March 21, 2026, 9:47 p.m. ET
Although the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft is going to be a quarterback, it isn’t the Draft of the QBs.
Fernando Mendoza will walk up in a month to shake the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders brain trust as he’s named their franchise signal-caller of the future.
But after that, there might not be another QB called for the rest of the opening night on Thursday. Ty Simpson could find his way into the middle or late first round, but it is no guarantee.
What the upcoming NFL Draft could be known for, however, is wide receivers.
We could see five, six, or seven wideouts taken in the first round, with teams believing there are multiple offense-changing receivers to be found in this year’s class.
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The leading trio that could all go within the first ten picks are Carnell Tate of Ohio State, Makai Lemon of USC, and Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State.
Although Tyson might have the highest ceiling of the three, he’s expected to go last, with a hamstring injury plaguing him throughout the season and now in the ramp-up to the NFL Draft.
Behind them are Kevin Concepcion (Texas A&M), Denzel Boston (Washington), and Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana), who all have projections that could find themselves picked in the first round.
It could be set up for a generational wide receiver class if they can all live up to their full potential.
When could we see the first wide receiver taken off the board?
The Raiders seem set on Mendoza, with the Jets having a second first-rounder most likely used on a wideout rather than their second overall. The Arizona Cardinals won’t take a wideout with their third pick. But with the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, there is a chance they don’t take running back Jeremiyah Love and instead strike for Tate, Lemon, or Tyson.
2018 and 2024 were considered golden classes for the quarterback. In 2026, the same might soon be said of the wide receivers taken in the first round.