2026 draft preview: Wide receivers … The one thing one can probably say for certain about the 2026 receiver class is that there likely isn’t a position with more uncertainty looking ahead to next year’s draft. On the one hand, there is a lot of talent in this group. Jordan Tyson of Arizona State, the consensus top WR for 2026, for example, is currently generating at least some top 10 buzz after a breakout year last fall when he had over 1,100 receiving yards and 10 TDs; he’s got prototype size (6-1, 195) and speed and with QB Sam Leavitt back at the Sun Devils’ helm should only build on those numbers this coming season if he can stay healthy. There’s also a growing buzz around Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, a former big-time recruit who has kind of bided his time the past couple of years in the Buckeyes’ deep receiver room. Like Tyson, he too is poised for a big year, especially with opposing defences focusing on sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith, who some scouts will tell you is THE best player in college football period right now, but won’t be draft eligible until 2027.
Those two, though, are not the only wideouts with big-time potential for the upcoming draft, although the operative word here is potential. South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor, for example, is a TE-sized (6-5, 235) receiver with the athleticism to be a match-up menace to opposing teams; however, he hasn’t necessarily been all that productive to date, but could be another WR poised for a big year with LaNorris Sellars back at QB for the Gamecocks this fall. Big things could also be in store for another full-sized receiver in Nic Anderson (6-3, 220) after he transferred from Oklahoma to LSU where he’ll hopefully be catching passes from Garrett Nussmeier. Anderson is a big-play threat who averaged over 21 yards per catch in 2023 when he hauled in 10 scoring TD passes, but then hardly played at all last fall because of a torn thigh muscle. In fact, there are a number of other WRs with more second-day grades with the skill set to get at least-some late first round looks including, in no particular order, Antonio Williams of Clemson, Elijah Sarratt of Indiana, Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, who doubles as the most electric kick returner in the country after transferring from Southern California, Kevin Concepcion of Texas A&M, Kevin Coleman of Missouri, Makai Lemon of USC and 6-1, 215-pound Jaden Greathouse of Notre Dame. Under normal circumstances Oregon speedster Evan Stewart would also be on that list, but he likely won’t play this summer after suffering what is being described as a serious knee injury last month.
We would be remiss, though, in not mentioning that, in fact, THE top receiver prospects in college football this fall are sophomores not eligible for the upcoming draft including Ohio State’s Smith and Ryan Williams of Alabama, both of whom figure to be top 5 candidates in 2027. For now, here is our updated WR ranking for next April’s draft.
