Last week, I continued my 'Build A Prospect' series for the 2026 NFL Draft, which focused on running backs. This week, we’ll be staying with the offensive skill positions, this week discussing wide receivers.
Some ground rules: there are seven running back attributes I’ve selected (speed, hands, route running, release, run after catch, catch radius, physicality). The goal is to build the best possible running back using one prospect for each of these attributes.
Once we use a prospect, he cannot be used again throughout the rest of the attributes, so I must choose wisely. Let’s get started!
Speed
Zachariah Branch - Georgia
Speed, although not the sole determinant of a wide receiver's ability, is still important. Cornerbacks have never been faster, and receivers need to have the athletic juice to create separation and create throwing windows for their quarterback. No one in this receiver class possesses quite the speed that Georgia Bulldogs wideout Zachariah Branch does.
I’m not the highest on Branch as a prospect, as all he really has, in my opinion, is his speed, but BOY, does he have electric speed. He’s a threat to score from anywhere on the field, able to outrun defensive angles from just about anybody.
40-yard dash times can be deceiving at times, and I care a lot more about on-field speed once you get the pads on and have live bullets flying at you. Not only does Branch pass the on-field speed eye test, and the on-field tracking data backs it up. According to Reel Analytics, Branch hit 21.4 mph on a touchdown earlier this season, a ridiculously fast on-field speed.
Hands
Denzel Boston - Washington
The ability to consistently catch the football is the most important wide receiver trait to me. It really doesn’t matter to me what else you can do if you put the football on the ground at a high rate. Someone who doesn’t struggle catching passes is Washington Huskies receiver Denzel Boston.
Boston seems to be a comfortably top-five receiver for nearly everyone in the draft community. He’s so well-rounded as a prospect, and I think the best aspect of his game is his ability to consistently catch the football.
Per PFF, he only has a 3.4% drop rate in his career, with zero so far in 2025. He always attacks the football in the air, doesn’t unnecessarily let the ball into his chestplate, and can hang on through contact.
Tweet via @PFF_College on X
Route Running
Makai Lemon - USC
After hands, the ability to run clean and effective routes is my second most important wide receiver attribute. The ability to create separation with your technique and agility is imperative to getting separation against NFL corners. I haven’t seen a better route runner in the 2026 NFL Draft Class than USC Trojans pass catcher Makai Lemon.
Lemon is someone I’m extremely high on. He is an explosive athlete, rarely drops the football, and man, can he create separation and get open.
He has plus reps for pretty much every route in the route tree. His ability to decelerate and re-accelerate out of his break leaves defensive backs grasping for air as he flies past them. Lemon moves like he’s being controlled by a joystick, and it truly is special to watch.
Release
Jordyn Tyson - Arizona State
Before you can showcase your route-running skills, you have to be able to get off the line effectively. Whether it’s using strength against press-man coverage or not false-stepping against off coverage, a clean, efficient release is the key to starting a route strong. I don’t think anyone in the country does this better than Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Tyson may be an even more well-rounded receiver than Boston, and is pretty much everyone’s WR1 in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s a good athlete with good hands and is a big threat after the catch, but his release is where it all starts for him.
He possesses the play strength to effectively get off press-man coverage and has virtually zero wasted movements in his release. Everything about it is clean, efficient, effective, and explosive.
Run After Catch
Chris Bell - Louisville
The ability to turn 10-15 yard catches into 40+ yard house calls can flip a game on its head. I don’t think anyone in the 2026 class possesses quite the run-after-catch ability that Louisville Cardinals wideout Chris Bell does.
“Run after catch” is more than just looking at someone’s yards after catch per reception. I’m more interested in how those yards come on film, although Bell’s career yards after catch per reception mark of 6.4 is a nice number.
Bell possesses a monster frame at 6’2” and 220 pounds and can absolutely fly. In week two, hitting an on-field speed of 22.0 mph per Reel Analytics. Combine that tracking data with his ability to run through a defender’s face, and you have a potential run-after-catch monster on your hands.
Via @RAanalytics on X
Catch Radius
Nyck Harbor - South Carolina
Catch radius is pretty self-explanatory. The bigger radius you possess to be able to catch the football, the more room for error you give your quarterback. No one in this class has quite the catch radius that South Carolina Gamecocks receiver Nyck Harbor does.
Harbor is a physical freak at 6’5” and 235 pounds with just about the longest arms I’ve ever seen for a wideout. On film, it looks like he’d even have good arm length for a defensive end, which puts him in elite territory in terms of wide receivers.
Physicality
Jaden Greathouse - Notre Dame
Physicality for a receiver, for me, encompasses play strength, the ability to play through contact, and run blocking. Of receivers still on the board, I think Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Jaden Greathouse is a pretty easy choice here.
Greathouse has had a rough start to the season in terms of production, with some of the same happening for other Fighting Irish offensive stars, but his physicality hasn’t dropped off at all.
Greathouse is a strong, compact receiver who plays through contact exceptionally well. The numbers back this up as he has hauled in 13 contested catches in 16 opportunities for an absolutely absurd 81.3% contested catch rate. He also competes his tail off as a run blocker and is a tangible difference for Notre Dame in the run game.
Final Thoughts
This Build A Prospect series has been fun to put together, and I’m excited to keep it rolling through the college football season as we lead up to the 2026 NFL Draft, hitting on every single position group. I hope you enjoyed the wide receiver iteration of this article series, and make sure to tune back in for the tight end iteration next week.