The Athletic anonymous draft intel part 3: WRs

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The wide receiver class has been categorized as “pretty good” but lacks one truly elite talent. “The group is not as top-heavy as it usually is, but it’s deep,” said WR coach No. 1.

“The middle and the back end of this group is good, not so much off the top,” WR coach No. 2 said more bluntly.

Carnell Tate is the latest in an incredibly long line of excellent Ohio State wideouts. The 6-2 1/4, 192-pound Tate isn’t a burner. He ran a 4.53 40 at the combine and didn’t produce eye-popping stats. It’s worth noting that his teammate Jeremiah Smith, who is expected to be in the 2027 draft, is the most talented of all the receivers who have come through Columbus this generation. Is he a legitimate top-10 player?

“It’s about need, man,” said WR coach No. 1. “Hard to say if someone is or isn’t a ‘top-10 guy.’ It’s about who is picking in the top 10 and what they need. He is a really good receiver. His route running and his releases are really good. He knows how to win and catch the football. Tate has good range and body control. He’s a savvy route runner. He wins vs. man. You can tell he has a high football IQ.”

WR coach No. 2: “He’s more fluid in person than he looks on tape. When I went to the pro day, I was really impressed and pleasantly surprised. He can make every catch. He’s tougher than you think. He can put on some more weight in his frame and add to his strength.”

Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, 6-2, 203 pounds, was WR coach No. 2’s pick as the most talented: “He’s got a baller skill set but he’s got real tools. He’s ultra quick. Got basketball in his background, and you can see it in the way he plays wideout.”

Tyson has had a series of injuries derail much of his college career, but he did have 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs in 2024, when ASU made a run to the Playoff.

USC’s Makai Lemon is also in the mix among the top three receivers. His measureables don’t pop (5-11, 194 pounds, a 4.50 40), but his playmaking ability does. He caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 TDs last season as USC’s go-to guy.

“Just push play on the film,” said WR coach No. 1. “He goes to work. I can see the comps to Amon-Ra (St. Brown), but they’re different. They’re both really good.”

WR coach No. 2 wasn’t as much of a believer: “I’m not a big Makai guy. Not sure his game translates as well to the NFL, but I do think he’s got that St. Brown in him. Love his heart, toughness and tenacity, but can he win in the NFL like he did in college? I don’t know if he can play outside at an elite level. I know a lot of people think he can. I think he can be damn good as an exclusive slot.”

One of the most explosive wideouts in the draft is Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. He’s 5-11, 196 pounds. He didn’t run at the combine or his pro day, but scouts know he’s blazing fast. You see it all over his film as both a receiver and a return man.

Said WR coach No. 1: “He rises to the occasion. There’s some position flex where he can play inside and outside. He’s a real competitor, pretty dynamic.”

There has been some concern about how reliable his hands are. Concepcion had seven drops in each of the past two seasons. (Lemon and Tate each had three combined; Tyson had eight.)

“A lot of his drops come from technique more so than hand-eye coordination and just natural ability to track the ball,” said WR coach No. 2. “I think he catches good enough.”

Washington’s Denzel Boston is one of the bigger receivers in the class at 6-3 5/8, 212 pounds. He’s also a guy Huskies coaches think could be a Pro Bowl special teamer, but the personnel director I spoke to thought he was one of the more polarizing players: “I don’t like him. I think he’s stiff. I do think he’s a good, clean route runner. When a bad play happens, does he know to flush it?”

WR coach No. 2, though, was a big fan: “He’s big and he’s faster than you think. At the pro day, he looked really athletic and smooth. He’s got a Larry Fitzgerald kind of game.”

Fastest rising stock? Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, a Freaks Lister who started to blow up at the Senior Bowl and has a lot of believers in the NFL world. At almost 6-4, 206 pounds with 4.42 speed and an 11-3 broad jump, Hurst, who began his career at FCS Valdosta State, is a name to remember.

“I love Ted Hurst,” said WR coach No. 2. “I would say he’s the biggest sleeper in the draft, but he blew up like a month ago.”

Asked whether Hurst would be talked about more as a first-rounder if he had played at a more visible FBS program, the coach said, “No doubt. If you’re thinking about (Indiana’s Omar) Cooper in the first round, you damn sure should be thinking about this kid in the first round. He’s fast, big, can catch and is fluid. He’s got good natural hips, and I can improve that. There will be some learning curve and he’s a young kid.”

Most dynamic wideout? Zachariah Branch, who is under 5-9 and weighs just 177 pounds. He ran a 4.35, but the NFL coaches are really intrigued by his potential despite his lack of size. (Branch was arrested and booked on two misdemeanor charges Sunday morning.)

“This freakin’ kid could be Tyreek Hill or Zay Flowers if he gets coached to play Z (receiver), but there’s no sign of that on his film,” said WR coach No. 2. “There’s no outside-the-numbers film. He’s the most explosive of the receivers in this draft, and he’s a dog. He’s not polished. He’s short. It is a gamble. He just needs to be coached to do it. … A lot of those 5-9 dudes in college who are only catching bubbles and screens and taking handoffs don’t have the skill set to do play Z. I think he does. Tyreek didn’t play wideout in college, but then he learned in KC.”

USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane has impressive talent and a reel of spectacular grabs, but there are maturity concerns about the 6-4, 200-pounder who ran a 4.47 40 with a 40-inch vertical and 10-9 broad jump at the combine.

“He’s super talented,” said WR coach No. 1. “His ball skills are ridiculous. He’s got these huge strapping hands. Hopefully, he’ll figure it all out. It depends where he goes.”

Other wild-card receivers who could make a splash

Cincinnati’s Jeff Caldwell (6-5 3/8, 216 pounds, with 4.31 speed, a 42-inch vertical and an 11-2 broad jump)

WR coach No. 2: “He’s really explosive. He flashes. He’s intriguing. Hurst might be a bit more athletic. Caldwell is a bit stiff and Hurst plays stronger than Caldwell, and has more play strength.”

Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell, 6-4, 198 with 4.37 speed

WR coach No. 2: “He’s got a real chance. He’s more than just a deep threat. He has a chance to develop into a real route runner. He’s got the hips and the skill set for it. He’s just gotta be taught it, and you can develop him.”

Louisville’s Chris Bell, 6-2, 222 pounds; didn’t test at the combine or his pro day because of a torn ACL suffered in November

WR coach No. 2: “He’s talented, but that freakin’ knee, you just don’t know about. If he was 100 percent healthy, he probably would’ve shown just a little something at the combine and pro day, like, hey, this guy might be a first-rounder. He’s really physical and has impressive run after the catch. Need to develop his routes. Guys who are really good with the ball in their hands are usually small. He’s not. He’s 220-plus and he’s fast.”

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