With the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl and Panini Senior Bowl now behind us, the NFL Scouting Combine next month is the best big event for the 2026 NFL Draft class to keep close tabs on. While it feels like we have a ton of time, we are going to blink our eyes, and April will be here. That only gives us so much time to get to know the next wave of NFL stars.

In recent memory, the NFL Draft has consistently been churning out tremendous groups of wide receivers. While the 2026 group isn’t an elite one, it is still an impressive collection of pass catchers. That is both in terms of talent up top, as well as the depth of the class.

With less than three months until the draft kicks off, a lot more information is going to be available on the horizon. In order to get a jump start, I’ve spent the last few days checking in with just about every league source I have to discuss the wide receiver crop. Here is what I’ve learned.

Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)

If not for the durability concerns with Tyson, he would be a near-consensus top wide receiver in the 2026 class – from the folks that I’ve talked to, anyway. This isn’t just a single injury question that is popping up about the former Arizona State star. His history includes a serious knee injury (torn ACL/MCL/PCL) while with the Colorado program in 2022, a fractured collarbone in 2024, and various hamstring issues this past season. 

Over four years on the college level, Tyson missed 18 total games due to injury. He didn’t play in a full season during his time with either Colorado or Arizona State. 

I have talked to some league sources who aren’t overly concerned about the injuries, particularly because there hasn’t been a recurring issue with structural damage to his lower body. I did, however, talk to two separate area scouts on the NFC side who had huge concerns about spending a premium pick on Tyson, even in an underwhelming class. We are still waiting on the official medicals down the road, but there is very much a split on Tyson early on. 

Kevin “KC” Concepcion (Texas A&M)

Scouts were intrigued by Concepcion before the season, but the former NC State standout took his game to a whole other level during his one year with the Aggies. As long as he has a solid draft process, the talented pass catcher could very well solidify his status inside the top 20 selections when April comes around. That’s especially true if Concepcion runs and tests the way that many expect at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. 

While he is an impressive athlete and prospect, there are still some concerns about Concepcion with the most important area for a wide receiver – catching the football. One current area scout for an NFC South organization shared that concern. 

“The hands and ball skills are just so inconsistent,” that scout said. “I want to buy into him so badly. He’s so good in space and after the catch. Wide receivers who are spotty catching the football are just hard to fully believe in though.” 

Makai Lemon (USC)

“His film is better than any wide receiver in the class, but he’s a historical outlier of sorts,” an AFC East area scout said about Lemon. “You have to understand that you’re betting on someone who might not be 5-10, sub-200 pounds, and probably a 4.5 athlete. It doesn’t mean that Lemon can’t be good, but history is certainly not on his side. That’s the battle we’re going to have in our meetings.” 

While I understand the concern, I don’t share the pessimism, especially with the slot position being such an important offensive alignment in today’s NFL. Lemon plays well through contact, so as long as he does that at a high level, I think it’ll translate just fine. Every game you turn on, Lemon is out there consistently making plays. I wouldn’t overthink this one too much. 

That being said, I do think the historical data does make Lemon one of the more difficult players to predict draft range for right now. If you told me he’s a top 10 pick come April, I’d believe you. If you told me he fell into the 20s due to some of those concerns over his physical traits, however, I’d also believe you. There are a large number of draft outcomes for someone like Lemon. 

Denzel Boston (Washington)

There’s some love around the league for Boston, but the first-round talk does feel pretty rich from those I have talked to. His play strength and ball skills will play well at the catch point. There is just a lack of long speed and change of direction skills that limit him quite a bit. Around the league, Boston is considered to be a player who can develop into eventually being a good WR2 in the NFL. I have yet to talk to anyone who believes this is a first-rounder with WR1 potential.  

Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)

Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt has a lot of fans in the media space, but from folks that I’ve talked to around the league, I do think there’s some skepticism about how well his skill set will translate. Omar Cooper Jr. is the Hoosier pass catcher that the league seems much higher on right now, and particularly his projection as a slot receiver on the next level. Based on things I’ve heard, I’d be a bit surprised if he didn’t go inside the top 64 selections. 

Ja’Kobi Lane (USC)

The words “slow”, ”ordinary”, and “overrated” are terms thrown out a lot when discussing Lane around the league. While he has outstanding ball skills and hands to win at the catch point, there is little ability to create consistent separation. Lane is a modest athlete who scouts estimate to run somewhere in the 4.6s in the forty-yard dash. There is also concern with Lane’s ability to work against press, lacking the twitch and play strength to win at the line of scrimmage against better press-man cornerbacks. That’s a troubling combination for an outside wide receiver to translate to the NFL.  

Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State)

I asked several folks around the league to give me a wide receiver in the 2026 class who is underrated, and two of them said Thompson. The former Oklahoma pass catcher has an impressive track and field background, and many expect him to potentially be the fastest player at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. While you could argue that Thompson is a bit of a one-trick pony, that trick is incredibly valuable on the NFL level, even if Thompson lacks size.

I’m setting the over-under on Thompson’s forty-yard dash time at 4.29 seconds. I still might take the under.

Bryce Lance (North Dakota State)

“Lance is a really impressive athlete – springy, explosive,” one area scout said. “He’s just not a very good wide receiver right now, and I’m not sure he ever will be. Someone is probably going to overdraft him. The flashes are fun, but he stinks getting off the line of scrimmage and struggles consistently catching the football. That’s a hard pass for me.” 

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