There is the potential that only three wide receivers go in the first round of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which would be the fewest since 2019 when only Hollywood Brown and N’Keal Harry came off the board on Day 1.
Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon are locks and most likely all selected in the top half of the first round. The wild card is Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, who could sneak into the end of the opening round.
Since back-to-back drafts in 2018-19 that featured just two first-round WRs, the position has had 6, 5, 6, 4, 7 and 4 Day 1 picks (in order from 2020-25).
There is compelling wide receiver talent in this draft, though, which means there are values to be found on Day 2 and maybe even Day 3.
5 undervalued wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft
Here are five undervalued WRs we think will prove to be draft steals this year.
Georgia’s Zachariah Branch
Branch is likely to go in the second round of the draft, so he’s not that extreme of a bargain, but there’s a very real chance he develops into an even bigger asset than he showed in college between USC and Georgia.
The former five-star prospect really didn’t break out until his third season, catching 81 passes for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns last season for the Bulldogs, but his ceiling feels even higher.
He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and pairs that speed with elite elusiveness and the ability to create space for himself.
If he finds the right offense that figures out how to unlock him, Branch could be one of the NFL’s most dynamic slot receivers in short order.
Louisville’s Chris Bell
Bell could also fit into the back end of the second round, but even that feels low for the 6-foot-2, 222-pound playmaker.
He had 72 catches for 917 yards and 6 TDs in 11 games last season for a middling Louisville passing attack that didn’t maximize his potential.
There was a three-game stretch in the middle of the season when Bell looked like one of the best wide receivers in all of college football, catching 10 passes for 135 yards and a TD vs. Pittsburgh, 12-170-2 vs. Virginia and 9-136-2 vs. Miami in consecutive games.
Bell didn’t test in the 40-yard dash at the combine, so that metric isn’t available, but the tape speaks for itself. If he played under a bigger spotlight in college, he’d be viewed as a priority draft prospect.
Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields
Fields had some good buzz and momentum coming off the Senior Bowl, but that was undercut when he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Nonetheless, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver averaged an impressive 17.5 yards per reception for Notre Dame, totaling 36 catches for 630 yards and 5 TDs. He was a higher-volume target in previous seasons at Virginia (58-811-5 in 2023 and 55-808-5 in 2024).
Fields may not be among the fastest wide receivers in this draft class, but he’s a tough matchup for opposing cornerbacks with his size and ability to win at the catch point. And there’s enough examples on film of him being a field-stretcher as well.
Fields is a great value in the third round of this draft.
Connecticut’s Skyler Bell
While this draft may lack a bevy of obvious first-round WRs, it makes up for it with deep pool of Day 2 talents at the position that each have a chance to greatly outperform their draft slot. Add Bell to the list.
In his seven-round mock draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller projected Bell going at No. 89 overall to the Bears. That would be incredible value for a player who flew under the radar a bit in college while playing at UConn despite putting up 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 TDs last season.
He didn’t have a bad game all season. His lowest output was 6 catches for 54 yards and a TD vs. Buffalo. The level of competition has to be factored in, sure. UConn only played three Power Four opponents, but Bell shined in each matchup — 11 catches for 107 yards vs. Syracuse, 10 catches for 125 yards and a TD vs. Boston College and 11-87-2 vs. Duke.
The 6-foot, 192-pound playmaker ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at the combine and showed elite yards-after-catch ability in college.
Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt
Another Day 2/3 tweener, Sarratt has been overshadowed in draft buildup by his Hoosiers teammate Omar Cooper Jr., but anyone who watched Indiana’s incredible run to the national championship saw that Sarratt was one of the most reliable targets in college football.
Sarratt skipped testing and field work at the combine and his speed has been questioned in evaluating his draft stock, but he clocked a 4.45-second 40 during Indiana’s Pro Day. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound wideout’s greatest asset, though, is that he simply catches everything.
Despite missing a month of the season with injury, he totaled 65 catches for 830 yards and 15 TDs in 13 games on the Hoosiers’ national title run.
Between St. Francis (Pennsylvania), James Madison and two seasons at Indiana, Sarratt racked up 242 career catches for 3,678 yards and 44 TDs in college.
It just feels like this guy is going to have a long NFL career.
