8 of the Top 10 WR Reception Leaders from 2024 were drafted in the 1st Round. That tells me, if you want you high volume WR1, you draft him in the 1st Round.
The year to year trends with this are far too volatile to draw this conclusion. If you look at 2023 or 2022 for receptions. It paints an entirely different picture with many of the top 10/top 20 being drafted after the first round.