There are still 218 days until the 2026 NFL Draft, but several players have already proven they will be heavily coveted by NFL teams next year.
Wide receiver is a key position, and in recent years, many have been taken early in the draft. In 2025, Tetairoa McMillan went eighth overall to the Carolina Panthers, while Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden were also first-round selections.
Next year’s draft class has some promising wide receivers, and here are the ones who have stood out from the rest so far.
Top 7 WRs in 2026 NFL Draft
Jordyn Tyson
Tyson, who is PFSN’s preseason WR1 in the 2026 NFL Draft, has been incredible as the Sun Devils’ top option, with 24 catches for 314 yards and 4 TDs in his first three games. He earned acclaim in the preseason months with his vertical ability on film, but he’s re-emphasized his merit as a truly complete three-level threat in the month of September.
At his size, he’s a fluid and fleet-footed separator, a clutch catch-point converter, and an instinctive RAC threat with fantastic footwork on RAC transitions, body control, and fluidity weaving through crowds.
The advanced numbers back up Tyson’s game – particularly as a RAC weapon. He’s generating 5.9 yards after catch per reception, and almost a full yard of RAC per catch over expectation. But in truth, the metrics are glowing across the board. He’s posting a catch rate over expectation of 5.33%.
He’s averaging a flummoxing 3.17 yards per route run, a strong 0.59 EPA per target, and he has an on-field target percentage of 36.40%. That is to say, when he’s on the field, he gets the ball more than a third of the time.
Even more simply put: Tyson is good good. And he’s making a strong case for WR1.
Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Carnell Tate wowed onlookers with both his routes and his contested catches in Week 1 against Texas, and it’s only been up from there for the 6’3” target. Working off his 2024 tape, I had concerns about Tate’s hip sink, flexibility, and nuance as a route runner and stem operator, but he’s quelled any concerns about that with his early 2025 tape.
He looks like a new player as a separator, and still has the vertical ability and catch-point instincts that made him compelling to begin with. Ohio State has no signs of slowing down as WRU, but Jeremiah Smith will have to wait to be the “next big thing” – because Tate’s already here.
Makai Lemon, USC
The USC Trojans, in fact, have two wideouts with early-round potential. Ja’Kobi Lane is worth a mention here, as the 6’4” pass-catcher has awe-inspiring vertical ability and ball tracking, and he’s flashed development as a route runner and stem operator. But Makai Lemon is the higher-ranked of the two for now, with true first-round aspirations.
At 5’11”, 195 pounds, Lemon is a twitched-up route operator, a steely catch-point presence with sharp focus and hand-eye coordination, and hyper-elite RAC ability with his combined short-area agility, open-field burst, and balance through contact. Lemon brings shades of Golden Tate with his game, and is right in the mix to be among the highest echelon of 2026 WRs.
Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M
Kevin Concepcion first won the hearts of Devy and Dynasty users with his breakout true freshman campaign at NC State, but as the Wolfpack’s offense sputtered in 2024, so too did Concepcion’s efficiency.
Concepcion himself wasn’t perfect; a smaller and lighter WR, he had trouble with drops and conversion through contact. But he appears revitalized at Texas A&M, with 227 yards and 3 scores through three games. At 5’10”, 190 pounds, Concepcion is as shifty as they come, with added value as an instinctive separator and improviser. His dual-sided separation and RAC utility should earn him a role in the NFL.
Germie Bernard, Alabama
While Ryan Williams was the talk of Tuscaloosa, upperclassman Germie Bernard has monopolized Alabama’s pass-game production through three games. Bernard won’t pull in a first-round grade on my board – he’s not the most dynamic athlete in the class and he doesn’t have elite flexibility as a route runner – but he’s just a solid pro, period.
He has good route nuance, he has stellar hands and body control, he can generate RAC with his explosion and contact balance, and he’s a grueling blocker on the boundary. He’ll make one NFL offense very happy as a WR2 who can command volume and fill utility roles.
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
Chris Brazzell II had an early-round grade from me when he transferred from Tulane to Tennessee. He ended up falling down the depth chart in his first year with the Volunteers, but he’s re-emerged in spectacular fashion in 2025. Coming off a 6-catch, 177-yard, 3-TD showing against Georgia, he’s back in the early-round mix.
At around 6’5”, 200 pounds, Brazzell has an impeccable blend of size and flexibility. He can use his size and body control to overwhelm defenders at the catch, but his route running is also one of his best traits. He has the twitch to off-set defenders, and the bend and hip fluidity to cut tight stems and capitalize on angle advantages.
Deion Burks, Oklahoma
Deion Burks first put himself on the map at Purdue in 2023, and now that he’s fully healthy with the Sooners, he’s making his presence felt. The 5’9”, 188-pound WR has 17 catches for 225 yards and two scores as Mateer’s primary target, and he stood out with a 101-yard outing against the talented Michigan secondary.
Burks has usage versatility and obvious RAC appeal, but it was his ball tracking and sideline awareness in Cover 2 voids that won the day against the Wolverines. He’s quietly a complete player within his mold, and has clear early-round potential.
