The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and one of the hottest topics this draft cycle has been this wide receiver class. This isn’t a super deep draft class, but the wide receiver group may be the exception. There are a ton of guys slated to go in the first two rounds, and all of them could become impact players in the NFL.

Last week, EssentiallySports Senior NFL Writer Daniel Rios ranked his top-10 receivers in this draft class. Since we love a good debate, now it’s my turn. We agreed on some, but also disagreed on quite a few, so it’s time to compare our two lists.

1. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Daniel’s Pick: Jordyn Tyson

Daniel and I both agree on Jordyn Tyson being the No. 1 receiver in this draft class. Obviously, the medicals are very scary. He suffered three pretty significant injuries during his time at Arizona State, and two of them were knee/hamstring related. A lot of teams are going to be turned off by that, but I have a feeling there’s going to be someone in the top-15 that clears him and takes him, and if he stays healthy, he’ll be an absolute beast in the league.

Tyson has the ideal size at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, and is a downfield threat, but he’s also developed into one of the best route runners in this class, which has allowed him to also get some work in the slot. He can line up anywhere on the field and have success. It’s as simple as that. Clearly, the WR1 in this class, in my eyes.

2. Makai Lemon, USC

Daniel’s Pick: Carnell Tate

This is the first of many disagreements Daniel and I have when it comes to this wide receiver class. To me, Makai Lemon is the second-best wideout in this class. I know he probably won’t be the second one taken, given he plays in the slot, but I don’t care about that. This is purely based on talent, and the only one who can rival Lemon is Tyson.

A lot of people compare Lemon’s game to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and I can see it. There aren’t many receivers that can be game changers from the slot, but Lemon is one of them. He may be 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, but he plays much bigger than that and is not afraid to take a hit over the middle. Plus, he’s a YAC machine.

You can tell me slot receivers aren’t as valuable as outside guys all you want, but I don’t care. Lemon is the second-best receiver in this draft class, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has the most successful career in the NFL.

3. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Daniel’s Pick: Omar Cooper Jr.

There aren’t many things Carnell Tate doesn’t do well. He plays much faster than the 4.53 he ran at the NFL Combine, which makes him an elite downfield threat. On top of being speedy, Tate is very capable of using his 6-foot-2 frame to go up and make contested catches. In 2025, he was 12-for-14 on contested targets (85 percent), but that doesn’t always translate to the NFL, where defensive backs are bigger and faster.

I would like to see Tate work the shorter part of the field a bit more often than he did in college. Only 185 of his 793 yards (23.3 percent) of his yards came from within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Obviously, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but with so many defenses playing two-high coverage nowadays, the deep ball isn’t as available as it used to be five years ago.

I like Tate as a prospect, but I hope he can get more involved in the short to intermediate range more often in the NFL, because he’s not going to have 55 percent of his yards come on passes 20+ yards downfield in the league. That’s just not realistic.

4. Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Daniel’s Pick: Makai Lemon

I really like Omar Cooper Jr., but I think he’s in a clear tier below the top three. He’s a YAC machine with over 50 percent of his yards in 2025 coming after the catch. He’s also incredibly good at breaking tackles, forcing 27 missed tackles on 69 receptions.

Despite playing 83 percent of his snaps in the slot, Cooper Jr. was very good down the field, catching eight passes for 274 yards (34.3 average) and four touchdowns on passes 20+ yards downfield. He also has 4.42 speed and a 37-inch vertical. There’s not a lot to dislike about his game, so he should be a top-20 pick on draft night.

5. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Daniel’s Pick: KC Concepcion

After those top four, this is where everyone’s opinions start to change a bit. Personally, I have KC Concepcion as the No. 5 wide receiver in this class. There’s a lot to like about his game. He’s super fast, can push downfield, but can also be used as a gadget player near the line of scrimmage. He’s also probably the second or third-best route runner in this class. The only problem is, he can’t catch a football.

I’m kidding. Sort of. He dropped seven passes last season and had a drop rate of 10.3 percent. That’s not going to get it done in the NFL. He has to cut back on the bad drops once he’s in the league, because if he can, he could be a really good receiver.

6. Chris Bell, Louisville

Daniel’s Pick: Denzel Boston

If Chris Bell didn’t tear his ACL late in the 2025 season, he’d probably be a first-round pick. Even with that injury, I like him better than a lot of receivers in this draft class. He’s got a great frame at 6-foot-2, 222 pounds, but that doesn’t affect how he moves at all. He’s a deep to intermediate threat, but he’s also really good at working the short game and turning up field and getting a ton of YAC.

It’s really unfortunate that he tore his ACL, because again, he would’ve been a first-round pick. Now, he’ll likely fall into the middle of the second round. But on the bright side, he’s one year closer to that second contract.

7. Denzel Boston, Washington

Daniel’s Pick: Chris Bell

For a while, I was on the Denzel Boston hate train. I hadn’t watched his tape or anything yet, but after the combine, people were very low on him. I know putting him at No. 7 may seem like I’m also very low on him, but I think he’s actually a really good talent and should be an early day two pick (even though he’ll probably end up going in round one).

Boston is 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, and he puts his size to good use, boasting a 76 percent contested catch rate in 2025. He’s not a fantastic athlete by any means, but he’s a solid route runner who is very dangerous in the intermediate to deep passing game. He’s also very versatile, lining up in the slot nearly 20 percent of the time despite being 6-foot-4.

Boston’s ceiling is very high, but I also think his floor is lower than many of the guys above him.

8. Ted Hurst, Georgia State

Daniel’s Pick: Germie Bernard

Ted Hurst’s name has been gaining a ton of steam recently, and it’s very easy to see why. He’s 6-foot-4, runs a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, and recorded a 36.5-inch vertical at the combine. He was basically a 1,000-yard receiver a year ago with 999 yards and six touchdowns on 71 receptions at Georgia State.

Obviously, Hurst didn’t play the toughest competition, but he’s a threat in the short, intermediate, and deep passing game and has the ability to rack up yards after the catch. The reason I have him at No. 8 is that his upside is much higher than the two guys below him, even if his floor may be lower.

9. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee

Daniel’s Pick: Skyler Bell

Chris Brazzell II is one of my favorite wide receiver prospects in this class because, like Hurst, his upside is tremendous. He’s 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.37-second 40-yard dash. He definitely needs to add some weight, weighing in at under 200 pounds at the combine, but when you turn on his tape, you can see why he could be an elite weapon in the league.

I know Tennessee wide receivers haven’t panned out in the past, but there’s no reason Brazzell can’t be the exception. Many tab him as this downfield threat, and while that’s true, he is actually a really good route runner and can work any part of the field. I would like to see him add a bit of weight and become a bit sturdier, but that’s really my only complaint.

10. Skyler Bell, UConn

Daniel’s Pick: Chris Brazzell II

Skyler Bell was one of the most productive receivers in college football last season, catching 102 passes for 1,282 yards during his final season at UConn. There are obviously some concerns about the talent level he faced, but you don’t go for 100+ catches and 1,200+ yards in DI without being at least a little talented.

He’s not as much of a deep threat as some of the other guys on this list, but he can work the short to intermediate game as well as anyone in this class, and he’s incredible after the catch, averaging over eight yards of YAC this season. He should probably be a second-rounder, but could fall into the third.