Jared Zhang's 2026 NFL WR BIG BOARD
INTRODUCTIONS
My name is Jared Zhang, and I have been doing draft evaluations for the past few years. While I started off as a hobbyist, I have been blessed with the opportunity to write for a draft publication and intern for an agent during my scouting journey so far. Throughout the draft cycle, I will be dropping positional big boards as I get through initial watches and rechecks. This document will be updated throughout the cycle with updated grades, new players, and linked reports. The main updates will come after all declaration results come out about underclassman prospects.
For positions where players may switch positions in the NFL (this is mainly talking about OL), I will give a brief note at the beginning of my rankings articles on where I have the player listed currently (Ex. in 2025 I would have listed on the top of my 2025 OT big board that I had Grey Zabel as an OG despite him being a college OT).
GRADING
With grading being different per evaluator, I am grading not based on where I believe players will go in the NFL, but more on what I believe they can be as an NFL player. I have what I look for in each grade for an WR listed below. For anyone who has any off-field/medical issues that can affect their draft position, they will have a * with a note explaining the issue (Ex. I would put a * down for Josh Simmons due to his patellar tendon issue and reported off-field concerns). This means that the grade given to the players is purely based on film evaluations, so there are going to be players whose grades will not match up with where I believe they should be drafted (Ex. a 5th year senior with an injury history and off-field issues could have listed a day two round film grade, but they should be selected in day three). Grades themselves are range estimations for my evaluations on prospects. Players can creep into the back end of a higher tier (Ex. an early day two grade can be a late day one player).
Blue Chip - Prospects who have an immediate ability to be a team’s WR1 on offense while having elite positional tools. Blue chip prospects should provide immediate Pro Bowl-level play with the ability to develop into OPOTY level talents. (Ex. Ja’Marr Chase, Calvin Johnson, Marvin Harrison Jr).
Day One - Prospects who can immediately be a team’s WR1 or a WR2/3 with the tools to develop into a WR1. These players should immediately step into an offense and be a productive contributor. While they may not have the gifts to be OPOTY level players, these players should be able to be multi-year Pro Bowl+ level starters (Ex. Brian Thomas, Devonta Smith, Drake London).
Early Day Two - Prospects who have an immediate ability to be a WR2/3 who lack the tools necessary to be a true WR1. Generally, prospects with this grading are capped out due to size or athletic tools. Despite this, prospects with early day two grading could be a low-end WR1 if a team is unable to get a more talented WR to be the offense’s primary target (Ex. Ladd McConkey, Courtland Sutton, Christian Watson).
Mid-to-Late Day Two - Prospects who are true WR2/3s who should be able to compete for a starting job as a rookie or high-end developmental projects with the tools to be WR1/2s. Project picks generally lack the separation ability to play beyond a rotational as a rookie, but they have the tools to develop into WR1/2s (Ex. Tank Dell, Savion Williams, Isaac TeSlaa).
Early Day Three - Prospects who lack starting talent/refinement, but they can provide immediate value as special teamers/rotation players. These prospects should have enough physical tools to potentially develop into WR2/3s for an offense, but many will remain as depth players (Ex. Chimere Dike, Charlie Jones, Devontez Walker).
Mid-to-Late Day Three - Prospects who lack the talent to be more than rotation players, but they can provide value as depth pieces who can potentially have sub-package roles. These prospects generally are career special teamers (Ex. Dareke Young, Casey Washington, Ronnie Bell).
PUDFA-Camp - Prospects who do not have draftable talent, but can develop into rosterable NFL players with time on a PS or with multiple stints on preseason rosters. The main difference in the undrafted prospects is what kind of roster spot they are ready to compete for (PUDFA grades are practice squad locks with a chance at a 53-man spot, UDFA are preseason T-90 locks with a chance at a practice squad spot who should win a T-90 preseason spot, Camp grades have a chance at a preseason T-90 roster spot). While these players don’t have draft grades, it is common to see players with PUDFA grades end up as late round fliers (Ex. Xavier Gipson, Jackson Meeks, Isaiah Williams).
Reject - Prospects that do not have any realistic future in the NFL as a player. These players can have a future in other leagues (mainly UFL and CFL), but they often retire from the sport to pursue careers outside of football. The main reasons for lacking any NFL future is having the combination of poor athletic tools and frame.
GRADES
Carnell Tate (Day One) - 6’3* - 195* - Ohio State - Jr
Pros
Good positional length and height
Great catch point player and dominant at contested situations
Fluid athlete with the ball in his hands
Good at getting additional yardage
Good build up speed to eat up cushions and threaten deep
Great body control to adjust to passes down field
Good deceleration ability on square cuts and comebacks
Good release package off the LOS
Athletic and fluid enough to run a full NFL route tree
Potential to be a WR1 for an NFL offense
Cons
Skinny build for his frame and will need to gain more mass
Has the frame to support it
Needs snappier breaks at the stem of routes
Needs more fakes and salesmanship at the stem
Lacks great positional athleticism
Inconsistent down-to-down effort
*Unverified
KC Concepcion* (Early Day Two)* - 5’11** - 190** - Texas A&M - Jr
Pros
Great positional athleticism with great positional deep speed
Going to stress coverages vertically and change how defenders play
Good deceleration and acceleration
Fluid enough to speed cut at an NFL level
Great release package when getting off the LOS
Good route technician in terms of fakes and false steps
Good hand fighting off the LOS and throughout his routes
Good ability to climb the ladder for difficult catches for a smaller player
Good effort and displacement ability in the run game
Cannot match up with LBs or EDGEs
Value as a return man with good production on punt return in HS and 2025
Cons
Smaller WR in terms of height, length, and weight
Harder target to hit downfield
Size creates limitations with long DBs with proper press technique
Mediocre fluidity for a smaller player
Reduced benefit from playing in the slot
Whip routes and multi-break concepts are poor
Average RAC/YAC prospect without tackle breaking ability
Occasional focus drops and bobbled passes
*Reported character concerns
**Unverified
Omar Cooper Jr (Early Day Two) - 6’0* - 210* - Indianna - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good height, weight, and length prospect
Elite contact balance and play strength to stay upright
Capable of bouncing defenders
Great fluidity to change directions and speed cut
Good deceleration to square cut and run comebacks
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
Good acceleration as a ball carrier
Great RAC/YAC player due to fluidity and contact balance
Solid hands with the ability to adjust to difficult catches
Good skill position blocker who can block bigger assignments
Cons
One speed athlete with mediocre long speed
Struggles with physicality throughout his routes
Needs to learn how to hand fight better
Slot-only prospect due to vertical limitations
Not someone who is going to stack corners vertically in the NFL
*Unverified
Makai Lemon (Early Day Two) - 5’11* - 195* - USC - Jr
Pros
Filled out frame for his height
Solid contact balance, quickness, and acceleration
Solid RAC/YAC player
Great deceleration ability when square-cutting
Good fludity to speed cut
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
Good ball skills for his size and can high-point balls in traffic
Acceptable run blocker when on DBs
Cannot match up with LBs or EDGEs
Cons
Mediocre physical tools prospect in terms of size and speed
Mediocre deep speed limits his effectiveness downfield
Limits the effectiveness of comebacks and fakes
Struggles with long, physical corners when on the boundary
Slot only prospect for the NFL due to frame and speed
*Unverified
Jordyn Tyson (Early Day Two)* - 6’2** - 200** - Arizona State - (RS) Jr
Pros
Good positional length and height
Good fluidity and deceleration as an athlete
Great release package when getting off the LOS
Good route technician in terms of fakes and false steps
Good awareness in the open field as a ball carrier
Acceptable blocker when on DBs on the perimeter
Cons
Thin build and plays much smaller than listed HWL
Poor play strength and size create issues against press
Struggles to separate against man coverage
Average positional athleticism and is less athletic than starting DBs
Average RAC/YAC player without great agility or contact balance
Size creates limitations at the catch point and in contested situations
Questionable hands with double catches and drops on tape
*Major injury issues and has never finished a season in college healthy
**Unverified
Chris Brazzell II (Early Day Two)* - 6’5** - 200** - Tennessee - (RS) Jr
Pros
Great height and length profile
Good build-up speed and can stretch up the field vertically
Going to force defenses to change how they play/call their coverage
Great body control and flexibility when adjusting to difficult passes
Effective at square cutting into in and out breaking concepts
Solid deceleration ability for a taller WR
Cons
Very thin player with mediocre play strength
Long-strider athlete with large, clunky movements and poor acceleration
Pure deep threat without much short-to-intermediate ability
Mediocre RAC/YAC player due to acceleration and poor tackle breaking
Mediocre fluidity that limits his ability to speed cut
Needs better hand fighting off the LOS and at the stem of routes
Poor matchups with long, physical corners
Extremely poor effort when engaging defenders as a blocker
Takes plays off routinely and does not try in the second level
*Reported character concerns
**Unverified
Bryce Lance (Early Day Two) - 6031 - 207 - NDSU - Senior
Pros
Great frame with high-end length and height
Great acceleration and buildup speed
Going to force defenses to change how they play/call their coverage
Good fluidity and can speed cut well for a tall WR
Good effort and play strength as a blocker
Solid hand fighter when using his frame and length to separate
Good quickness as an athlete for a taller WR
Capable RAC/YAC player for a X-WR
Solid variety of releases to get off the LOS
Good positioning when attempting to box out defenders
Cons
Average weight for his frame
Poor deceleration and struggles to throttle down
Limited ability on comeback route concepts
Not going to be great square cutting
Needs more effective fakes and false steps as a WR
Inconsistent ball skills when attacking the ball in the air
Tendency to body catch and does not maximize his frame
Mediocre play strength at the catch point for a bigger WR
Brennan Thompson (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 5’9* - 170* - Senior
Pros
Elite positional athleticism in terms of speed and acceleration
Going to be one of the fastest players in the NFL
Great deceleration ability and can square cut well
Solid RAC/YAC player with the ability to make defenders miss in space
Not going to break many tackles or bounce defenders
Good ball skills with a good tendency to secure passes outside his frame
Good speed control and can change tempos during routes
Cons
Extremely undersized player in terms of height, weight, and length
Small target that is harder to hit down field
Poor match-up against longer corners who can press him
Poor in-traffic pass catcher with tipped balls and dropped passes
Mediocre fluidity for a small WR
Can speed cut but lacks elite change of direction ability
Minimal special teams usage despite his athleticism
Horrible blocker due to his lack of size
Ted Hurst Jr (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6032 - 207 - Georgia State - Sr
Pros
Great positional height, weight, and length
Dominant contested catch target
Good ball skills and is capable of securing passes outside his frame
Solid build up speed to stretch the field vertically and break away
Good fluidity for a WR his size and length
Elite deceleration ability and is great at square cutting
Good route runner with various fakes and false steps
Great releases to get off the LOS consistently
Great skill position blocker who can block bigger assignments
Cons
Long stride athlete with a mediocre first step and acceleration
Not great winning immediately off the LOS
Limited lateral ability reduces his RAC/YAC ability
Needs to be better playing through contact throughout routes
Germie Bernard (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6006 - 209 - Alabama - Sr
Pros
Good positional height, weight, and length
Great skill position blocker who can block larger assignments
Good contact balance to break arm tackles and stay upright
Great fluidity in the open field when changing direction
Fluid when speed cutting
Good variety of fakes and false steps as a route runner
Varied releases to get off the LOS
Good ball skills and body control to adjust to difficult passes
Smart ball carrier who takes smart angles to set up defenders
Cons
Mediocre athlete in terms of deep speed, acceleration, and twitch
One speed athlete who lacks the ability to change tempos
Struggles to separate on the boundary
Will do best in a power slot role
Occasional body catching issue on tape
Eric Rivers (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 5096 - 179 - Georgia Tech - (RS) Sr
Pros
Elite positional speed with high-end deep speed and acceleration
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
Good ball skills and contested catch ability for someone his size
Not going to be a great 50/50 ball winner due to height
Great production on gadget touches and has high-end returner potential
Cons
Extremely undersized player in terms of height, length, and weight
Poor strength when engaging defenders as a blocker
Not someone who will be great in condensed formations
Mediocre fluidity for a smaller player
Lacks great lateral twitch or ability in space
Mediocre RAC/YAC player due to lack of size and short area quickness
Deion Burks (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 5’9* - 188* - Oklahoma - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good speed and acceleration
Good speed to stretch the field vertically
Good at adjusting his body to make difficult catches
Solid RAC/YAC player with impressive contact balance and agility
Productive on gadget touches
Great fluidity to speed cut when running routes
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
Good potential as a return man due to athletic tools
Cons
Poor height, weight, and length
Bobbled passes and body catches on tape
Poor ability to make contested catches due to his lack of length and strength
Horrible blocker that will get blown up by DBs
*Unverified
Denzel Boston (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’4* - 210* - Washington - (RS) Jr
Pros
Great positional length and height
Good at playing physically through reps
Good at handfighting at the LOS and the stem
Solid build-up speed and can stretch the field vertically
Good ball skills to secure catches outside his frame
Good football IQ and knows where to settle in soft spots
Cons
Skinny frame that creates play strength issues on tape
Poor positioning at the catch point and boxing out DBs
Long-stride athlete with heavy movements and poor explosiveness
Poor at beating man coverage off the LOS
Poor RAC/YAC player due to his lack of lateral quickness
Lacks the fluidity to effectively use fakes and false steps as a route runner
Unlikely to develop technical separation ability as a route runner
Poor matchup with bigger DBs who can match up with his length/size
Mediocre blocker with poor strength and effort
*Unverified
Chris Bell (Mid-to-Late Day Two)* - 6014 - 227 - Louisville - Sr
Pros
Rocked-up build with great size for his height
Good at using his frame to box out DBs
Great build-up speed to eat up cushions and stretch the field
Great skill position blocker who can block larger assignments
Great in condensed formations
High-end special teams potential due to his speed and size combination
Cons
Extremely poor acceleration, deceleration, and fluidity
Heavy mover that struggles to separate against man coverage
Lacks the athleticism to speed cut or square cut
Cannot perform false steps or fakes as a route runner in stride
Inconsistent ball winner in contested situations
Needs to improve his hand fighting off the LOS and throughout the rep
*Torn ACL in 2025 and will miss a large portion of his rookie season
Zachariah Branch (Early Day Three) - 5’10* - 180* - Georgia - Jr
Pros
Great acceleration and transitions upfield as a ball carrier
Solid speed and deep speed to stretch the field
Very well-built frame for a player his height
Dense and strong for a smaller WR
Good fluidity and competent at speed cutting
Solid contact balance for a smaller WR to break tackles
Capable of varying tempos as a route runner
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
High-end returner potential
Cons
Poor height and length
Constant body catcher with questionable ball skills
Production came heavily from gadget looks
Poor contested catch target due to his frame and size
Smaller target that is harder to hit downfield
*Unverified
Malachi Fields (Early Day Three) - 6040 - 218 - Notre Dame - Sr
Pros
Rocked up frame with great positional height, length, and weight
Good deceleration for a player his size
Good at using his frame to box out defenders.
Can run through the press of smaller DBs
Elite skill positional blocker with high-end strength and effort
Can play on the LOS as a TE and can block LBs/EDGEs
Good physicality after the catch with the willingness to pick up tough yardage
Good ball skills and consistently attacks the ball in the air
Good contested catch and jump ball player
Good body control to adjust to the ball in the air
Ok build up speed when given a runway to accelerate
Solid fakes and salesmanship for a bigger WR
Cons
Sluggish athlete with horrible acceleration and play speed
Not athletic enough to warrant a full-time starter role
Lacks the first step to separate from man coverage with proper releases
Speed and explosiveness limitations limit his ability to be a separator
J.Michael Sturdivant (Early Day Three) - 6024 - 209 - Florida - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional height, weight, and length
Solid build-up speed and can stretch the field vertically
Good fluidity for a WR his size
Good at speed cutting as a WR
Solid RAC/YAC player for a bigger WR
Solid ball skills when adjusting to balls outside his frame
Cons
Long stride athlete with mediocre acceleration
Poor route salesmanship with limited fakes and false steps
Has the fluidity to develop this as a route runner
Mediocre blocker due to poor effort
Has the length and strength to be solid
Lewis Bond (Early Day Three) - 5110 - 197 - Boston College - (RS) Sr
Pros
Solid speed and acceleration as an athlete
Solid RAC/YAC player who falls forward and takes good angles
Flashes impressive catch point ability for a WR his size
Good fluidity as an athlete and transitions upfield well
Good technician with false steps and fakes
Capable blocker on DBs
Not a player you want on bigger assignments
Capable return man with experience on punt and kickoff
Cons
Average positional height, length, and weight
Poor at playing through contact and gets rerouted
Lowlight hand moments with drops and body catches
Tendency to round break when speed cutting
Struggles to get off the LOS against longer, bigger DBs
Ja’Kobi Lane (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6041 - 196 - USC - Jr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Solid build up speed and can be a target downfield
Good deceleration for a tall WR and can square cut well
Solid fluidity for a tall WR
Solid fakes and false steps for a tall WR
Elite body control and ball skills in contested situations
Cons
Extremely skinny frame and has poor play strength
Long-stride athlete with mediocre acceleration
Struggles to get off the LOS and struggles against long, press DBs
Lacks the size to run through contact effectively
Long releases and needs to learn to get off the LOs quicker
Poor separator and struggles to beat man coverage
Needs to use his length better as a hand fighter at the stem and LOS
Bad blocker due to his lack of play strength
Good at using length, but he has to get stronger to be a capable blocker
Zero special teams value
*Unverified
Antonio Williams (Mid-to-Late Day Three)* - 5’11** - 190** - (RS) Jr
Pros
Solid deceleration ability to square cut well
Good gadget potential due to skill position passing
Good ball skills and consistent attacks the ball in the air
Flashes false steps and fakes as a route runner
Competent return man on punt
Cons
Mediocre speed, explosion, and acceleration athlete
Less athletic than starting NFL DBs
Average height, weight, and length
Average RAC/YAC player
Struggles to deal with contact throughout routes
Occasional issues with focus drops
*Hamsting injury in 2025
**Unverified
Aaron Anderson (PUDFA) - 5075- 177 - LSU - (RS) Jr
Pros
Solid fluidity and acceleration
Ok deep speed to stretch the field
Snappy breaks when speed cutting
Flashes solid fakes and false steps as a route runner
Competent return player with experience on kickoff
Cons
Extremely undersized WR that is a pure slot prospect
Not athletic enough to be a starter at his size
One speed athlete without great shiftiness or tempo as an athlete
Poor ball skills with a tendency to body catch
Bad contested ball target due to his frame
Easily bothered by contact when running routes
Uselsss blocker with the inability to get better due to his frame
Caullin Lacy (PUDFA)*** - 5083 - 189 - Louisville - (RS) Sr
Pros
Gadget player with the ability to play wildcat and pass
Solid long speed with the ability to stretch the field
Good return man with experience on punt and kickoff
Cons
Extremely undersized WR that is a pure slot prospect
Mediocre acceleration and takes a long time to build up speed
Mediocre RAC/YAC player for his size
One speed athlete without great quickness or twitch
Useless blocker due to his lack of strength and length
Has good effort but is unable to displace DBs
*Older prospect that will turn 25 during his rookie season
**Suffered a season ending collarbone injury in 2024
Harrison Wallace III (PUDFA) - 5115 - 190 - Ole Miss - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good tempo and varied speed when running routes
Great deceleration and effective at square cutting
Good fluidity and effective at speed cutting
Capable RAC/YAC player who takes smart angles as a ball carrier
Smart zone settler when finding soft spots in coverage
Good contested catch player for a player his size
Verified fakes and false steps as a route runner
Cons
Average positional height, weight, and length
Poor acceleration and deep speed as an athlete
Less athletic than starting NFL DBs
Poor at separating from bigger, faster DBs
Inconsistent ball skills with double catches, body catches, and tipped balls
Poor run blocker due to his lack of length and strength
Limited special teams ability due to his athletic and blocking limitations
Josh Cameron (UDFA) - 6012 - 223 - Baylor - Senior
Pros
Great positional height, length, and weight
Great play strength and flashes great ability to box out DBs
Great fluidity for a player with high-end size
Good deceleration and can square cut well
Good at using frame to push off and hand fight
Solid RAC/YAC player with the ability to break tackles
Good fakes and false steps as a route runner
Good skill position blocker and can block bigger assignments
Competent special teams ability with the ability to return punts
Cons
Poor speed and acceleration make separation difficult
Less athletic than starting NFL DBs
Struggles to get off the LOS consistently
Lacks the first step to separate when he does get off the LOS
Struggles to play big throughout plays and gets rerouted by physicality
Needs to be more consistent using his size to box out DBs
Struggles to beat man coverage despite refinement as a route runner
Needs greater consistency securing passes outside of his frame
Elijah Sarratt (Camp) - 6016 - 206 - Indiana - Senior
Pros
Solid positional height, length, and weight
Solid fluidity and can speed cut at an NFL level
Good declaration to square cut and run come backs
Solid blocker who can seal off DBs in the run game
Not a player you can ask to block bigger assignments
Physical player who uses push offs and hand fighting
Good adjustment for poorly placed passes
Cons
Lacks elite length, weight, and strength to play with high-end physicality
Horrible acceleration and top speed
Incapable of stacking NFL DBs vertically and DBs sit on his routes
Struggles separating against man coverage on the boundary
Poor RAC/YAC player due to athletic limitations
Mediocre contested catching ability and needs greater consistency
Needs to box out and use his length more consistently
Limited special teams ability due to his lack of athletic tools
Date Published: 02/19/2026
Date Last Updated: 02/19/2026
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