As the 2026 NFL draft inches closer, wide receiver is one of the New York Jets’ top needs.
The Jets’ wide receiver group was among the league’s worst in 2025.
After surpassing 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons (2022–24), Garrett Wilson appeared in just seven games before a lingering knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. Even so, he still led the team with 395 receiving yards, despite playing in less than half of New York’s games.
As a unit, the Jets’ wide receivers finished last in the NFL with 1,575 receiving yards.
Gang Green has a prime opportunity to improve the unit in this year’s draft.
Armed with four selections within the top 45, including two first-round picks, it is expected that the Jets will land a high-end pass-catcher in April.
With that in mind, let’s rank the top five wide receiver prospects in this year’s class and examine their fits in New York.
5. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
Chris Brazzell II is one of the most physically imposing wide receivers in this year’s class, standing at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds while possessing elite ball skills and vertical ability.
After transferring from Tulane to Tennessee in 2024, Brazzell broke out during the 2025 season. He hauled in 61 of his 86 targets (70.9%) for 1,017 yards, which ranked second in the SEC, while catching nine touchdown passes.
The big play ability of Tennessean’s Chris Brazzell II is hard not to love. So smooth at 6-foot-5, and tracks the ball supremely well.
Brazzell was top three in the SEC in yards per route run this past season (2.57). pic.twitter.com/TSeM6cfYCL
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) February 15, 2026
As a downfield threat, Brazzell wins with his length and elite high-point ability, rather than just pure speed. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception for the Volunteers in 2025.
The Midland, Texas, native can finish through contact and is an excellent deep-ball tracker with terrific body control.
In the blocking game, he can use work, earning a 56.7 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, after recording a 56.9 mark in 2024.
However, there are also several concerns.
While he offers a tall frame, he enters the draft with a very lean build, given his 200-pound weight, and needs to add muscle to hold his own against physical press corners, especially since he doesn’t win with speed.
How he adjusts to cornerbacks at the pro level will be interesting to see, given that he isn’t an elite separator, either.
Overall, he profiles similarly to Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins, who was selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Brazzell is not a finished product by any measure, but he will be able to make an impact in the red zone immediately, just like Higgins, who logged six touchdowns during his first year in the league while standing at 6-foot-4.
With the Jets, he would be a perfect complement to Wilson as a big-bodied target who is a deep threat, whereas the Ohio State product wins with his speed and agility as a route-running technician.
4. Denzel Boston, Washington
Consensus big board rank: 22nd
Denzel Boston spent all four of his collegiate seasons at Washington while serving as a starter throughout his final two years.
During his first two years at Washington, Boston was buried on the depth chart behind future NFL receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk.
He appeared in 17 games during that stretch but was rarely featured offensively, totaling seven catches for 66 yards while adding a rushing touchdown.
Over the past two seasons, though, he has made his name known.
In 2025, he reeled in 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, while posting a whopping 76.9% contested catch rate.
As a run-blocker last season, he was elite, finishing the year with a stellar 77.1 grade from PFF while showing great effort in that facet of his game.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Boston projects as a prototypical outside receiver with size and strong hands, having dropped only five passes during his time in the NCAA, and excellent contested-catch ability.
Boston caught 10 of his 13 contested targets in the 2025 season (76.9%).
Similar to Brazzell, Boston wins with his size and physicality rather than speed.
While he is a smooth mover and boxes out defensive backs effectively, his long speed is average at best, his acceleration is uninspiring, and he can struggle with releases against press coverage.
There are certainly some concerns, but Boston has the tools to dominate as a red-zone target and downfield threat at the NFL level, evidenced by his 20 touchdowns across 2024 and 2025 and his smooth movement for his size.
3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona
Consensus big board rank: 10th
Jordyn Tyson creates separation like no other wide receiver in this year’s draft class. He is an excellent route runner who wins consistently at all three levels and is a highly explosive athlete.
Jordyn Tyson is my WR1, always has been, and will still be on draft night
A bit of a gambit considering the injury history, but he easily is the most complete WR in the class pic.twitter.com/5WYD3HUnYu
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 17, 2026
Earlier in his career, he had the elite production to back it up.
In 2024, Tyson erupted for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns on 75 receptions (12 games). However, in 2025, he fell to 711 yards and 8 touchdowns in nine games, battling through a hamstring injury that cost him three games before returning.
While the Allen, Texas, native struggled with drops in 2024, posting a rough 8.5% drop rate, he improved this number dramatically in 2025, plummeting to just 1.6%.
However, the concerns begin with his frame.
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Tyson has an undersized, thin build. He also dealt with a myriad of serious injuries during his college career, creating glaring red flags.
During his freshman campaign in 2022, he suffered a gruesome knee injury, tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL. This cost him most of the 2023 season. He then suffered a collarbone injury in 2024 and dealt with a hamstring issue during the 2025 season.
There are plenty of glaring red flags that teams will closely monitor throughout the pre-draft process and during their meetings with Tyson. The ceiling is high, though.
Tyson’s play style is very similar to Garrett Wilson’s, as he is an elite route runner who is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Their frames are also comparable, as Wilson measures in at six feet and 183 pounds.
Overall, Tyson has elite-level talent, but his concerning injury history will undoubtedly force teams to think twice about him.
2. Makai Lemon, USC
Consensus big board rank: 13th
Makai Lemon looks like the best slot receiver among players in this year’s draft.
He spent three seasons at USC, including his final two years as a starter.
In 2025, Lemon totaled 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions while playing in 12 games. He also ranked second among Power Four wide receivers with 3.13 yards per route run.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Lemon projects as a slot-dominant receiver whose game is built on technique, elite leverage, and strong hands. He dropped only three passes on 175 targets across his final two seasons as a Trojan.
Sometimes Makai Lemon’s routes were so good that he would hit his third fake and run back into the coverage because they were still responding to the first fake. pic.twitter.com/nILO4xYdpi
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) January 10, 2026
Despite being slightly undersized, the Los Alamitos, Calif., native high-points the ball well. He converted on 10 of his 15 contested catch opportunities (66.7%) this past season.
Lemon is a quarterback-friendly receiver who constantly seems to be in the right place at the right time when watching his tape.
Been a few days, but I’m still thinking about this route + catch by USC WR Makai Lemon.
Creating the blindspot, cutting underneath the DB and then the finish through contact. Just high level WR play. pic.twitter.com/dLAhAj2BPt
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 20, 2025
Constantly finding soft spots in the zone, Lemon’s ability to read coverages and adjust routes makes him particularly valuable in timing-based passing systems.
While he lacks ideal size and lightning speed, Lemon’s technique and ability will allow him to contribute right away at the NFL level.
1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Consensus big board rank: 7th
In my eyes, Carnell Tate is undoubtedly the top receiver in this draft class.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, the idea of Tate paired with Wilson should be a dream for every Jets fan.
In 11 games during the 2025 season, Tate hauled in 44 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.
He also ranked third among Power Four wide receivers in yards per route run (3.02) and first in passer rating when targeted (151.8).
Along with that, he was one of college football’s best deep threats in 2025, catching 10 of his 13 deep targets (20+ yards) for 433 yards. Five of his touchdowns went for more than 40 yards.
Tate’s excellent 85.7% contested catch rate in 2025 was the best among FBS wide receivers with at least 10 contested targets.
The Chicago native is elite at selling routes and outstanding at manipulating defenders, which allows him to generate separation despite not being a pure burner.
Overall, the Ohio State product is an elite boundary wide receiver with stellar ball skills and hands, while being a serious deep threat.
He will most likely be the first receiver of the board this year, and he profiles as the perfect complement to Wilson for the Jets.