2024 NFL Draft: Highest-graded red-zone receivers over past two seasons | NFL Draft

• Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott paces the draft class: Ten of his 16 red-zone catches over the past two seasons went for touchdowns.

• Marvin Harrison Jr. and Hayden Hatten match each other in red-zone touchdown grabs: Both secured 17 scores on red-zone targets over the past two seasons.

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T-1. TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State: 87.7 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
93	22	16	141	10	12

Ben Sinnott was Kansas State’s most-targeted receiver in the red zone over the past two seasons. Twelve of his 16 catches resulted in first downs, and he tied for the fifth-most touchdown catches over that span. Sinnott recorded five explosive gains of 15-plus yards (third most) and leads all draft-eligible players in red-zone passer rating when targeted (129.0).

T-1. WR Hayden Hatten, Idaho: 87.7 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
113	37	21	225	17	19

Hatten is the lone FCS player on this list, and his red-zone production is nearly unmatched. He led the FCS in red-zone target rate (32.7%) and tied for first among all draft-eligible players in touchdowns and first downs. Some of his best work came on late-down red-zone plays, on which he saw 15 targets and caught nine touchdown passes (first). Hatten was targeted 21 times from the intermediate area of the field (first), securing nine catches and eight touchdowns. He led all players in average depth of target (13.3 yards) and recorded six explosive gains from the red zone.

T-3. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State: 85.6 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
112	41	20	223	17	19

Marvin Harrison Jr. was the most-targeted 2024 NFL Draft prospect in the red zone over the past two seasons, and he led all draft-eligible players in threat rate (36.7%). He ranked second in receiving yards and tied with Hayden Hatten in touchdowns and first downs gained. Half of Harrison’s catches were on late-down targets. He moved the chains each time and came up with eight scores. He led FBS-eligible players in intermediate targets (19) and recorded seven gains of 15-plus yards (first).

T-3. WR Roman Wilson, Michigan: 85.6 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
61	21	16	143	9	12

Wilson was Michigan’s favorite red-zone target over the past two seasons (34.4% threat rate), generating a 113.7 passer rating when targeted. He caught 16 red-zone passes with 12 first-down gains and nine touchdowns. Wilson averaged 2.34 yards per route run and ranked seventh in red-zone receiving yards. He recorded three gains of 15-plus yards and placed third in deep target rate (23.8%). More than half of his targets came on early downs (13), where he snagged 10 passes for 85 yards and six scores.

5. TE Jared Wiley, TCU: 82.2 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
86	21	15	89	9	11

Wiley led TCU with 15 red-zone catches over the past two seasons. Most of his yards came within nine yards of the line of scrimmage (55), but he still finished top-15 among draft-eligible players in touchdowns (nine) and first-down receptions (11).

6. WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky: 79.5 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
93	28	21	131	10	13

Corley led all draft-eligible Group of Five players in red-zone catches this past season, securing 13 of his 15 such targets for five touchdowns and eight first downs. Defenders struggled to pin him down, as he recorded 100 yards after the catch (first) and 34 yards after contact (fourth) across two seasons. Most of his work came behind the line of scrimmage, where he saw 15 targets and moved the chains seven times with six scores (first).

7. WR Malik Washington, Virginia: 77.4 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
83	28	22	134	6	10

Washington totaled 12 red-zone targets in his four-year run at Northwestern but surpassed that in 2023 at Virginia (20), leading the ACC with 16 catches and nine first-down gains. Washington caught five touchdown passes and forced six missed tackles. He leads all draft-eligible receivers in missed tackles forced since 2022 (eight).

8. WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice: 77.1 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
99	33	21	167	10	15

McCaffrey led all Group of Five players in red-zone targets and catches over the past two seasons while ranking fifth overall in receiving yards. He secured seven contested catches and recorded two gains of 15-plus yards over the span. Most of his work came on early downs (25 targets), and he ranked third in targets within nine yards of the line of scrimmage.

9. WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona: 75.5 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
122	37	27	174	14	19

Jacob Cowing is tied for second with all draft-eligible players in red-zone targets over the past two seasons after seeing only 19 such targets during his three seasons at UTEP. He led the Pac-12 in touchdown catches this season (nine) and ranked top-three in touchdowns and first-down gains since 2022. Cowing forced six missed tackles and generated a 122.1 passer rating when targeted over the past two seasons.

10. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia: 74.9 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
115	31	18	118	7	16

Bowers led all draft-eligible tight ends in red-zone targets and catches over the past two seasons. Sixteen of his 18 catches gained first downs, and he generated a 105.9 passer rating when targeted. Bowers leads all SEC tight ends with 15 career red-zone touchdowns and averaged 5.5 yards after the catch per reception.

11. WR Jalen McMillan, Washington: 74.4 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
93	29	21	168	9	14

McMillan dealt with a lingering knee injury for most of the 2023 season. He still managed to secure nine of his 10 red-zone targets for 61 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Huskies in threat rate (37.0%) and yards per route run (2.26). McMillan paced the team in red-zone catches and yards over the past two seasons and ranked second in passer rating when targeted (126.1). He caught all seven of his targets behind the line of scrimmage and secured eight of 12 short targets for five first downs and three scores. He caught five of his seven targets at the intermediate level and scored on each play.

12. WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas: 74.3 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
95	20	13	124	10	13

Mitchell missed nine games due to injury in 2022 and saw 10 red-zone targets during his time at Georgia. He caught six passes for 63 yards and four touchdowns, generating a 117.9 passer rating when targeted.

Texas utilized Mitchell more in 2023, sending 15 red-zone targets his way. He caught 10 of the passes for 89 yards and eight touchdowns, producing a team-high 94.2 passer rating when targeted. He ranked top-10 in touchdowns and first-down gains over the past two seasons and converted every career red-zone catch into a first down.

13. WR Zakhari Franklin, Ole Miss: 73.5 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
91	22	14	125	9	11

A knee injury limited Franklin to four games in 2023. He was twice targeted in the red zone, catching both and scoring once. It was his first year at Ole Miss after a four-year run at UTSA. During his time there, he led the Roadrunners in catches (33), touchdowns (22) and threat rate (32.3%) in the red zone. He recorded double-digit catches in 2021 and 2022 and scored eight times in both seasons.

14. TE Cade Stover, Ohio State: 72.5 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
98	20	13	91	8	10

Stover ranked fourth in target rate for the Buckeyes over the past two seasons (20.4%) yet led the team in passer rating when targeted over that span (114.8). He hauled in five red-zone catches in 2023, all for first downs, and recorded four red-zone touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.

15. WR Brenden Rice, USC: 70.9 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
82	26	14	99	8	10

Rice caught four red-zone passes for 28 yards and two touchdowns during his time at Colorado (2020-2021). He led the Trojans in threat rate (40.5%) in 2023 and generated a 102.4 passer rating when targeted over the past two seasons. Rice paced USC in red-zone yardage over the span but ranked in the bottom five among draft-eligible players in the same area. Thirty-nine of his red-zone receiving yards came from scramble adjustments, and he caught just one of seven contested targets in 2023.

16. WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU: 70.3 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
80	18	13	104	8	9

Thomas led LSU in red-zone touchdowns in 2023 (six). He secured three of his four red-zone contested targets and finished with a 128.0 passer rating when targeted. More than half of Thomas’ production came on post and go routes. He secured all five of his such targets for 54 yards and scored on each. He forced five career missed tackles in the red zone, as well.

17. WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville: 69.3 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
60	12	7	52	5	6

Thrash was Louisville’s most-targeted red-zone player in 2023 (nine), with most of his yardage coming off two deep catches that gained 32 yards. He saw eight red-zone targets during his three seasons at Georgia State, catching six of those passes for 48 yards and four touchdowns.

18. WR Joshua Cephus, UTSA: 69.2 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
110	23	13	107	9	10

The fifth-year senior led UTSA in catches (eight), touchdowns (six) and target rate (31.8%) in the red zone in 2023. He ranked top-10 among draft-eligible players in touchdown catches and fourth in deep target rate (21.7%) since 2022. Most of Cephus’ red-zone targets over the past two seasons were on slant (five) and corner (four) routes. He posted six combined catches for 59 yards, with two gains of 15-plus yards and five touchdowns on such plays.

19. WR Troy Franklin, Oregon: 67.6 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
135	31	21	144	12	14

Franklin ran the second-most red-zone routes over the past two seasons and tied for sixth in targets over that span. He caught nine of 12 red-zone targets in 2023 for 69 yards and six touchdowns and led the Ducks with 19 targets in 2022. Over the past two seasons, Franklin secured four contested catches, forced six missed tackles and recorded three gains of 15-plus yards in the red zone.

20. Malik Nabers, LSU: 66.1 Receiving Grade

Snaps	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	First Downs
101	26	13	103	6	9

Nabers led LSU in catches (nine), yards (76) and threat rate (35.2%) in the red zone in 2023, yet he ranked last on the team in catch rate (47.4%). Nabers recorded a 50% catch rate and an 83.8% target rate from the red zone over the past two seasons. LSU attempted to get him the ball on fade (five) and go (four) routes with little success (one catch for 20 yards). He was effective close to the line of scrimmage, catching eight of 9 short-area targets for 53 yards. He gained five first downs and scored three times on those plays.