I am back for part seven of my summer scouting positional previews! Last week, I dove into my top-five interior offensive line prospects, and this week we’re discussing a very exciting position. It’s time for my top-five wide receiver rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft!
The 2025 NFL Draft was viewed as a down class at the receiver position relative to other years, but the class still produced four first-round picks in Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Matthew Golden. I generally liked last year’s receiver class, and I think this one has a chance to be even better. So, let’s get started!
2026 NFL Draft WR Rankings
1. Jordyn Tyson - Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is my WR1 at this stage in the process. Tyson broke out in a massive way for Arizona State in 2024 after not recording a stat in 2023 and was a massive reason that Arizona State made the college football playoff.
Tyson is the best route runner in this class. He can run any route in the tree at a plus level and understands leverage to a high degree.
While he’s not an insane athlete, he has pretty good top-end speed and accelerates rapidly. His lightning-quick feet allow him to change direction on a dime without losing any speed.
Tyson’s hands are excellent as well. He plays with strong hands and attacks the football in the air. He also caught 10 of his 15 contested catch opportunities (66.7%) per PFF, which is an impressive feat.
While he’s not an elite yards-after-catch threat, his play strength and shiftiness show themselves consistently in the opportunities he gets in that area. Tyson multiple times was able to pick up extra yards by juking someone out or fighting through tackles.
Maybe my favorite part of Tyson’s game is his spatial awareness. He is very aware of where the boundary is and shows excellent body control to keep his feet in bounds on catches on the sideline and in the back of the end zone.
Tyson is also very versatile. I believe he can play the X, the Z, and the slot all to a high level. I’d probably prefer him as a Z if the team that drafts him has a more traditional X, but he can do it all at 6’2” and 195 pounds.
Now, he will have to stay healthy. He’s not injury prone, but he did have a collarbone injury in Arizona State’s rivalry game with Arizona that caused him to miss the Big 12 Championship against Iowa State and the Sun Devils’ College Football Playoff game against Texas. He also suffered an ankle injury in spring practice, but will be good to go for the season.
Having Tyson as my WR1 was a rather easy decision. He easily has a first-round grade on my big board and my stylistic comp for him would be New Orleans Saints pass-catcher Chris Olave.
2. Jaden Greathouse - Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish wideout Jaden Greathouse comes in as my WR2. Greathouse was a star for the Irish when it mattered most in 2024 as he logged a combined 13 receptions for 233 receiving yards and three touchdowns in Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State and the National Championship game against Ohio State.
Greathouse is a compact and built receiver at 6’1” and 212 pounds and is very strong. He logged a ridiculous 84.6% contested catch rate per PFF, converting on 11 of his 13 opportunities. His concentration in the midst of traffic is exceptional.
His release package is very refined for someone who was a true sophomore last season. His play strength allowed him to break press coverage and his nuance helped him to shake defenders to gain leverage.
Greathouse is also a very smooth route runner. This is evident in all three areas of the field, but especially in the quick game. There are multiple instances on film of him breaking the ankles of a defensive back and creating a mile of separation.
He’s not an overwhelming athlete, but Greathouse has more than enough juice to thrive at the next level. He’s a great yards-after-catch threat and can even stack defensive backs well vertically.
Now, we do need to see more statistical consistency from Greathouse this season. In seven of Notre Dame’s 16 games, he failed to have more than 2 receptions and 20 or more yards. In six of those seven games, he had only one reception.
However, the film will always tell a much better story than the box score about who a player truly is, and I’m a believer in what I saw from Greathouse down the stretch against elite competition. He also has a first-round grade from me and my stylistic comp for him is San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
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3. Noah Thomas - Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs pass-catcher Noah Thomas slots in as my WR3. Thomas transferred to Georgia after three seasons at Texas A&M and will look to improve the Bulldogs’ passing game in 2025.
Thomas is the stylistic anomaly of this receiver class. He is all of 6’5” and 205 pounds and is about as fluid of an athlete as you could be at that size. He’s like a create-a-player on EA College Football or Madden.
He has truly exceptional top-end speed and acceleration at his size and is a legitimately lethal deep threat. Even with his theoretically long strides, he goes zero to 60 in an instant.
Thomas also might be the shiftiest receiver at his size that I’ve seen. His ability to sink his hips and change direction instantaneously is rather ridiculous.
This helps him to be a really good route runner, especially in the intermediate portion of the field. He really doesn’t round many routes at all, his breaks are mostly sharp and twitchy movements.
Thomas’ catch radius is also fantastic. His wingspan and play strength make him a monstrous jump-ball threat in a limited sample size.
Like Greathouse, some statistical consistency would help Thomas’ stock. In three seasons at Texas A&M, he recorded 60 or more receiving yards in just five of his 26 career games, although the passing attack at Texas A&M in his time there was average at best largely due to some rather subpar quarterback play.
Still, I was blown away by Thomas’ tape and he was the third in this group to have a first-round grade on my board. He’s definitely an X receiver in any system, and my stylistic comp for him would be former Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Marvin Jones Jr.
4. Makai Lemon - USC
USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon is my WR4. Lemon was a consistent presence for USC’s passing attack in a loaded receiver room. Many of those names have transferred out to other programs, so Lemon should receive the most targets in that offense by a wide margin.
The first thing that jumps off Lemon’s tape is his shiftiness and start-stop ability. He can cut in any direction without losing speed and also decelerate and stop on a dime on routes coming back to the quarterback.
He combines this quickness with great top speed. Anytime I see a receiver athletically separating from Michigan and Notre Dame defensive backs, notes are taken.
Lemon’s hands are also fantastic as he recorded only one drop last season on 67 targets per PFF. He also fights well through contact for someone his size and shows really good body control in doing so.
He’s also got some dawg to him. Lemon is a yards-after-catch maniac, juking and breaking tackles on his way to extra yardage. While he isn’t a great blocker, mostly due to his size, he has no issues sticking his nose in there and trying to drive a defender back.
Now, Lemon is rather small. He’s listed at 5’11” and 195 pounds, and based on tape, I’d say 5’11” is slightly generous. His arms also look short which limits his catch radius.
I would also like to see a more diversified route tree from him. USC’s route trees weren’t up to par across the board, so I’d consider this much more of a scheme problem than a skillset problem for Lemon.
He is most likely going to be limited to the slot due to his frame. I think he could maybe play Z in the NFL, but he’s going to be at his best in the slot.
Lemon is an electric player and was a joy to watch. He has a second-round grade for me and my stylistic comp for him is Baltimore Ravens pass-catcher Zay Flowers.
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5. Denzel Boston - Washington
Washington Huskies wideout Denzel Boston rounds out this list as my WR5. Boston is a super solid prospect with a high floor and should have another productive season in 2025.
Boston is the traditional possession X receiver. His frame at 6’4” and 209 pounds, play strength, and physicality on the outside will make the transition to the next level easier.
He isn’t the best athlete, but he is a savvy route runner relative to his athletic profile. They’re not always the smoothest or snappiest, but he understands leverage deeply. He also runs one of the better whip routes in this class.
Boston is the strongest receiver of this group of five. He has zero problems getting off of press coverage and his hands are like vice grips that latch onto the football.
I expected his contested catch numbers to be more efficient. He converted 12 of his 22 opportunities, good for a 54.5% contested catch rate per PFF, which is solid but nothing exceptional. After pouring over his film though, the degree of difficulty in his contested catch opportunities was consistently higher than the rest of this class.
Boston also uses his size well in the blocking game. Washington would sometimes even ask him to cut off linebackers on zone runs.
Overall, Boston was a satisfying prospect to evaluate as he understands the position well and plays hard. He has a second-round grade for me and my stylistic comp for him is Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
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Honorable Mentions
Now that we’ve discussed my top five, here are some guys who missed my list but are fun prospects you need to monitor in 2025. I’ll also include which specific receiver position (X, Z, or Slot) I project them to play in the NFL.
Antonio Williams (Z/Slot) - Clemson
Eric Singleton Jr. (Z/Slot) - Auburn
Carnell Tate (Z/X) - Ohio State
Malachi Fields (X) - Notre Dame
Germie Bernard (Z) - Alabama
Nyck Harbor (X) - South Carolina
Elijah Sarratt (X) - Indiana
Bryce Lance (X) - North Dakota State
Dane Key (X) - Nebraska
Aaron Anderson (Slot) - LSU
Final Thoughts
I seem to be much higher on this receiver class than consensus. I have eight receivers with a third-round grade or higher, which is only matched by the offensive tackle group so far (still with safeties, cornerbacks, tight ends, and linebackers left to go).
This class is a lot of fun though with a variety of skillsets to fill a variety of different roles. This list could certainly change by next April, but with the tape we currently have, I’m confident in my top-five wide receiver rankings in the 2026 NFL Draft class.