The Mock Drafts have been running for months and most commonly predict the Vikings to use their first-round pick on the defensive side of the ball. But if there's one thing that's certain about the NFL Draft … it's that nothing is certain. So in leading up to this year's three-day event that begins with Round 1 on April 23, 2026, we're previewing prospects by position groups (all except quarterback, where the Vikings have four players on the roster, and specialists, where the Vikings have a trio of All-Pros). This draft prospect series will include rankings by national outlets, stats and background information for a bounty of prospects. You can see our initial installment, focused on running backs, here.

Next up is wide receiver, a position the experts see as having a half-dozen first-round candidates — Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordan Tyson, Denzel Boston, K.C. Concepcion, Omar Cooper, Jr. — followed by talented options down the board. Some pundits have said starters could emerge as late as Day 3.

Vikings status at wide receiver

Justin Jefferson doesn't need an introduction. Well on his way to reshaping club and league records, the slam-dunk seventh-year receiver tied Larry Fitzgerald as the youngest player all-time to catch 500 passes and matched Jerry Rice and Mike Evans last year as the only players with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to kick off a career, piling up 1,048 despite waves of injuries at quarterback. Jefferson turns 27 years old this summer, and we are sure he's eager to rebound from scoring just two touchdowns in 2025. His route-running is svelte, and his competitiveness is nonpareil. Furthermore, as "Jets" has matured, his leadership role has grown tremendously.

Minnesota announced at the Annual League Meeting it intends to use the fifth-year option on the No. 2 player in its receivers room, Jordan Addison. Over his first three seasons, the 23^rd pick in 2023 has generated 175 receptions, 2,396 yards and 24 total touchdowns. His production dipped like Jefferson's a year ago — career lows in catches (42), yards (610) and touchdowns (4) — but the organization has a mega belief in him and his potential to put everything together in 2026.

A couple of 2025 rookies, Tai Felton and Myles Price, are coming off awesome impacts on special teams; the former was a tough matchup as one of the gunners on the punt team; and the latter was super dynamic as a returner, shattering the team's single-season mark for kickoff/punt return yards — his 1,777 was 312 more than David Palmer achieved in 1998. Felton was a third-round pick and Price a nice post-draft find — and both men could be in line for bigger roles pending their progress and grasp of the Vikings offense.

Beyond them, Minnesota has three other receivers on its roster: Jeshaun Jones, Dontae Fleming and Joaquin Davis. Jones has served on the practice squad for two seasons; Fleming did that in 2025; and Davis was added in December. All three are developmental players. Jones has expressed good speed, Fleming has shown he can win on deep balls, and Davis brings intriguing size at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds.

Still incredibly strong at the top, the Vikings are a little thinner at receiver after Las Vegas scooped up Jalen Nailor in free agency. Nailor had ascended as a reliable WR3 and played a versatile role, aligning in the slot as well as on the outside. In 2024-25, he caught 57 of 95 targets (60%) for 858 yards and 10 TDs.

Keep an eye on

Minnesota's quarterback competition between 2019 No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray, the Vikings most prominent signing in 2026 free agency, and 2024 No. 10 selection J.J. McCarthy, who has been limited to 10 games through two seasons and was the highest drafted passer in franchise history, carries implications. The two-time Pro Bowler Murray is playing on a 1-year contract; McCarthy was supposed to be the face of the team and still could be in the long term, but he will be pushed to develop and perform in the short term. The Vikings also brought back Carson Wentz, who played in five games last season, and 2025 undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is also on the roster.

Expert Rankings

While Minnesota isn't desperate to acquire more receivers (even after losing Nailor to the Raiders), it can be wise to stack the room when it wants to rather than the opposite. Since the Vikings have not been forecast often to utilize their first-round pick on a receiver, we steered clear of the six players mentioned the most as potential first-rounders and have provided snapshots of 13 other players who offer variety at the position.

To support the case of each one, we've included where they appear in Dane Brugler's positional ranking in his comprehensive draft guide at The Athletic called "The Beast." Also, we are sharing the grade given to each prospect by NFL draft evaluator Lance Zierlein, who releases detailed scouting reports annually.

Here's a breakdown of Zierlein's grading system, which differs from the one he used pre-2014:

• 8.0: The perfect prospect
• 7.3-7.5: Perennial All-Pro
• 7.0-7.1: Pro Bowl talent
• 6.7-6.9: Year 1 starter
• 6.5-6.6: Boom-or-bust potential
• 6.40-6.49: Will become good starter within two years
• 6.30-6.39: Will eventually be plus starter
• 6.20-6.29: Will eventually be average starter
• 6.10-6.19: Good backup with the potential to develop into starter
• 6.0-6.09: Traits or talent to be above-average backup
• 5.80-5.99: Average backup or special-teamer
• 5.60-5.69: Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad
• 5.50-5.59: Priority undrafted free agent

Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).

Chris Bell

School: Louisville | Age: 21 | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 222 pounds

2025 stats: 72 catches, 917 yards (12.7 avg.), six touchdowns

Career: 151 catches, 2,166 yards (14.3 avg.), 12 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR8

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.24

Back-to-back-to-back: Before suffering a torn ACL in late November, Bell had defenses on their backs gasping for air. During a three-week stretch (Sept. 27-Oct. 17), he snatched 31 passes for 441 yards and five touchdowns. He was the only player last year with at least nine catches and 135-plus yards in three consecutive games; Lemon and San Jose State's Danny Scudero enjoyed three also, except not in a row.

Skyler Bell

School: Connecticut (after Wisconsin) | Age: 23 | Ht: 6-foot | Wt: 192 pounds

2025 stats: 101 catches, 1,278 yards (12.7 avg.), 13 touchdowns

Career: 220 catches, 2,893 yards (13.2 avg.), 24 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR19

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.31

Answering the bell: Two stunning campaigns at Connecticut were punctuated with Bell earning consensus All-American recognition in 2025. The only players with as many or more performances of 125-plus yards receiving since 2024 — Bell managed seven, including five last season — were Lemon, who had seven, too, and former Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., who had eight in 2024 alone.

Germie Bernard

School: Alabama (after Michigan State and Washington) | Age: 22 | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 206 pounds

2025 stats: 64 catches, 862 yards (13.5 avg.), seven touchdowns

Career: 155 catches, 2,203 yards (14.2 avg.), 13 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR7

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.29

Some kind of streak: Bernard was unable to replicate the 146-yard effort he put forth in Alabama's opener at Florida State — his top yardage after that in 2025 was 82 in the Crimson Tide's fifth game — but he relished an extraordinary streak of catches, grabbing three or more in 18 consecutive games dating to Nov. 16, 2024. Bernard totaled 25 such games in those seasons. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, who has been projected as a top receiving talent ever since he debuted (he's not eligible for the draft until 2027), is the only player in the country with more three-piece deliveries than Bernard in that span.

Zachariah Branch

School: Georgia (after USC) | Age: 22 | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 177 pounds

2025 stats: 81 catches, 811 yards (10.0 avg.), six touchdowns; 15 punt returns, 12.0 avg.; 10 kickoff returns, 20.5 avg.

Career: 159 catches, 1,634 yards (10.3 avg.), nine touchdowns; 44 punt returns, 13.3 avg., touchdown; 39 kickoff returns, 19.3 avg., touchdown

Dane Brugler rank: WR14

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.32

Screen machine: Branch had more catches in one season on the Bulldogs than two on the Trojans (78). The craziest part of his breakout is he made virtually half of his grabs (40) behind the line of scrimmage, according to Pro Football Focus. Branch was targeted deep (20-plus yards) six times in 2025; 11 times in medium range (10-19 yards); 19 times between 0 and 9 yards; and a whopping 42 times on his own side.

Chris Brazzell II

School: Tennessee (after Tulane) | Age: 22 | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 198 pounds

2025 stats: 62 catches, 1,017 yards (16.4 avg.), nine touchdowns

Career: 136 catches, 2,072 yards (15.2 avg.), 16 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR17

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.36

Likened to a rival: Zierlein compared Brazzell to Packers long-limbed and dangerously fast wideout Christian Watson, whom Green Bay drafted 34^th overall in 2022. Basically the antithesis of Branch (the previous prospect), the Volunteers burner was targeted deep 23 times in 2025 and earned a 99.0 receiving grade from PFF at that depth. Brazzell nabbed 13 of those looks for 509 yards (39.2 avg.) and six TDs.

Jeff Caldwell

School: Cincinnati (after Lindenwood) | Age: 25 | Ht: 6-foot-5 | Wt: 216 pounds

2025 stats: 32 catches, 478 yards (14.9 avg.), six touchdowns

Career: 125 catches, 2,250 yards (18.0 avg.), 29 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR26

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.00

Monster measurables: Caldwell clocked the quickest 10-yard split (1.48 seconds) in the 40-yard dash at this year's combine, in addition to the fifth-fastest 40 overall (4.31), as well as a Top 10 vertical (42 inches) and the third-best broad jump (11' 2"). Size like Caldwell's typically does not move so effortlessly. His 10.00 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), scaled to a possible 10.00, is the No. 3 mark by a WR out of 4,188 tested from 1987 to 2026 (Calvin Johnson is the gold standard, by the way). That could help make up for the fact that Caldwell played a single Division-I season.

Malachi Fields

School: Notre Dame (after Virginia) | Age: 23 | Ht: 6-foot-4 1/2 | Wt: 218 pounds

2025 stats: 36 catches, 630 yards (17.5 avg.), five touchdowns

Career: 165 catches, 2,479 yards (15.0 avg.), 16 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR9

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.29

Senior Bowl standout: We were on hand in Mobile to witness the Play of the Week by anyone when Fields sprinted past the secondary and fully stretched out to make an over-the-shoulder catch that highlighted his body control and concentration. Although Fields lost a little steam when he ran the 40 in 4.61 seconds at the combine, he had a solid vertical jump (38 inches), and he displayed above-average change of direction, particularly for someone as tall as him, with a 3-cone time under seven seconds.

Ted Hurst

School: Georgia State (after Valdosta State) | Age: 21 | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 206 pounds

2025 stats: 71 catches, 1,004 yards (14.1 avg.), six touchdowns

Career: 187 catches, 2,992 yards (16.0 avg.), 25 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR13

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.19

Top o' the conference: Hurst fared second in the Sun Belt with 1,965 receiving yards and 127 catches since 2024 (Corey Rucker tallied 2,085 on 144 for Arkansas State), and he led the conference with 15 TD receptions in that time. His production plus his athleticism — e.g. his 4.42 40-yard dash and 11-foot-3 broad jump at the combine — make him a tantalizing prospect whose biggest question marks are tied to his college competition.

Bryce Lance

School: North Dakota State | Age: 23 | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 204 pounds

2025 stats: 51 catches, 1,079 yards (21.2 avg.), eight touchdowns

Career: 127 catches, 2,157 yards (17.0 avg.), 25 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR16

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.17

Family ties: Recognize the name … and the program? Lance is the younger brother of Marshall, Minnesota, native, and current Chargers backup quarterback Trey Lance, who was taken by San Francisco with the 3^rd overall pick in the 2021 draft after he led the Bison to the 2019 Division-I FCS Championship as a freshman. The pass-catching Lance is a deep-ball and run-after-the-catch specialist, with 4.3 speed and huge hops.

Elijah Sarratt

School: Indiana (after Saint Francis and James Madison) | Age: 22 | Ht: 6-foot-2 1/2 | Wt: 210 pounds

2025 stats: 65 catches, 830 yards (12.8 avg.), 15 touchdowns

Career: 242 catches, 3,678 yards (15.2 avg.), 44 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR12

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.22

Duck hunter: Sarratt finished as the FBS TD catches leader in 2025 and did some of his dandiest work against Oregon, initially making eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in Indiana's early October upset of the then-No. 3 ranked Ducks, and then lighting them up for 7-75-2 as the Hoosiers boat raced their Big Ten brethren in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Sarratt's first performance was the second-most receiving yards surrendered to someone by Oregon in '25, after USC's Tanook Hines (141).

De’Zhaun Stribling

School: Mississippi (after Washington State and Oklahoma State) | Age: 23 | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 207 pounds

2025 stats: 55 catches, 811 yards (14.7 avg.), six touchdowns

Career: 216 catches, 2,964 yards (13.7 avg.), 23 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR11

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.25

Do you remember?: Several years before Stribling was instrumental to the Rebels advancing to the Fiesta Bowl and the cusp of the National Championship Game (they fell to runner-up Miami 31-27), he was the favorite target of 2025 No. 1 overall selection Cam Ward at Washington State. In the 2022 slate, Stribling and Ward synced on 51 passes, resulting in Stribling's first of three seasons eclipsing 50 catches.

Brenen Thompson

School: Mississippi State (after Texas and Oklahoma) | Age: 22 | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 164 pounds

2025 stats: 57 catches, 1,054 yards (18.5 avg.), six touchdowns

Career: 84 catches, 1,557 yards (18.5 avg.), 10 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR15

Lance Zierlein grade: 5.89

Catch him if you can (you probably can't): Zierlein described Thompson as wearing "rocket boosters in his shoes." Brugler said he has legit "see-ya" speed. Thompson challenged the all-time 40-yard dash record in Indianapolis, blazing a 4.26 (Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy bears the torch at 4.21). His speed, alas, translated to the field in 2025, after never recording 20 catches or 250 yards in a season. His average depth of target of 18.4 yards was second to WR Kam Perry (18.6) among players targeted 75-plus times.

Antonio Williams

School: Clemson | Age: 21 | Ht: 5-foot-11 1/2 | Wt: 187 pounds

2025 stats: 55 catches, 604 yards (11.0 avg.), four touchdowns

Career: 208 catches, 2,336 yards (11.2 avg.), 21 touchdowns

Dane Brugler rank: WR10

Lance Zierlein grade: 6.26

Punt return, pass, catch competition: Williams obviously has receiver chops, but he also has extensively returned punts, averaging 9.0 yards per return on 39 chances at Clemson. And he was a perfect passer! Williams nailed all four of his attempts as a gadget quarterback, netting 143 yards and two touchdowns.

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