Wide Receiver Train Full Speed Ahead- CHOO CHOO!

[No_Matter_What]

6 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Matt Miller predicts Tyson falls out of the top 20:

 

Of course you just know Howie will take him while laughing all the way to the bank, then trade AJ Brown to the Pats just to doubly piss me off.

It can certainly happen, but I think he will be too busy drafting some UGA defender.

[Sierra Foothills]

10 hours ago, LEBills said:

oh and finally sometimes I go looking for condensed games. YouTube has a ton of that if you search for the team you want, it’s just a much longer film review so I don’t do it often.

 

Again and as always, thanks for the great summaries.

 

I like to watch condensed games too, especially for lineman evaluation.

 

But as you know, it has a bit less value for WRs and DBs because of how often they leave the frame/field of view.

 

 

[LEBills]

My personal 2026 WR rankings:

 

#4 Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana, (Round 1-2)

- Entire career at IU

- Played significant majority of snaps wide in 2024 and majority of snaps in slot in 2025

 

What does he do on film?

 

When you think you tackled him, he just got four more yards:

 

- 1:19 Drag route, able to outrun the linebacker and turn the corner for a nice gain

 

- 1:35 defender with inside leverage with eyes in the backfield. Cooper runs route to spot before snapping off the route for an easy first.

 

- 3:34 Excellent rip move through the defender jamb. Defender wasn’t within 5 yards of him by the time Cooper got the ball

 

- 3:56 obviously a great catch, but his tackle breaking is the key to his future and you see it here. 30% career missed tackle rate is best in the class

 

Weaknesses:

- 12:16 not a creative route runner, can get caught up at the break point by defenders

- Ok blocker, but is happy to shy away from the responsibility

 

- Ball tracking on deeper routes leaves something to be desired

 

Conclusion:

Cooper is an exciting player with a well rounded game that may still be underestimated from his work in a restrictive Indiana offense. 

 

The first thing that has to be mentioned is his tackle breaking. Since 2019, he is one of two players with an aDOT of over 12 yards and a missed tackle rate of at least 30%, the other being former first rounder Quentin Johnson. Johnson aside, high missed tackles forced rates are common in the best receivers in the league. He forced a missed tackle nearly 40% of the time in 2025!

 

Despite lining up in the slot 83% of the time in 2025, for his career he spent 47% of snaps in the slot and 53% out wide. Looking at his games from 2024, you see Cooper used on many more deep in breaking routes and back shoulder fades to the tune of 21.2 yards per catch. In 2025, Indiana moved him inside and had him run many more drags, slants and curls to allow Sarratt and Becker on the field more.

 

I would consider Cooper a three level threat. He is not an elite separator but his speed is good enough on longer developing routes to create later separation, he is also physical enough at the catch point to win deeper contested targets, and he can always sit in the hole in zone coverage and use his YAC ability to make more yardage than most receivers could. He is also excellent at controlling his body along the sideline, Penn State is his famous catch but he had several tight rope moments throughout his career even back in 2023.

 

Cooper is not without areas of improvement. Deep ball tracking is not a strong suit for him. Partly because of his shorter arms, part his lack of a top gear, and part not the softest of hands. He does pretty well when he is facing the ball, but if he is tasked with catching a ball over his shoulder the proposition is dicier. As his 1.55 10 yard split alludes to, he is not very twitched up and has had more than 20% of his targets contested, relatedly he is better vs zone coverage where he isn’t trying to outrun a faster player.

 

From what I have read, teams love the prospect - both his skillset and personality - and it seems like he is destined to be a first rounder. Despite his success in 2024, I do think his best fit is as a Z receiver who works the short and intermediate routes of the field. But I do think there is still development to be had here, Indiana RPO heavy offense only allowed for 25 pass attempts a game. Cooper, on a higher volume of targets and with improved deep ball tracking, could unlock a level of playmaking that evaluators never expected.

[KingBoots8]

14 minutes ago, LEBills said:

My personal 2026 WR rankings:

 

#4 Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana, (Round 1-2)

- Entire career at IU

- Played significant majority of snaps wide in 2024 and majority of snaps in slot in 2025

 

What does he do on film?

 

When you think you tackled him, he just got four more yards:

 

- 1:19 Drag route, able to outrun the linebacker and turn the corner for a nice gain

 

- 1:35 defender with inside leverage with eyes in the backfield. Cooper runs route to spot before snapping off the route for an easy first.

 

- 3:34 Excellent rip move through the defender jamb. Defender wasn’t within 5 yards of him by the time Cooper got the ball

 

- 3:56 obviously a great catch, but his tackle breaking is the key to his future and you see it here. 30% career missed tackle rate is best in the class

 

Weaknesses:

- 12:16 not a creative route runner, can get caught up at the break point by defenders

- Ok blocker, but is happy to shy away from the responsibility

 

- Ball tracking on deeper routes leaves something to be desired

 

Conclusion:

Cooper is an exciting player with a well rounded game that may still be underestimated from his work in a restrictive Indiana offense. 

 

The first thing that has to be mentioned is his tackle breaking. Since 2019, he is one of two players with an aDOT of over 12 yards and a missed tackle rate of at least 30%, the other being former first rounder Quentin Johnson. Johnson aside, high missed tackles forced rates are common in the best receivers in the league. He forced a missed tackle nearly 40% of the time in 2025!

 

Despite lining up in the slot 83% of the time in 2025, for his career he spent 47% of snaps in the slot and 53% out wide. Looking at his games from 2024, you see Cooper used on many more deep in breaking routes and back shoulder fades to the tune of 21.2 yards per catch. In 2025, Indiana moved him inside and had him run many more drags, slants and curls to allow Sarratt and Becker on the field more.

 

I would consider Cooper a three level threat. He is not an elite separator but his speed is good enough on longer developing routes to create later separation, he is also physical enough at the catch point to win deeper contested targets, and he can always sit in the hole in zone coverage and use his YAC ability to make more yardage than most receivers could. He is also excellent at controlling his body along the sideline, Penn State is his famous catch but he had several tight rope moments throughout his career even back in 2023.

 

Cooper is not without areas of improvement. Deep ball tracking is not a strong suit for him. Partly because of his shorter arms, part his lack of a top gear, and part not the softest of hands. He does pretty well when he is facing the ball, but if he is tasked with catching a ball over his shoulder the proposition is dicier. As his 1.55 10 yard split alludes to, he is not very twitched up and has had more than 20% of his targets contested, relatedly he is better vs zone coverage where he isn’t trying to outrun a faster player.

 

From what I have read, teams love the prospect - both his skillset and personality - and it seems like he is destined to be a first rounder. Despite his success in 2024, I do think his best fit is as a Z receiver who works the short and intermediate routes of the field. But I do think there is still development to be had here, Indiana RPO heavy offense only allowed for 25 pass attempts a game. Cooper, on a higher volume of targets and with improved deep ball tracking, could unlock a level of playmaking that evaluators never expected.

I doubt we have a shot at anyone above him just based on team needs picking before us, and realistically he is likely gone before we pick. If he’s at 26 I would be extremely tempted, despite the needs on Defense. I think if we got either Omar or Skyler Bell we would be vastly improved this offseason at WR.

[LEBills]

1 minute ago, KingBoots8 said:

I doubt we have a shot at anyone above him just based on team needs picking before us, and realistically he is likely gone before we pick. If he’s at 26 I would be extremely tempted, despite the needs on Defense. I think if we got either Omar or Skyler Bell we would be vastly improved this offseason at WR.

yea, I’ll still hope for Tyson to fall as that seems like the only guy left in the rankings with a sliver of a chance. Cooper, Boston, Skyler Bell, KC, any of them would be additions I’d be excited for. Boston fits cleanest into those traditional WR roles, but as Seattle showed this year, you can do a lot with how you move your WRs around to gain advantages. So just get the best guy you can in here and improve the talent of the room.

[Dr. Who]

10 minutes ago, LEBills said:

yea, I’ll still hope for Tyson to fall as that seems like the only guy left in the rankings with a sliver of a chance. Cooper, Boston, Skyler Bell, KC, any of them would be additions I’d be excited for. Boston fits cleanest into those traditional WR roles, but as Seattle showed this year, you can do a lot with how you move your WRs around to gain advantages. So just get the best guy you can in here and improve the talent of the room.

I prefer Cooper and Boston from that list and I am hoping for one of them. I would not hate Concepcion, but I am not as high on him as many others appear to be. Tyson I exclude, because I don’t think injury concerns will push him close enough to be an option. I am still not out on Brazzell or Hurst later in the draft, but you’d have to trade down from 26 or up from 91 to get them. If we draft a Bell, I’d rather it were Chris.

[BillsShredder83]

20 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Fees like a narrative that teams are creating to push him down the board. 

Just like the Josh Allen Tweets draft day morning?

Beane and Co were responsible for that, and i will D-I-E on this hill!! It'll come out in Josh's book some day that Beane finally told him LOL

[GunnerBill]

Dane Brugler's "The Beast" draft guide for 2026 is out. I won't repeat it all for copyright reasons but here v quickly is his top 20 WRs:

 

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State - 1st rd

2. Makai Lemon, USC - 1st rd

3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State - 1st/2nd rd

4. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M - 1st/2nd rd

5. Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana - 1st/2nd rd

6. Denzel Boston, Washington - 1st/2nd rd

- - - 

7. Germie Bernard, Alabama - 2nd rd

8. Chris Bell, Louisville - 2nd rd

9. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame - 2nd/3rd rd

10. Antonio Williams, Clemson - 2nd/3rd rd

11. De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss - 2nd/3rd rd

12. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana - 2nd/3rd rd

- - - 

13. Ted Hurst, Georgia State - 3rd rd

14. Zachariah Branch, Georgia - 3rd rd

15. Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State - 3rd rd

16. Bryce Lance, North Dakota State- 3rd/4th rd

17. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee - 3rd/4th rd

18. Deion Burks, Oklahoma - 3rd/4th rd

- - -

19. Skyler Bell, UConn - 4th rd

20. Colbie Young, Georgia 4th/5th rd

[Dr. Who]

43 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

Dane Brugler's "The Beast" draft guide for 2026 is out. I won't repeat it all for copyright reasons but here v quickly is his top 20 WRs:

 

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State - 1st rd

2. Makai Lemon, USC - 1st rd

3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State - 1st/2nd rd

4. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M - 1st/2nd rd

5. Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana - 1st/2nd rd

6. Denzel Boston, Washington - 1st/2nd rd

- - - 

7. Germie Bernard, Alabama - 2nd rd

8. Chris Bell, Louisville - 2nd rd

9. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame - 2nd/3rd rd

10. Antonio Williams, Clemson - 2nd/3rd rd

11. De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss - 2nd/3rd rd

12. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana - 2nd/3rd rd

- - - 

13. Ted Hurst, Georgia State - 3rd rd

14. Zachariah Branch, Georgia - 3rd rd

15. Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State - 3rd rd

16. Bryce Lance, North Dakota State- 3rd/4th rd

17. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee - 3rd/4th rd

18. Deion Burks, Oklahoma - 3rd/4th rd

- - -

19. Skyler Bell, UConn - 4th rd

20. Colbie Young, Georgia 4th/5th rd

Thanks. I like Colbie Young as a day 3 selection.

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Dane Brugler's "The Beast" draft guide for 2026 is out. I won't repeat it all for copyright reasons but here v quickly is his top 20 WRs:

 

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State - 1st rd

2. Makai Lemon, USC - 1st rd

3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State - 1st/2nd rd

4. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M - 1st/2nd rd

5. Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana - 1st/2nd rd

6. Denzel Boston, Washington - 1st/2nd rd

- - - 

7. Germie Bernard, Alabama - 2nd rd

8. Chris Bell, Louisville - 2nd rd

9. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame - 2nd/3rd rd

10. Antonio Williams, Clemson - 2nd/3rd rd

11. De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss - 2nd/3rd rd

12. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana - 2nd/3rd rd

- - - 

13. Ted Hurst, Georgia State - 3rd rd

14. Zachariah Branch, Georgia - 3rd rd

15. Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State - 3rd rd

16. Bryce Lance, North Dakota State- 3rd/4th rd

17. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee - 3rd/4th rd

18. Deion Burks, Oklahoma - 3rd/4th rd

- - -

19. Skyler Bell, UConn - 4th rd

20. Colbie Young, Georgia 4th/5th rd

 

Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading this in depth later at work while my students take a test 

[Magox]

 

He just seems like a Rams pick kind of guy to me.

 

Great measurables, 4.51 speed, 45.5 inch vertical,  11'3 broad jump most ever for TE prospect.    He seems like he could end up being a WR.

[GunnerBill]

24 minutes ago, Magox said:

 

He just seems like a Rams pick kind of guy to me.

 

Great measurables, 4.51 speed, 45.5 inch vertical,  11'3 broad jump most ever for TE prospect.    He seems like he could end up being a WR.

 

Rams are still a Shanny scheme at heart. They want their TEs to block too. Now as a big WR... maybe. 

[BillsShredder83]

40 minutes ago, Magox said:

 

He just seems like a Rams pick kind of guy to me.

 

Great measurables, 4.51 speed, 45.5 inch vertical,  11'3 broad jump most ever for TE prospect.    He seems like he could end up being a WR.

Interesting.  Off the top of my head, I cant remember if its 3, 4, or 5, but he falls to me a TON in my PFF Mocks as BPA on my board (their board), and I've mostly ignored it because of position.

 

I need to dig in and check him out.

 

Quick look his athleticism tests real nicely! Disclaimer though, he may be a tweener WR & TE, so take his positive drills with a grain of salt. These percentile are grouped with TEs and would look differently if grouped with WRs

Edited Wednesday at 04:42 PM by BillsShredder83

[LEBills]

My personal 2026 WR rankings:

 

#3 Makai Lemon, USC (Top 15 pick)

- Second Biletnikoff winner in USC football history, following Marqise Lee in 2012.

 

What does he do on film?

 

 

Tough SOB

- you won’t see it much in this video, but pound for pound he is a good blocker

 

- :02 sits in the zone and get plastered but holds on for the first down

 

- :27 offense call for him to run a 9 yard curl. QB releases the ball before Lemon is turned around so no time to be cute in his route. Fights through the CB for the catch

 

- 3:18 ball thrown recklessly into triple coverage and Lemon brings it in while being hit on his hands and his back 

 

- 4:51 good job maintaining space to sideline and then a contested catch in the corner of EZ

 

- 5:17 comes across field, positions himself in front of defender and strong hands catch for the clutch 2 point conversion

 

- 6:38 nothing fancy, just better ball skills than the DB for a contested touchdown

 

Missed tackles forced

- 1:09 play did not count but you can see how slippery he can be in space

 

- 2:56 excellent change of direction. Two steps and he completely changes direction leaving the defender trailing

 

Weaknesses:

- Good feel for space in his route running but actually putting defenders on skates to create separation is not his game

 

- Height, length and speed are all below average. Had some struggles against bigger, longer corners. Does not break long touchdowns

 

Conclusion:

it’s not often that you watch a game cut up and it looks like a highlight reel. Lemon may be the next in line of the Jefferson, Amon-Ra, JSN, and Egbuka as college slot receivers that come in and dominated the pros. The one difference between Lemon and the aforementioned receivers is he would be the smallest of that cohort which may truly limit him to the slot. 

 

Lemon joins JSN, Jaylen Waddle, Ja’marr Chase and Devonta Smith as the only power 5 players since 2021 to average over 3 YPRR vs both man and zone for their career. He just has so many tools in his belt between his separation, contested catch and missed tackles forced, I expect him to find similar success. 

 

The one game where he had trouble was versus Notre Dame and future top 10 pick Leonard Moore. In that game, Moore really used his length at the line to get Lemon out of his rhythm. Lemon did eventually break a tackle for an explosive play but was mostly ineffective. He will need to be able to beat longer corners each week in the NFL and may be an adjustment for him.

 

We have entered the end game of these rankings. Lemon and the next two are on another level from what we have gone over so far.

[GunnerBill]

13 hours ago, LEBills said:

 

We have entered the end game of these rankings. Lemon and the next two are on another level from what we have gone over so far.

 

Interesting Q on Lemon - how close do you have him to the top two?  I am seeing a lot having it as a genuine top 3 at the moment whereas for me it's still a top 2 and then a 1 - but with a decent gap after that to my 4,5 & 6 who are in a bit of a cluster. 

[LEBills]

28 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Interesting Q on Lemon - how close do you have him to the top two?  I am seeing a lot having it as a genuine top 3 at the moment whereas for me it's still a top 2 and then a 1 - but with a decent gap after that to my 4,5 & 6 who are in a bit of a cluster. 

I have them equal to each other. So if they were all available at the same time, it just depends what your team needs.
 

Lemon - physically the least impressive but the most well rounded player. High volume but majority slot

 

Tyson - high volume player who can go across formation and kills single and press coverage. But the injuries

 

Tate - incredible down field threat with room to grow the rest of his game. Right now probably not a huge target earner but his targets will be splashy

 

Then yes a big gap to that second tier which would be WR 4-7 for me

[GunnerBill]

11 minutes ago, LEBills said:

I have them equal to each other. So if they were all available at the same time, it just depends what your team needs.
 

Lemon - physically the least impressive but the most well rounded player. High volume but majority slot

 

Tyson - high volume player who can go across formation and kills single and press coverage. But the injuries

 

Tate - incredible down field threat with room to grow the rest of his game. Right now probably not a huge target earner but his targets will be splashy

 

Then yes a big gap to that second tier which would be WR 4-7 for me

 

Okay. I have Tyson and Tate basically 1a and 1b and have flipped them twice since the start of my process. I do think they are pay your money take your choice based on offense. I think Lemon is a skilled player but the size limitations, the slot only (and I do have him as a strict slot only NFL player) and the fact he doesn't have that exceptional short area quickness or gamebreaking speed to compensate just makes his ceiling that bit lower compared to the other two. 

[Kirby Jackson]

21 minutes ago, LEBills said:

I have them equal to each other. So if they were all available at the same time, it just depends what your team needs.
 

Lemon - physically the least impressive but the most well rounded player. High volume but majority slot

 

Tyson - high volume player who can go across formation and kills single and press coverage. But the injuries

 

Tate - incredible down field threat with room to grow the rest of his game. Right now probably not a huge target earner but his targets will be splashy

 

Then yes a big gap to that second tier which would be WR 4-7 for me

 

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Okay. I have Tyson and Tate basically 1a and 1b and have flipped them twice since the start of my process. I do think they are pay your money take your choice based on offense. I think Lemon is a skilled player but the size limitations, the slot only (and I do have him as a strict slot only NFL player) and the fact he doesn't have that exceptional short area quickness or gamebreaking speed to compensate just makes his ceiling that bit lower compared to the other two. 

Question for you both: where would these guys have slotted into for the 2024 class? 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, Kirby Jackson said:

 

Question for you both: where would these guys have slotted into for the 2024 class? 

 

Personally I'd have had Tyson and Tate behind Harrison and Nabers but right there around Odunze (and around Tet from last year FWIW). Lemon would have been in my second tier with BTJ and Legette as end of round 1 grades. 

[LEBills]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Okay. I have Tyson and Tate basically 1a and 1b and have flipped them twice since the start of my process. I do think they are pay your money take your choice based on offense. I think Lemon is a skilled player but the size limitations, the slot only (and I do have him as a strict slot only NFL player) and the fact he doesn't have that exceptional short area quickness or gamebreaking speed to compensate just makes his ceiling that bit lower compared to the other two. 

Yea, I’m trying to be more open minded about guys that are considered slot only in college than I have in recent years. The most productive receivers in the NFL do a lot of their damage from the slot/offline positions. And with proliferation of bunch formations and pre-snap motions you can get these types of players moved around and just let them be separators. How Kubiak made JSN an “outside” receiver last year while basically still being a slot receiver sticks out to me.

 

Lemons only weakness I think is getting off press at the line so keeping him where that’s minimized will help him.

 

if I had to knock one player out of this group it would be Tate. I think he has the most room to grow of the top 3 but as a player right now, I think he has the most weaknesses.