Mar 01, 2026
3 min read
The top wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft took center stage Saturday night.Who stood out as a potential catch?
As the first group of pass rushers (tight ends) tore up the combine, the on-field portion of the week turned to the wide receivers on Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Last season, he took a step forward in a wide receiver room with veterans Stefon Diggs and McHollins and third baseman Kyle Williams.Diggs and Hollins brought much-needed leadership and stability to New England's tight end position group last year.Along with QB Drake Maye, the Pats led the NFL in EPA and ranked fourth in receiving by PFF, with a combined grade of 84.6 (out of 100).
However, the great defense we saw the following season made life difficult on the field for New England, with them qualifying at 63.2.There's also some uncertainty surrounding Diggs' future, which will be worth $26.5 million in 2026, with 2023 draft picks Keyshawn Boutte and DeMario Douglas entering the final year of their new deals.Maie, but finding those number 1 receivers is complicated.According to coach Mike Vrabel, that level of talent is unlikely to be found at wide receiver in free agency, so just leave the draft or commercial alone.
"They're not going to be there in free agency. You've got to try to sign them," Vrabel said earlier this week."There's a lot of them out there. You develop them. Some of them develop and guys, going from year one to year two at that position can be pretty special."
Vrabel notes that Colts free agent Alec Pierce could be New England's only potential upgrade. Pierce is one of the league's best deep threats, had 12 deep receptions last season (tied for fifth) and leads the NFL in yards per catch (21.3). It's clear that Pierce would be a good fit with a deep-ball artist like Maye, but the buzz around the combine is that Indianapolis will try to keep Pierce from getting there.to the free market in free agency matters.
Then Eagles star A.J.There is smoke around a potential trade for .Brown.Philly's top decision-makers have not closed the door to a potential trade for Brown, but logically, a trade partner would have to meet a high asking price to acquire Brown, and the money structure of his contract makes a trade until June 1 financially difficult.While a number of receiver-needy teams are interested in Brown, including the possibility of combining the talented wide receiver with Vrabel in New England, prying Brown away from Philadelphia may not be easy.
After the big fish on the veteran market, that leaves a draft that admittedly wasn't the most fruitful in terms of identifying wide receiver talent.While they won't be within striking distance of selecting top prospects Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) and Makai Lemon (Southern California), this is a deep wide receiver class.From the end of the first round to the second day, New England has a lot of interesting options, some of which would definitely be a good fit for the Pats with the 31st overall pick in the draft.
Here's a rundown of how the top receivers fared in Saturday night's combine athletic tests and on-field workouts.Additionally, some receivers fell asleep on the third day of the draft.
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
Boston was the 20th-ranked player on the Media Consensus Board heading into the combine.With his power-oriented style and elite groundball skills, the Washington Wideout has the makings of a modern "X" receiver, securing 10 of his 13 tight ends last season.If you have a point guard like Maye who can throw the deep ball with pinpoint accuracy, Boston has the catching strength and size.(6-4, 212) was able to pass every pass with his catch radius.He can also run routes and make blocking assignments through tight gaps and as a "big" slot where the modern tag applies.
The knock against Boston, however, is his superior speed and his ability to beat the press at the line of scrimmage.He tends to waste contact with his calls, so he doesn't have a lot of distance to pile up corners, which is where separation issues arise.Boston opting out of the 40-yard dash won't add to concerns about his high speed and vertical range.He's 35 inches shorter than average (43 percent).The bright side is that now that Boston skipped the 40-yard dash, he might have a better chance of making it into the first round.
WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
As with Boston, we didn't get an official 40-yard dash Saturday for Concepcion, who didn't participate in all of the athletic tests in Indy.Heading into the combine, Concepcion was ranked 26th on the consensus leaderboard.Given the speed and explosiveness he has in his game, it's surprising that Concepcion skipped the athletic tests.He sings quickly on the tape, with sudden speed.Creates isolation and produces excellent acceleration through the pinch point to explode in YAC mode.
Even though Concepcion did not attempt, he still went through receiver drills, including the largest drill.You want to see the receiver kick the ball away from his body while holding the line across the field.It's no wonder he impressed Concepcion with his running, which exceeded 18 MPH during practice (you don't need a jogger).The only doubt with Concepcion is his fitness.Has to be Z/Slot at 5-11,196 pounds.He could be a long-term replacement for Diggs, but he may not be a complementary receiver if Diggs is in New England's 2026 draft. However, if you're looking for a clean server, this is it.
WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
Cooper is in a similar boat to Concepcion, where his game is impressive but he projects as an inside receiver at the next level (6-0, 199).That said, Cooper has explosive separation and creativity after the catch, plays bigger than his frame would suggest and makes a big catch on passes thrown outside his frame.Along with being strong on the mat and having a competitive fire, Cooper did everything at the combine.4.42-second 40-yard dash (81st percentile) and a solid 8.81 relative athleticism score (out of 10).
From that point of view, Cooper has shadows of Emmanuel Sanders on film, as a bright wide-opener with the player's sense of competition for the ball even if he is slightly reduced.By checking the boxes for his runner's test, Cooper, who was the 41st contract before the combine, could have tested it in the first round.Someone will get a good pro in Cooper, but he may not have the skills to add this offseason.
WR Chris Bruxelles, Tennessee
I'm willing to plant my flag on Brazzell as "my guy" in this wide receiver class, because he likes Drake Maye like a glove.At 6-4, 198 pounds, the Tennessee wideout posted a 4.37s 40-yard dash (89th percent) and a 90th percentile (80 ⅛").
I admit that the history of the Tennessee settlers in the NFL is not good without the 49ers WR Jauan Jennings (Jaylin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, Joshua Palmer, Donte Thornton).However, Brazell transferred from Tulane, where he produced as a redshirt freshman (44 catches, 711 yards) and was asked to run a more diverse route tree.Given his success throwing to big targets like Hollins, Breazeale would make a good combination with May.After his good combine workout, Breazeale, the consensus 52nd overall pre-combine pick, should be part of the conversation with the 31st pick in the first round — he has the potential to pick up a game.
WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
Another big-bodied 'X' receiver with speed issues in the first round, Fields opted to test it out at the combine, and it could be a bad one.At 6-4, 218 pounds, Fields ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, the same time as Bills second-round pick Keon Coleman at the 2024 combines (16th percentile).Like Coleman, Fields has recovered over 19 MPH in drills, which forces us to debate "on time" speed versus "game" speed, just like we did with Coleman when he ran his glove at 20.08 MPH at NGS.
While this big receiver doesn't have a lot of speed, Fields has proven to be a disruptive receiver who will use his size to win on jump balls.He has the body control and catch radius (79" wingspan) to play that style of football, and he's good at selling a graduated release to create separation back and under snaps. However, Fields' play speed limits his ability to stack defenders on the outside, which is aided by his slower timing, so we'll likely look elsewhere in the receiver class.
WR Elijah Sarratt, Southern Indiana
Sarratt was the last 64-game receiver we wanted to talk about here, but he also gave up the 40-yard dash out of concern for his long run.In the film, Sarratt is a talented receiver who has a feel for creating separation underneath as he breaks down the middle of the field, finds weak spots in the zone and works in the backfield with Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.He did it against Iowa too.and Oregon has done well in the clubhouse with successful playoff games.His game has the colors of former Pats Jakobi Meyers.
Sarratt mostly played outside for the Hoosiers because Cooper Jr.He was their inside player, but he can excel as a Z-receiver as he hides from the press on the side, where his lack of speed could be exposed.Sarratt went to practice on the field.He was fine in the glove (18.16 MPH) and looked comfortable on his travels.But.
WR Germie Bernard, Alabama
A quick, versatile receiver and durable, Bernard's efficient approach is always on point during his training sessions.He also checked the box with a 4.48s 40-yard dash and posted a personal best three-cone time of 6.71s (87th percentile).His work is not only difficult with his sudden footwork and the difference in speed that they will play at the next level, as they will use it. Bernard may not have a high ceiling, but as a middle of the season, he should be strong enough to compete for the top three receivers.
WR Ja'Kobi Lane, USC
Another receiver with a long stride who has shown impressive fluidity and catching skills throughout his career.At 6-4, 200 pounds, Lane cut plenty of tape in college and was a consistent red zone threat.The USC product posted a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and a fine 40-inch vertical jump, giving him a relative athleticism rating.9.69 out of 10. Lane will need to get stronger playing through contact and coming out of press coverage to reach his ceiling as a pro.But because we like receivers with good build speed and a long catch radius, Lane is another day two pick that fits that mold for the Patriots.
WR Skylar Bell, UConn
We'll add the UConn product to my post-combine watch list after Saturday's practice.After a highly productive season for the Huskies in which Bell posted a class-best 3.13 yards per route run, the local star ran a 4.4s 40-yard dash (85th percentile) and a 97th percentile vertical jump (41 inches).In limited exposure to Bell, you can see his explosiveness in his more explosive line.inside receiver at 5-11, 192 pounds and needs to hone his route running technique.But he has an NFL-caliber athletic profile (9.71 RAS) and great film at UConn -- a name to remember in the third round.
WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
If we're talking a potential top-50 target for Brazzell, Hurst is the mid-round version of the 94th overall prospect on the Media Consensus Board.At 6-4, 206 pounds, Hurst has similar long-stride speed with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash (81st percentile) and explosiveness in the long jump at the 97th percentile (135 inches). You can see that in his ability to swing the press and accelerate off the line, while Hurst tracks the ball well over his shoulders.He fits the bill, coming out of returning defenders and playing open under defenders, and after the catch, Hurst needs to adjust to better competition and consistently win the ball on opposing possessions.
WR/RB Eli Heidenreich, Marina
Heidenreich worked with the linebackers at the combine, but he was an all-around weapon for Navy as a slot receiver, pass catcher and jet sweeper on option plays.The Navy product then posted a 9.12-of-10 relative athleticism with a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and looked incredibly smooth during passing drills.The top two backs are already established with Remond Stevenson and Trevejon Henderson, but adding a back is necessary to compete for the RB3 spot, and Heidenreich is a third-day target whose versatility could help him earn the role.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the organization.Read the full explanation.
