JACKSONVILLE – New year, familiar story.

Wide receiver is among the strongest positions in the 2024 NFL Draft – and if that sounds familiar, it's because is the position has been among the strongest in pretty much all drafts in recent memory.

We're in a pass-centric era of football – and receivers have become a position of choice.

"It's a great wide receiver class," Jaguars Media and NFL Draft analyst Bucky Brooks said.

That's the case at the top of the draft and throughout the early rounds.

"There's just so many good receivers," ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum said, with Field Yates of ESPN projecting 15 receivers with first- or second-round grades.

"It's just incredible the value you can find in the second and third round at wide receiver," Yates said. "It kind of depends on what you're looking for."

Longtime ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projected six-to-seven wide receivers to be selected in Round 1, with perhaps 27 to be selected in Rounds 1-3.

"The depth at wide receiver is outstanding," Kiper said. "It's a really deep group."

While Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State is considered by many the top receiver in the class, with receivers Rome Odunze of Washington and Malik Nabers of Louisiana State also considered possible Top 10 selections. Keon Coleman of Florida State and Brian Thomas Jr. of Louisiana State are also Top 15 possibilities.

"I think you could make a case the three-highest graded players in this draft are the three receivers," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Odunze, Harrison and Nabers. "They are outstanding. I think they're all going to be No. 1 guys where they go. I would love any of the three of those guys."

Adonai Mitchell of Texas, Ladd McConkey of Georgia and Xavier Worthy of Texas are among the receivers also considered Round 1 possibilities. Multiple analysts said the depth of the class could allow some teams to pass on receiver in the earlier rounds.

"I think these receivers will slide back a little but because there's so many of them," Tannenbaum said.

"That's where all the talent is going," Brooks said. "All the best athletes in schools are going to play wide receiver. That's why you're seeing so many guys each and every year that can come and play. Everyone will talk about the big three at the top of the board, but there's just so many.

"There are so many guys that I would say loosely are like similarly graded. You don't have to necessarily go and get up, jump up to get one."

QUOTABLE

• Brooks: "There are just so many guys and you can get those guys throughout the draft. That's why it's becoming a position of supply and demand. You don't necessarily have to invest a top pick to get a guy that can be really good. You just have to know exactly what you're looking for."

HANDICAPPING THE JAGUARS

This is among the most intriguing positions for the Jaguars entering the draft, with it seeming likely they will select the position somewhere early – but with the position strong enough that they shouldn't have to reach for the position. While the Jaguars' leading wide receiver in 2023 – Calvin Ridley – signed with the Tennessee Titans as an unrestricted free agent in March, the team signed wide receiver Gabe Davis as an unrestricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills. The Jaguars therefore enter the draft with a strong trio of front-line veterans – Davis, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones – at the position. That trio along with tight end Evan Engram give the Jaguars a strong foursome of pass-catchers for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. At the same time, the Jaguars haven't drafted and developed this position in far too long, and a strong argument could be made for addressing the position and seeking a "true No. 1" wide receiver in one of the first two rounds of what it is considered a strong draft for the position.

--John Oehser

CHANCE JAGUARS TAKE A WIDE RECEIVER IN ROUND 1

Very possible.

WRs ON THE JAGUARS ROSTER

On the roster:

• Christian Kirk
• Zay Jones
• Gabe Davis
• Tim Jones
• Devin Duvernay
• Parker Washington
• Elijah Cooks
• Jacob Harris
• Jaylon Moore
• Seth Williams

BUCKY BROOKS' TOP 5 2024 WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Marvin Harrison Jr., junior, Ohio State
2. Rome Odunze, senior, Washington
3. Malik Nabers, junior, Louisiana State
4. Keon Coleman, junior, Florida State
5. Brian Thomas Jr., junior, Louisiana State

BUCKY BROOKS' TOP 5 2024 SLOT RECEIVERS

1. Ladd McConkey, junior, Georgia
2. Ricky Pearsall, senior, Florida
3. Roman Wilson, senior, Michigan
4. Malachi Corley, senior, Western Kentucky
5. Malik Washington, senior, Virginia

POSSIBLE FIRST-ROUND WIDE RECEIVERS

Harrison; Nabers; Odunze; Thomas; Coleman; Adonai Mitchell, Texas; McConkey; Xavier Worthy, Texas.