2026 NFL Draft Wide Receiver rankings: Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate top Connor Rogers' list

1. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Tyson is an explosive separator with acrobatic body control. He uses his 6’2, 200+ pound frame to power through contact in his routes. He’s a natural when it comes to plucking the ball away from his body and transitioning into an open field runner.

He improved his drop rate from 8.4% in 2024 to 1.6% in 2025, while hauling in 17 of 31 contested catch opportunities in that same span.

He doesn’t have the same ridiculous speed, but there are glimpses of Odell Beckham Jr. in his movements and overall game. His injury history will be a notable conversation for teams, but he’s the most talented wide receiver in this draft.

2. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Tate is a technician with good length and ball skills to finish plays. He’s extremely detailed in his footwork to win at multiple levels of the field and does not drop passes (he has 10 ¼” hands). 

Tate has hauled in an absurd 18 of 24 contested catch opportunities over the last two seasons, showing off excellent tracking, concentration and adjustments to the football. He’s not very creative or explosive after the catch and could add more strength to his 192 pound frame. 

Overall, Tate should be a high-end number two wide receiver at the next level with a chance to blossom into more.

MORE DRAFT RANKINGS: Rogers’ 2026 QB Rankings

3. Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Cooper Jr. is a playmaking talent with great pound-for-pound strength. He can bully his way into space underneath and create big plays with the ball in his hands. 494 of his receiving yards in 2025 came after the catch. His teammate, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, compared him to Davante Adams at the NFL Combine because of his releases.

There are multiple grabs on his highlight reel where he makes unorthodox adjustments to the ball. He’s dangerous from the slot, but has enough burst, speed and strength to win from the outside as well. I project a higher ceiling for Cooper Jr. at the next level.

4. Makai Lemon, USC

Lemon is a compact slot receiver who plays bigger than his size. He has a great understanding of how to alter tempo in his routes to create enough separation. 

Lemon is advanced in attacking zone coverages and rarely drops passes. Everything he does is with high effort and intensity. He doesn’t possess prototypical size or speed to physically dominate over the top or after the catch at the next level. Overall, his reliability, effort and ability to finish plays brings a promising floor.

5. Denzel Boston, Washington

Boston is a well-built, big-bodied wide receiver with tremendous ball skills. He’s hauled in a ridiculous 22 of 35 contested catch targets over the last two seasons. He plucks the ball out of the air at its highest point and uses his size to position himself in an advantageous way. It’s hard to find plays where he isn’t in complete control tracking and attacking the football.

Aggressive cornerbacks can slow down his process by striking his broad frame early in his routes. Against Ohio State and Oregon in 2025, he only tallied a combined 51 receiving yards.  He doesn’t have great long speed, but often makes up for that with physicality. 

While not the same caliber of prospect, Boston has a similar build and playstyle to Tetairoa McMillan. His above-the-rim capabilities will elevate a passing game that needs size on the outside.

6. Germie Bernard, Alabama

Bernard is one of my favorite players in this entire draft. He plays a gritty brand of football at the wide receiver position that reminds me of Jakobi Meyers. 

He’s not the most explosive and isn’t flashy, but Bernard knows how to separate in the 0-15 yard range (his 6.71 three cone is an 87th percentile time). In the 10-19 yard range over the middle of the field he caught 15 of 18 targets (with three touchdowns). His effort as a blocker from tight formations is excellent (the first position he played in youth football was guard). 

Bernard is a very easy player to bet on having a strong NFL career, capable of handling multiple roles.

7. Chris Brazzell, Tennessee

Brazzell has a tall, lean build with long arms that he utilizes to haul in poorly placed throws. His tracking, adjustments and body control looked extremely natural in 2025. He rarely drops passes and most of his production was from targets of 10+ yards. 

For all of the speed he possesses, he's still learning how to vary it to maximize his separation skills. More physical corners will challenge him at the line of scrimmage in the NFL.

When Brazzell finds himself covered in one-on-one situations, he looks like a small forward timing his leaps and extension for a rebound over the defensive back. He can run away from tacklers, but he rarely runs through them or makes people miss with the ball in his hands. 

Overall, his ability to stretch the field and change the score at any moment should be highly coveted on day two of the draft. 

8. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Concepcion has been a do-it-all weapon across two college programs. He was a legit rushing threat at N.C. State, but had his best year through the air in 2025 at Texas A&M.

He’s very quick with the agility to elude coverage in the short and intermediate areas of the field. After the catch, his acceleration shines and he has enough wiggle in space to make defenders miss. Texas A&M wisely got him involved in the screen game and short passes that let him build momentum.

Concepcion has had a high drop rate over the last two seasons, but many look like he’s thinking about making a move before securing the football. His top gear is mediocre, but he has good foot speed and sells his routes with a purpose. He has the ceiling of a dangerous number two wide receiver (needs to continue getting stronger and limit his drops), but most likely enters the league as a number three slot weapon.

9. Skyler Bell, UConn

Bell is a productive, explosive tester and ascending receiving talent. UConn’s offense used him everywhere as he lined up in the backfield on 23 snaps, in the slot on 223 and out wide on 434.

Despite being sub 6 feet tall, Bell has real ball skills with his explosive leaping (41 inch vert) and big hands (10 inches) to finish plays. He had a very poor drop rate of 13.1% in 2024, but lowered that all the way down to 3.7% in 2025. In the screen and quick pass game, Bell is a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands that can run through or around defenders.

Overall, Bell is another receiver in this class with a potentially higher ceiling at the next level due to quarterback play. He should get more opportunities in the vertical game, but brings a comfortable floor because of his athleticism and production in the short area.

10. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Fields is a battle-tested possession threat that will block and make difficult plays for his quarterback. He brings a massive 218-pound frame with great height and length to the wide receiver position. 

His routes are based on power and strength, but he also brings those aspects to fighting for the football. He can shield the coverage and go above the rim to make spectacular catches. He won’t run away from too many cornerbacks with and without the ball, but that doesn’t prevent him from consistently making plays.

11. Antonio Williams, Clemson

Williams is an extremely shifty skill player that has mastered getting open in the short area of the field. He played both inside and outside in 2024, but primarily worked out of the slot in 2025. 

He showed improved hands in his last season and transitions quickly from pass catcher to open field runner. I really like his compete level. He's undersized in both contested situations and as a blocker, but his effort makes him at least adequate in these areas. 

Many aspects of his game have a 'best backyard football athlete' feel: he has thrown impressive touchdowns in back-to-back seasons off trick plays, is an effective punt returner and is a threat off jet sweeps/reverses. 

He will not win down the field at the next level, lacking the high-end explosive speed required or the size. Various lower-body injuries have kept him off the field throughout the 2023 and 2025 seasons. Williams has limitations, but a team looking for a slot receiver with versatility and punt return ability will value his skill set.

12. Chris Bell, Louisville

Bell is a muscular freight train at wide receiver that reminds me of former New York Jet Quincy Enunwa. His route tree production is limited, and there's not much polish when he's attempting to get open. When the ball is in his hands, he plows through defenders like they are cruiserweights. 

For his lack of detail in his releases and routes, he does a good job utilizing his size to shield cornerbacks to win the football underneath. Bell got better every year at Louisville (four seasons) and might have his best football ahead of him, but a torn ACL towards the end of the season puts a giant speed bump in his current development.

13. Ted Hurst, Georgia State

Hurst is a big wide receiver with long speed and ball skills. He's been very productive the last two seasons against a lower level of competition, but overcame inconsistent quarterback play. 

A lot of his game is still raw as he drifts into coverage, lacks consistent detail in his routes and has concentration drops. He will need to threaten from an expanded route tree at the next level as well. 

Overall, Hurst has too much talent to overlook and he's passed every test throughout the draft process. The wildcard is how he will perform against much bigger and faster corners, but that gamble is easily worth a day two pick.

14. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana

Sarratt is a reliable possession receiver with good size but below-average speed. He plays with detail leading up to the catch point, where he maximizes his physicality and 10-inch hands to finish plays. He's relatively unfazed by any congestion when the ball is in the air and eats up targets underneath. Fernando Mendoza trusted him on third downs, where he caught 8 of his 15 touchdowns in 2025.

Sarratt runs hard with the ball in his hands but isn't very creative or elusive. He's a high-effort blocker but had a surprising amount of whiffs on his assignments. Overall, he has the polish of a pro possession receiver but might lack athleticism and upside to evolve beyond being a number three target.

15. Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Branch is a speedy, small slot receiver that is dangerous with the ball in his hands. After transferring from USC to Georgia, they prioritized ways to manufacture touches to him in the screen game and off motion. He's reliable catching the football and is a natural adjuster to throws off target, but he has a limited catch radius. 

I love his vision and urgency to get up the field after making a catch. That also translates to the return game where he's experienced reeling in both punts and kicks. 

Branch's size brings limitations, but he has the reputation of an extremely hard worker to maximize his ability. His special teams value and speed makes him a likely number three or four wide receiver on an NFL roster.