32 Wide Receivers Paired with Each NFL Team: Makai Lemon To Rams And More
Ian Hartitz looked through all seven rounds of the NFL Draft and more to project 32 wide receivers joining each NFL team this offseason.
As Juan Ponce de León once famously said: "Good offenses can never have too many good wide receivers." This remains true in the year 2026, but teams already equipped with multiple high-end starters are also obviously less likely to spend high draft capital on the position compared to, well, the Dolphins.
This brings us to today's goal: One realistic NFL Draft wide receiver pairing for all 32 teams based on their current depth chart and draft capital.
As always: It's a great day to be great.
Wide Receiver-Franchise Pairings for NFL Draft 2026
Arizona Cardinals: UConn WR Skyler Bell (4.104)
Bell nearly captured Triple Crown honors during his massive 2025 campaign at UConn. While hardly a spring chicken (24 in July), Bell would provide a versatile weapon capable of lining up at all three receiver spots inside an offense presently expected to start Kendrick Bourne alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
Atlanta Falcons: Alabama WR Germie Bernard (2.48)
The Bama product seemingly does everything well, albeit he maybe doesn't have one elite trait to hang his hat on. That's perfectly fine in Atlanta, where Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson are currently the favorites to start alongside Drake London. It's easy to imagine Bernard thriving in Kevin Stefanski's scheme while being deployed in a similar mold as Jarvis Landry once was.
Baltimore Ravens: TCU WR Eric McAlister (6.211)
There has been plenty of smoke to the idea that Baltimore could look to add a new receiver (or Kenyon Sadiq) as early as pick No. 14. Here they end up with the 6-foot-4, 194-pound Horn Frog who provides some much-needed size to a Baltimore wide receiver room presumably set to start fellow former Day 3 pick Devontez Walker alongside Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
Buffalo Bills: Mississippi State WR Brenen Thompson (4.126)
The pint-sized (5-foot-9, 164 pounds) speedster (4.26-second 40-yard dash) wouldn't be expected to crack this starting lineup from Day 1, but his field-stretching ability would still be nice in situational packages inside an offense presently without someone capable of instilling much fear in opposing defenses.
Carolina Panthers: Georgia State WR Ted Hurst (3.83)
Hurst dominated lowly Sun Belt competition, but possesses the frame (6-foot-4, 206 pounds) and speed (4.42-second 40-yard dash) to believe that success could translate to the professional level. Commonly comped to George Pickens, Hurst would give the Panthers a fun field-stretching element that would nicely complement Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.
Chicago Bears: Oklahoma WR Deion Burks (3.89)
Burks would add a speedy presence to a Bears offense currently expected to trot out longtime Lions WR4 Kalif Raymond as their starting slot. Now, the team's incumbent top-2 wide receivers and tight ends could make it difficult for Burks to see a true full-time role, but it's still fun to think about what the Purdue/Oklahoma product could do with some of Ben Johnson's designed touches.
Cincinnati Bengals: Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen (6.199)
Allen spent time at Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M before finishing his career with a breakout 13-touchdown campaign at Cincinnati. The slot maven is capable of creating separation against man coverage and also boasts enough top-end speed to threaten defenses down the seam. We're a bit late in the draft to assume future All-Pro goodness, but at a minimum, this would be a nice dart to throw in order to finally find this team its first long-term slot receiver since Tyler Boyd.
Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate (1.06)
The Browns seemingly want to come away with a starting receiver and offensive tackle with their pair of first-round picks—if they don't wind up trading down in the first place. It seems more likely there's still a quality first-round tackle available at pick No. 24 than wide receiver, so Todd Monken uses his first draft pick on a new handy dandy stud receiver for Deshaun Watson and/or Shedeur Sanders to work with (why is it between Muhammad and McLovin'?).
Also check out: Carnell Tate scouting report
Dallas Cowboys: USC WR Ja'Kobi Lane (5.152)
Lane's highlight reel is up there with the best receivers in this class, although route-running nuance and separation concerns could lead to the other USC receiver falling to Day 3 in the draft. While no receiver going this late is anything close to a perfect prospect, I find Lane's combination of production at the Big Ten level, ball skills and athletic profile (6-foot 4 with 4.47 speed) more appealing than most darts in this range.
Denver Broncos: Kentucky WR Kendrick Law (5.170)
The speedy (4.45-second 40-yard dash) Wildcat is rocked up (5-foot-11, 203 pounds) and made a habit of creating yards after the catch during his time in Lexington. While Law didn't get much of anything going on offense during his first three collegiate seasons at Alabama, the former four-star athlete still profiles as someone who could make the most out of Sean Payton's designed touches. Only the Steelers and Chiefs threw more screens than the Broncos last season.
Detroit Lions: Texas Tech WR Reggie Virgil (5.181)
Virgil has the sort of size (6-foot-3, 187 pounds), strong hands and special teams ability to work as this offense's No. 4 WR, similar to later-career Tim Patrick. The addition of Greg Dortch already fills the jitterbug/return role previously held by Kalif Raymond, so getting bigger at the position with someone like Virgil makes sense on Day 3.
Green Bay Packers: Baylor WR Josh Cameron (6.201)
The Baylor product scored 19 touchdowns during his last two seasons in Waco. Built like a running back (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), Cameron's YAC-friendly skill set might be a bit of a duplication to second-year WR Savion Williams, but then again, the 2025 third-rounder earned only 21 touches as a rookie anyway, so perhaps competition is needed.
Houston Texans: Florida WR J. Michael Sturdivant (7.243)
First of all: What a name. Second of all: Sturdivant had an early breakout as a redshirt freshman at Cal way back in 2022 (65-755-7), but failed to duplicate that success during stops at UCLA and Florida. Still, God only made so many men with this sort of size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) and speed (4.4-second 40-yard dash). He's certainly a trait-based Day 3 dart worth throwing for a team like Houston with good-not-great depth behind Nico Collins.
Indianapolis Colts: Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell (3.78)
Yes, Brazzell went to Tennessee. Also yes, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound field-stretching talent deserves credit for originally breaking out at Tulane (Freshman All-American) before racking up the second-most receiving yards in the SEC in 2025. Brazzell would immediately be in consideration for a starting role over Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and would help provide even more space in the underneath/intermediate areas of the field for Josh Downs and Tyler Warren.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Missouri WR Kevin Coleman (6.203)
The pint-sized (5-foot-10, 179 pounds) slot maven spent his last four seasons at Jackson State, Louisville, Mississippi State and Missouri. His third-team All-SEC campaign in Starkville featured career-best marks in receptions (74) and receiving yards (932). Obviously, the Jaguars have plenty of talented receivers to work with already, but Coleman would at least bring a different skill set to the room.
Kansas City Chiefs: Washington WR Denzel Boston (1.29)
The Chiefs are also in play for a shiny new receiver at pick 1.09, but here they stay patient and are rewarded with the big-bodied Husky. There are some concerns about Boston's separation ability—I don't overly share them—but either way, he deserves a lot of credit for constantly coming down with circus contested-catches during his time in Seattle.
Also check out: Denzel Boston scouting report
Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt (3.67)
Reuniting Sarratt with Fernando Mendoza just makes too much sense. Many of Sarratt's big highlights are contested back-shoulder snags, but he also displayed some sneaky-solid route-running chops during his time in Bloomington. Day 1 No. 1 WR duties would be on the table here considering the current frontrunners are Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor. Of course, Brock Bowers will always be projected to be the actual No. 1 pass-game target, but this combination of soft depth chart and familiarity would result in Sarratt being a major post-draft riser.
Los Angeles Chargers: Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell (6.204)
Yes, Caldwell's only season against FBS competition produced a pretty meh 32-478-6 receiving line. Also yes, the man is a certified FREAK athlete who could have his best football ahead of him. Not a bad deal for a sixth-round pick.
Los Angeles Rams: USC WR Makai Lemon (1.13)
This has been a trendy match in recent weeks and for good reason: Lemon would slot (pun intended) in immediately between Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, providing a massive upgrade at the No. 3 receiver spot for Matthew Stafford and long-term upside for eventual life without Adams (34 next December). It's easy to see why so many believe Lemon is the second-best receiver prospect in this class.
Also check out: Makai Lemon scouting report
Miami Dolphins: Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields (3.87)
Fields put some FUN contested catches on tape during his lone season in South Bend, although the soon-to-be 23-year-old is hardly a spring chicken, and his 4.61-second 40-yard dash reflects the reality that he's not going to be running away from anyone at the next level. Still, 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds with legit ball skills isn't a bad starter pack—this draft position could, in fact, be low if some of the Senior Bowl hype carries over to draft weekend.
Minnesota Vikings: Georgia WR Zachariah Branch (3.97)
The verdict remains out on whether or not Branch can be more than a gadget player out of the slot at the next level, but that archetype could actually be useful in a Vikings offense that gained the fifth-fewest yards after the catch in 2025. It's also possible the No. 1 WR of the 2023 recruiting class has more to offer—QB whisperer Kevin O'Connell would be a nice bet to get the most out of the 22-year-old talent.
New England Patriots: Trade for A.J. Brown
Hell yeah, brother.
New Orleans Saints: Louisville WR Chris Bell (2.42)
Bell reunites with his former college QB Tyler Shough. An unfortunate late-season ACL tear could mean a slow start for Bell at the professional level, but the 6-foot-2, 222-pound beast would immediately provide a physical, YAC-friendly presence to a receiver room that needs help in both departments. Bell is my favorite non-Round 1 receiver in this class.
New York Giants: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson (1.10)
Maybe the Giants decide to double-dip on defense after trading DT Dexter Lawrence for the Bengals' No. 10 overall pick, but this offense is also in need of another wide receiver because:
- Malik Nabers (knee) isn't guaranteed to be ready for Week 1.
- So far, the team has replaced longtime slot WR Wan'Dale Robinson with veterans Darnell Mooney (1-year, $3 million guaranteed) and Calvin Austin (1-year, $450,000 guaranteed) on low-cost nothing-burger deals
- More firepower in general is encouraged to really find out if Jaxson Dart is the man to be this team's franchise QB.
Enter: Tyson, who is the consensus WR1 from team Fantasy Life thanks in large part to his twitchy separation ability and history of racking up high-end production.
Also check out: Jordyn Tyson scouting report
New York Jets: Indiana WR Omar Cooper (1.16)
Cooper's trendy Deebo Samuel comp is a testament to his YAC skillz—the national champion would form a fun one-two punch with Garrett Wilson and provide an immediate boost to a passing game that ranked dead last in receiving yards and yards after the catch alike in 2025.
Also check out: Omar Cooper scouting report
Philadelphia Eagles: North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance (3.98)
Lance is a raw, toolsy option who could use a year as more of a pure backup while better learning the craft from guys like DeVonta Smith and Hollywood Brown. The 6-foot-3, 204-pounder has drawn Christian Watson and DJ Chark comps during the pre-draft process—this would be a nice size-and-speed addition to an Eagles receiver room that could use a bit of both.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion (1.21)
Pittsburgh already has two quality receivers in DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman, but Concepcion would give them an explosive jitterbug capable of creating big plays from anywhere on the field. This would suddenly be one of the league's more enticing wide receiver cores for a young QB to grow up with, and Concepcion would instantly upgrade return units that no longer have Calvin Austin to lean on.
Also check out: KC Concepcion scouting report
San Francisco 49ers: Oregon WR Malik Benson (4.139)
Benson has the sort of speed (4.37-second 40-yard dash) that is currently lacking in this 49ers receiver room. While San Francisco fans undoubtedly still have nightmares of the Danny Gray experiment, the former No. 1 JUCO prospect would be a fun No. 4 option in this offense to help occasionally take the lid off opposing secondaries.
Seattle Seahawks: Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas (6.188)
The flashes are there, and Douglas warrants a Day 3 dart simply from his enticing combination of size (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) and speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash). Receiver is hardly a big need for Seattle at the moment, but it'd at least make sense if they add some late competition for Tory Horton.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Georgia WR Colbie Young (5.155)
What better way to "replace" Mike Evans than with the gargantuan Young? The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder could have been in play much earlier in the draft if it weren't for off-the-field issues. Adding Young to this Buccaneers WR room would provide a different sort of specificity—and at a minimum, the eventual picture of Young standing next to Tez Johnson would be hilarious.
Tennessee Titans: Ole Miss WR De'Zhaun Stribling (3.66)
Stribling has received some Round 2 momentum in the lead-up to the draft. The Ole Miss speedster (4.36-second 40-yard dash) would immediately add some juice to a Titans receiver room that is currently expected to be headlined by slot maven Wan'Dale Robinson and old man Calvin Ridley. Maybe not the flashiest addition here, but a step in the right direction—especially with the Titans already landing Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love in this scenario.
Washington Commanders: Clemson WR Antonio Williams (3.71)
Williams would provide this Commanders offense with the sort of chain-moving slot maven that they badly need—sorry not sorry, Luke McCaffrey truthers. The Clemson product produced at every stage of his career and has the sort of route-running chops to perhaps be more than an underneath possession receiver at the next level. Failure to come away with a receiver at pick 1.07 would really make it necessary for Washington to address the group here.
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