RADIO
Michael F. Florio offers his scouting report for the top WRs in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, and Makai Lemon.
Can you believe it is that time of year already? While I am not a huge college football watcher in season (blame the NFL!), I love this time of year when I can dive into the tape and watch the next batch of NFL stars.
The fantasy value of a player will not be determined until we know landing spots. Factors such as play-caller, QB play, volume, target competition, and even draft capital will all help us determine that. What I hope to do is help you learn what a player does well, what he needs to work on, and what kind of asset one could be at the higher level -- so you know how they fit when they are ultimately drafted.
This year's series will start with receivers, as they are my favorite position to watch, but continue to check back as I write up all skill-position players!
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Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State University
Jordyn Tyson, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds, is my personal favorite receiver of this class. It is more of a 1A/1B situation with the next WR, but if I had to pick, give me Tyson.
His size jumps out immediately, and he knows how to use it. Tyson showed himself to be a contested-catch beast in college. For instance, watch his touchdown catch over two defenders against Texas State.
Tyson has strong body control and can adjust in the air to high-point the ball. He tracks the deep ball over his shoulder extremely well and does not flash his hands until the proper time, not giving the defender any extra help.
I call him an eraser-type receiver, as he can adjust to off-line throws using his huge catch radius. Tyson has strong hands, can play through physicality, and is a strong route runner who can manipulate defenders and consistently create separation.
Lastly, he is not a one-trick pony. Not only can he play out wide and win downfield, but Tyson can also line up all over the field. He can win out wide and in the slot. He can also win after the catch. There were a lot of screens in his college usage.
Tyson is tough to bring down after the catch, especially for those trying to arm tackle him. He also has more shiftiness than I expected a receiver of his size to possess. Receivers who can win in numerous ways, such as stretching the field but also after the catch, always tend to be my favorites as they can fit in with any offense/QB.
So, what are the negatives? The biggest issue has been availability. He missed time in all three of his college seasons. He suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in 2022, which cost him most of his 2023 season.
Then, he hurt his collarbone in 2024 and missed time due to a hamstring injury in 2025. Those injuries may not be connected, but they are certainly on his resume and something NFL teams will factor in when evaluating him.
That could lead to him being the second WR drafted. The other negatives are nitpicky, but his long speed is good, but not great, and he could work on his footwork at times.
Jordyn Tyson is the best route runner in the 2026 NFL Draft 💯
As much as I love all-22, these TV angles might be my favorite for WRs: pic.twitter.com/SOXa7BGaNz
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 19, 2026
The name I kept thinking of while watching him was prime Odell Beckham Jr. He could do it all on the field, and could make the flashy, jaw-dropping style of catch. His floor may not be as high as the next receiver's, but I believe the ceiling is higher. Another name that came to mind was a bigger Jaxon Smith-Njigba (prospect JSN, not OPOY).
Carnell Tate, Ohio State University
As stated above, this year for me is more of a 1A and 1B situation with the top wideouts. I expect Carnell Tate to be most people’s WR1 in this class and would not be shocked at all if he were the first receiver off the board in this year's NFL Draft.
One of the first things that jumped out to me while watching Tate is that he has vice-grip-like hands. Any ball that is in his vicinity, he is more than likely hauling in. And if he gets his hands on it, he most definitely is. Tate can also get open at all three levels and layers his routes nicely.
Tate, like Tyson, is not a one-trick pony type of receiver, as he can win in several different ways. Tate has the ability to stretch the field, and his downfield speed is what I think makes him special in this class.
He tracks the ball well over his shoulder and flashes his hands late. He has great body control and can adjust to underthrown balls, as he did on a long touchdown against Texas, or go up and win contested catches. Go watch his TD catch with two defenders draped all over him against Wisconsin if you don’t believe me.
Two areas that he excels in are working the sideline, as he has a strong knowledge of where he is on the field, and great footwork to stay in bounds. He was also heavily featured in the red zone, and it is easy to see why. Tate can also line up inside or out and excels at finding the soft spot against zone coverage.
There is a lot to like on film with Tate. Plus, he comes from a school with perhaps the best track record of producing NFL receiver talent. My one knock is that I worry if his size will be an issue against press coverage at the NFL level. Tate is also much more reliable than he is flashy. That is not a bad thing, but there were more jaw-dropping-type catches from Tyson than Tate.
Carnell Tate as your new alpha iso receiver.
No need to overthink it. pic.twitter.com/mBnvr9ul2L
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 19, 2026
While watching him play, Tate reminded me of Tee Higgins. A reliable WR who can win at all three levels, work the sideline, and use his size to be a great red-zone option. That is a lofty player comp, but it is his ceiling at the next level. Tate also reminded me of a bigger Terry McLaurin -- who is a fellow Buckeye.
Makai Lemon, USC
Makai Lemon has a lot of tools, which is exactly why he is going to be a first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft. However, I do not find myself as high on him as I expected to be, given the consensus opinion on him.
Now, to be fair, part of what I do not love is the way he was used. I always say just because a player was not asked to do something, it does not mean they cannot do that thing. I want to address that with Lemon, but it adds some questions to his profile.
Lemon is a very good route runner with the ability to manipulate defenders and has reliable hands. That combination should make him a chain-mover at the next level. He played inside a bunch at USC, and often his targets were short of the sticks.
That was largely because he is able to use his burst to create quick separation. He has devastating cuts due to his quick feet that help him in that regard as well -- especially on comeback routes. Lemon is also a shifty runner who is tough to tackle after the catch.
While he was not asked to do so a ton in college, he showed that he can win downfield when given the opportunity. He is elite at tracking the ball downfield, so he could reach new heights with a strong-armed QB who is not afraid to air it out. He will rely more on speed and separation, though, to win downfield as he is not a contested-catch type. While he can win outside, I believe he is best suited in the slot.
The way he was used in college is my biggest concern. We saw flashes when he could be more than just a slot possession receiver who wins after the catch, but I would have preferred to see more downfield usage at times. Other lesser concerns are if he has the size to consistently win outside in the NFL. Lastly, he seems quicker than fast, which could hinder his downfield abilities at the next level.
@NFLPerformances pic.twitter.com/BOq0e3L0pl
— Performances (@NotNflBurner) February 15, 2026
I understand why he is often compared to Amon-Ra St. Brown. They have similar skill sets, and playing at USC makes it an easy comparison. However, St. Brown maximized his skill set and talent. He landed in an excellent situation that helped elevate him into elite fantasy status.
That is the absolute ceiling for Lemon. Another player he reminded me of was Khalil Shakir, who can line up all over and win downfield, but excels as a slot receiver who wins after the catch.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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