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NFL mock draft: Projecting landing spots for top WRs in 2026
NFL mock draft: Projecting landing spots for top WRs in 2026
April 14, 2026, 6:02 a.m. ET
It’s become the norm for every draft class to have dozens of NFL-caliber wide receivers and the 2026 NFL Draft is no different.
At least 30 have had their names called during the NFL draft in five of the last six draft classes. Only the 2022 class failed to reach that mark, with 28 selected in total. In 2020, 37 wide receivers were drafted over seven rounds.
There’s a growing consensus that Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate will likely be the first wide receiver off the board. He’s got an ideal mix of size, production, reliable hands and health to justify hearing his name called early in Round 1.
But he certainly won’t be the only wide receiver in the first round. A handful of others could go on the first night of the draft, and dozens more will be selected by an NFL team over the 257 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Each one has a different skill set. There are plenty of big-bodied outside targets available in the top 100 with more speedy slot options likely available on Day 2 and Day 3.
Here’s a look at where the NFL’s top wide receiver prospects could land in 2026.
NFL mock draft 2026: Projecting all RB landing spots
Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- Team: New York Giants
- Pick: No. 5 overall, first round
Tate could be the first wideout off the board thanks to his abilities as a sure-handed downfield threat. He’s not a burner but a contested catch merchant who rarely drops the ball. He’d be a standout No. 2 wide receiver in the Giants’ offense for Jaxson Dart opposite Malik Nabers.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
- Team: New Orleans Saints
- Pick: No. 8 overall, first round
Tyson is a scoring machine and the Saints desperately need help in the wide receiver room. Chris Olave is entering a contract year and there’s not much around him for second-year man Tyler Shough. Tyson has the skills to be a high-end No. 2 wide receiver who routinely separates against coverage.
Denzel Boston, Washington
- Team: New York Jets
- Pick: No. 16 overall, first round
Boston is a big-bodied wide receiver who could play outside but has the tools to be a power slot on the inside as well. Garrett Wilson is the top man in New York but Boston could help build out the position around him with his sure hands and physicality.
Makai Lemon, USC
- Team: Carolina Panthers
- Pick: No. 19 overall, first round
Lemon lacks the size and speed of some of the other top-end wide receivers but there are few players more reliable on a down-to-down basis than the Trojans’ star. He has a knack for finding space against zone coverage and rarely loses yards. After getting an outside starter in Tetarioa McMillan last year, Carolina gets a plug-and-play starter in the slot to build around Bryce Young.
Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
- Team: Cleveland Browns
- Pick: No. 24 overall, first round
Cooper plays a physical brand of football from the wide receiver position. We think the Browns will opt against Tate with their top pick in the draft and instead use that pick on an offensive or defensive lineman. Cooper runs like a running back in the open field and can get open against zone regularly.
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
- Team: Arizona Cardinals
- Pick: No. 34 overall, second round
Concepcion is the most dynamic receiver in this first tier of wideouts. He gives teams immediate value as a returner and would bring speed to a Cardinals wide receiver room that lacks it overall. He wouldn’t have to be a primary weapon in this offense, easing pressure as a rookie.
Germie Bernard, Alabama
- Team: Miami Dolphins
- Pick: No. 43 overall, second round
Miami has veterans Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert and a bunch of unproven rookie contract players in their wide receiver room. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan comes from Green Bay, where the Packers rarely used a premium pick on a wide receiver. He repeats that mindset here by getting a do-everything wideout in Bernard, who won’t blow you away with athleticism but will be a reliable player as a rookie.
Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
- Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Pick: No. 46 overall, second round
Tampa Bay lost franchise icon Mike Evans in free agency and could use a big-bodied boundary presence to make up for his departure. Fields wins on physicality at the catch point with great body control in the red zone. He’d be a complement to Chris Godwin Jr. and 2025 standout Emeka Egbuka.
Chris Bell, Louisville
- Team: Philadelphia Eagles
- Pick: No. 54 overall, second round
Bell will continue rehabilitating from a late-season ACL injury into the 2026 offseason, but once he’s healthy, he could be a great fit for the Eagles. He’s built like a running back at 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds with versatility and explosive athleticism. He could grow into a successor for A.J. Brown.
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
- Team: Las Vegas Raiders
- Pick: No. 67 overall, third round
Las Vegas has speed in the wide receiver room with Tre Tucker but a lot of unproven players. Sarratt could be a great value pick here to provide Fernando Mendoza with a familiar face and a wideout he can trust early on. Sarratt has experience in the slot and outside with great run blocking skills compared to the rest of the class, sure hands and solid route-running.
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
- Team: Washington Commanders
- Pick: No. 71 overall, third round
Lance showed off at the NFL Combine as one of the most explosive athletes in the class at 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds. He can threaten teams vertically and go up for contested catches. The Commanders need more young, explosive options in the wide receiver room for Jayden Daniels and Lance would certainly fill that.
Zachariah Branch, Georgia
- Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pick: No. 76 overall, third round
Branch could be a fit in Pittsburgh with Aaron Rodgers in mind. He was reliable for the Bulldogs on quick passes that got him the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage to use his speed to get upfield quickly. Branch would have a small role for the Steelers given how much talent they have in the room and it’d be an ideal landing spot for him.
Antonio Williams, Clemson
- Team: Indianapolis Colts
- Pick: No. 78 overall, third round
Indianapolis shipped out Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh which leaves a void in the wide receiver room. Williams isn’t a vertical threat but is arguably the best route-runner in the class. He’d likely be a slot starter and showed improvement in 2025 on drops despite less overall production.
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
- Team: Atlanta Falcons
- Pick: No. 79 overall, third round
Atlanta signed veterans Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus to bolster the wide receiver group around Drake London, but they could use a younger option. Brazzell II has long levers as one of the taller wideouts in the class and offers great burst off the line to get an advantage. He could come along in a growing role as a rookie.
De’Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss
- Team: Los Angeles Rams
- Pick: No. 93 overall, third round
Stribling stepped up for Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff and offers great size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) with 4.3-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Los Angeles is all-in to win the Super Bowl this season but has to plan ahead a little bit with Davante Adams hitting free agency next offseason at age 34.
Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
- Team: Miami Dolphins
- Pick: No. 94 overall, third round
Miami has more top-100 picks than any other team in the NFL and uses another one on a different body type to add to the pass-catching corps. Lane is a red zone target at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds who attacks the ball in contested catch situations. He’ll complement the faster veterans Miami signed as well as Bernard’s versatile skillset.
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
- Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
- Pick: No. 100 overall, third round
Thompson is small at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds but was the fastest player at the NFL Combine. He led the SEC in receiving yards in 2025, which should translate to him being a productive vertical threat in the NFL. With Brian Thomas Jr. trade rumors swirling, Jacksonville gets a deep threat to shore up that dimension of the passing game.
Ted Hurst, Georgia State
- Team: Kansas City Chiefs
- Pick: No. 109 overall, fourth round
The Chiefs could use more from the pass-catching corps around Patrick Mahomes as Travis Kelce ages. Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice have defined roles, which means Hurst could take time to develop his outside-receiver skill set with the Chiefs. He’s a small school guy with good size and traits but concerns about his route-running.
Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
- Team: Baltimore Ravens
- Pick: No. 115 overall, fourth round
The Ravens need to keep pace in the AFC with a robust wide receiver corps and Virgil could bring a different skillset to the group with his length and long speed. He’s got strong hands and his body control shows up against press coverage in contested catch scenarios.
Skyler Bell, Connecticut
- Team: New England Patriots
- Pick: No. 125 overall, fourth round
New England signed Romeo Doubs in free agency and will very likely use some of their expansive draft capital to build up the position even more. Bell has good size (6-foot, 192 pounds) and ideal speed to be a threat at multiple levels against defenses. The Patriots could deploy him in the slot or outside opposite Doubs.
Deion Burks, Oklahoma
- Team: San Francisco 49ers
- Pick: No. 127 overall, fourth round
San Francisco brought in Christian Kirk via free agency to improve the speed in the wide receiver group. Burks could do that as well with versatility to be used all over the formation and an excellent track record of a few drops. He’ll need time to improve his route-running but the floor is there to thrive in this offense.
Malik Benson, Oregon
- Team: Houston Texans
- Pick: No. 167 overall, fifth round
Tank Dell is still recovering from his devastating knee injury and he may need some time to get up to speed once he returns. Nico Collins and the 2025 rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel had promising starts but the group could use more speed. Benson brings that better than most in this class and could take pressure off Dell to return too soon.
Colbie Young, Georgia
- Team: Buffalo Bills
- Pick: No. 168 overall, fifth round
Young was an outside receiver for the Bulldogs and projects best there in the mold of Courtland Sutton. Khalil Shakir is the team’s reliable operator in the slot and D.J. Moore should be a starter outside opposite Joshua Palmer. Young could develop into a significant, big-bodied target for Josh Allen over time.
CJ Daniels, Miami (FL)
- Team: Minnesota Vikings
- Pick: No. 196 overall, sixth round
The Vikings have one of the better wide receiver duos in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. In Daniels, the team gets a possession receiver who wins contested catches with his great body control to help move the chains. He’ll be a depth piece for a Vikings offense looking to rebound in 2026.
Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
- Team: Green Bay Packers
- Pick: No. 197 overall, sixth round
Douglas has some of the longest arms in this receiver class with smooth athleticism which builds into making him a vertical threat. Green Bay traded away Dontayvion Wicks and could use more reinforcements down the roster at receiver with a similar skill set.
Josh Cameron, Baylor
- Team: Arizona Cardinals
- Pick: No. 206 overall, sixth round
Cameron’s built like a running back at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds with some of the longest arms in the class at wide receiver. That size shows up with lots of power, which helps in contested catches, but he lacks consistent separation. He’d be a powerful addition to the Cardinals’ wideout room.
Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
- Team: Cincinnati Bengals
- Pick: No. 221 overall, seventh round
Coleman is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds, but sudden (4.41-second 40-yard dash) and can be valuable as a returner as soon as he arrives in the NFL. The Bengals have one of the best wide receiver duos in the league but could always use more burst out of the slot.
Kendrick Law, Kentucky
- Team: Los Angeles Rams
- Pick: No. 232 overall, seventh round
Law started just one year at Kentucky in the slot and didn’t perform as well as hoped. Still, he has immediate value as a returner and a potential weapon on underneath routes. A Rams team looking to round out any small needs ahead of a Super Bowl push could use him on special teams and spot targets on offense.
Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
- Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pick: No. 237 overall, seventh round
Caldwell’s ludicrous NFL Combine performance will get him drafted this April. He’s a project because that timed speed didn’t always show up on tape but few players his size (6-foot-5, 216 pounds) have run a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. He’d have time to develop in Pittsburgh as a potential big-bodied field stretcher as D.K. Metcalf ages.
Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
- Team: Chicago Bears
- Pick: No. 239 overall, seventh round
Wetjen was one of the best return men in college football history during his time with the Hawkeyes. He’ll ultimately be limited in the NFL by his small catch radius but he has plenty of value as a rookie returner. He could be a slot specialist at times for a Bears team with multiple promising young wideouts.
J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
- Team: Baltimore Ravens
- Pick: No. 253 overall, seventh round
Baltimore’s receiving corps has entrenched starters but could use more speed in big bodies, just like they did with Virgil in this exercise. Sturdivant is another smooth athlete who improved his drop rate in 2025 and has the burst to contend as an outside receiver with time to develop, or at least serve as a special-teams contributor.
