett Wilson in New York.
Roman Wilson, Michigan
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 192 lbs
Class: Senior
After defeating the Washington Huskies in the College Football National Championship Roman Wilson became one of many Michigan Wolverines to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Come to find out it wasn’t just the players looking to enter the NFL, their head coach Jim Harbaugh landed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson was able to get better both on the field and statistically in each of his four seasons. However, it was in 2023 that Wilson began to make a name for himself.
Wilson hauled in 48 receptions for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. All three of these were new career highs and all led the Wolverines. His 12 touchdowns were also good enough to finish second in the Big Ten only behind star wideout prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. At the Senior Bowl this past week Wilson made his presence felt in front of scouts. One of his strongest attributes is his overall athleticism showcasing explosiveness and speed on the field.
Roman Wilson is the second Wilson on this list that could find himself playing alongside Garrett Wilson in New York. With all signs pointing toward the Jets bringing in a receiver through free agency or trade, Roman Wilson would be a nice fit as the third receiver primarily in the slot in 2024. Current projections show Wilson finding a home in the third round.
Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 210 lbs
Class: Junior
Malachi Corley also known as the “YAC King” enters the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the more interesting/intriguing prospects that could go in the middle rounds. Corley’s unique ability to make defenders miss in the open field and accumulate yards after catch makes him such a fun prospect to dive into. The former two-star recruit spent his entire four-year collegiate career with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers where he found ways to improve each season and this past week at the Senior Bowl, Corley made headlines.
On Friday, Corley was named the top wide receiver on the Senior Bowl National Team which was voted on by defensive backs from the American Team. This stellar play didn’t just start this past week for Corley things started to take off in 2022. Corley generated 180 receptions for 2,277 yards and 22 touchdowns throughout 2022 and 2023. On top of this, in 2022 Corley led the nation in yards after catch and missed tackles forced.
To put it simply, Corley quickly became arguably the most dangerous receiver in College Football with the ball in his hands. Corley is heading down the path of being a middle-round steal for an NFL offense. If the Jets have an opportunity the sky is the limit for Corley they must take advantage.
Brenden Rice, USC
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 210 lbs
Class: Senior
When looking at the 2024 draft two prominent names ring a bell for NFL fans, Harrison and Rice. Marvin Harrison Jr. son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison and Brenden Rice son of arguably the greatest wide receiver of all time Jerry Rice. Both Rice and Harrison will look to carry the torch passed down from their dads. Brenden Rice began his collegiate career as a three-star recruit playing with the Colorado Buffaloes before transferring to another Pac-12 school, the USC Trojans.
For Rice, he has gotten better in each of his four collegiate seasons and started producing at a higher rate when playing alongside fellow draft prospect Caleb Williams. In his two years at USC, Rice tallied 84 receptions for 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 12 touchdowns in 2023 led USC and ranked third in the Pac-12 conference. One of his best attributes is his overall consistency in all facets of the game.
Current projections show Rice landing during mid-late day two of the draft with a slim chance of him falling to day three. Either way, Rice with his family background and his play is an exciting prospect for many teams including the Jets.
Main Image: © Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
