The wide receivers are generally considered the divas of any NFL roster. For top WRs, the coaches are usually fine with tantrums over not being targeted or with a self-centered attitude. However, teams don’t want to see that with the WR prospects they want to invest in the draft. One NFL coach didn’t like what he saw from the WRs in the upcoming class.

“As a father, a former college Wr coach, and a current NFL Wr coach I feel the need to plead with the current college Wr coaches to please continue to pour into your guys throughout this NFL process the best you can,” New Orleans Saints’ WRs coach Keith Williams wrote on X. “This has been the worst I’ve seen it.”

“There’s far too many Wrs that are not physically, mentally, and probably most importantly, psychologically ready for this moment. And it’s hurting them. I know they’re “technically” not your responsibility anymore, but last night you definitely told a new recruit you coached them,” he added.

Keith Williams has seen it all and has been coaching WRs at Solano since 2000. He also had stints with teams such as Tulane, Nebraska, and the Baltimore Ravens. Simply put, he knows how to coach WRs and boost their confidence. In 2024, for instance, he was tasked with coaching some new faces at the Saints after Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed were sidelined.

It took no time for Williams to integrate midseason signee Marquez Valdes-Scantling into the offense, as he notched 385 yards. Before that, in 2023, he led the Ravens to a fourth-ranked scoring offense and handled Zay Flowers’ rookie development. The result? Flowers caught 77 passes for 858 yards.

It’s unclear who Williams is hinting at. However, one thing is clear: he doesn’t like the general look of the WR class in the 2026 NFL draft. And when it comes to college coaches, it’s difficult to disagree with his point about players’ developmental needs.

However, most NFL prospects do not train with their college coaches ahead of the draft. During the prep window (January-April), they often sign with agencies that pay for them to train at ‘Combine Prep’ facilities. That includes training for Combine drills, such as the 40-yard dash or the vertical jump.

At the same time, this doesn’t mean coaches no longer influence players recruited in college. In fact, some are expected to be present at the draft. Hines Ward is going to be there in Pittsburgh to support his wide receiver, Jordyn Tyson.

Publicly, there has been only one instance in which we can see a wide receiver behaving strangely.

The Makai Lemon incident at the Combine

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon had plenty of hype going for him ahead of the scouting Combine. He didn’t disappoint during the drills, but his media appearance was strange, to say the least. Lemon appeared disinterested when asked about his college journey or interest from NFL teams.

To make matters worse, media reports at the Combine revealed that he failed the whole process. According to insider Breiden Fehoko, a scout told him he couldn’t understand the motive behind the USC WR’s combine interviews. “Whoever advised the kid needs to be fired,” the scout said to him.

NFL Draft analyst Anthony Russo and Jets insider Chris Nimbley also produced similar reports. “Speaking to others, I’m not hearing very good things about Makai Lemon as well. Not anything extreme but not exactly ringing endorsements,” Russo said. Whereas Nimbley said that Lemon’s interviews were a disaster.

Was all of it because of the emotional immaturity that Keith Williams is talking about? Or did he want to slide in the draft to become available for his favorite team?