The 2024 NFL Draft boasts one of the wide receiver classes in recent memory. While Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze garner the majority of headlines this year's crop of incoming receivers, many will look to make names for themselves at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis this week. One of those players is Nabers' LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas is regarded as a first-round prospect in his own right and could also make an impact immediately in the NFL, especially if he finds himself on a team like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs. He was not super productive in his first two collegiate seasons, but that is understandable to a degree. It takes time for younger players to find playing time, especially when they are sharing the field with NFL-quality players like the aforementioned Nabers and Kayshon Boutte, who got drafted in last year's NFL Draft.

ut when Thomas got his opportunity, he made the most of it. He hauled in 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. Not only that, but Thomas was one of the most efficient receivers in all of college football in 2023.

Thomas thrived as a deep threat playing off of Nabers. He posted the second-best yards per route run on deep throws behind only USC's Tahj Washington. While Thomas has the goods to be a number one receiver in his own right, he balled out playing alongside another star receiver. He could have a similar setup in places like Buffalo or Kansas City.

Buffalo Bills

If there's a team that could use Brian Thomas Jr. the most later in the first round, it would be the Bills. They could really use another receiver to take some pressure off of Stefon Diggs. Opposing teams began keying in on Diggs and daring other players to beat them, and that had a big impact on his numbers. Through Buffalo's first six games of the 2023 season, Diggs registered five 100-yard games and had 620 yards in that span. From Week 7 on, however, Diggs didn't have a single game with 100+ yards. He totaled just 563 yards in Buffalo's remaining 11 games.

He didn't get much help from his teammates. Gabe Davis, Buffalo's second-leading receiver who finished with 746 yards on the season, had more games with zero yards (4) than he did with 100 yards (3). Khalil Shakir emerged during the second half of the season, but he was sparsely used in the first half. The same could apply to rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid.

But those players were primarily used short of the line of scrimmage. The Bills lacked a deep threat in the postseason and that was exploited in their playoff loss against the Chiefs. That won't be the case again if they draft a player like Thomas.

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Kansas City Chiefs

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Speaking of the Chiefs, they could also use a player of Thomas' ability. Kansas City is also short on reliable and consistent deep threats. Justin Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were the receivers primarily used in that way, but neither of them finished with more than 500 yards. It was a big reason why Mahomes averaged 6.5 air yards per attempt, which ranked 33rd among quarterbacks according to playerprofiler.com.

Rashee Rice emerged as a rookie receiver for the Chiefs last season, and Travis Kelce is still elite. But they could use another weapon to stretch the field and make life easier for Mahomes and Kelce. Brian Thomas Jr. can be that guy. He'd be a home run selection for the Chiefs.