🏈 Who Will Be the First Wide Receiver Drafted? 2026 NFL Draft Odds & Predictions

Wide receiver is one of the strongest positions in the 2026 NFL Draft, but who will be the first wide receiver drafted?

Without a Ja'Marr Chase-level wide receiver prospect in the class, there's been plenty of speculation among those making 2026 NFL Draft predictions about which wide receiver will hear his name called first in the first round on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/NFL Network).  

With Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon being the biggest favorites to be the first wide receiver drafted, according to prediction market apps, I broke down each prospect and predicted who will come off the board first in Pittsburgh.

📈 First wide receiver drafted: 2026 NFL Draft odds

Prediction market via Kalshi. You can use our Kalshi promo code for a $10 bonus by signing up today. Market subject to change.  

🔝 Top wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft

Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Ohio State has become a wide receiver factory, with all six wide receivers it has had drafted since 2022 going in the first round. Tate will be next, with his big-play ability and knack for winning contested catches downfield. He's an easy player to fall for in a class that lacks a clear-cut top wide receiver.

While there are questions regarding his speed (4.53 40-yard dash), Tate plays like a bigger version of DeVonta Smith. He has elite ball skills and tracking ability, thanks in part to massive hands that are in the 94th percentile (10 1/4"), and had the best drop rate in the country in 2025 (0%) and the best contested catch rate among players with double-digit contested targets (85.7%).

While size (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) and explosiveness cap his ceiling to some degree, Tate's fluidity and body control make him an ideal starting Z-wide receiver in the NFL.

➡️ Carnell Tate draft profile: Scouting report, team prediction & draft odds

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Coming into the 2025 season, Tyson looked like he would separate himself as the top wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, injuries derailed his final season with the Sun Devils, and for the fourth time in four years, he missed games due to injury.

While Tyson played just 33 games across his four seasons of college football, when he was on the field, it was clear he had the traits to be an impact player in the NFL. At 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, Tyson's release package and route-running are impressive. His lateral quickness and ability to get in and out of breaks make up for him not being a speed demon, and he knows how to weaponize his stem to win leverage.

Although injuries are a red flag, Tyson has the makeup of a chain-moving wide receiver in the NFL with a skill set similar to Amari Cooper. 

➡️ Jordyn Tyson draft profile: Scouting report, team prediction & draft odds

Makai Lemon, USC

Lemon is set to become the third straight Biletnikoff Award winner, given out annually to the best wide receiver in college football, to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and the seventh in the last eight years. And while he lacks size (5-foot-11, 192 pounds) and speed (4.50 40-yard dash), he won the Biletnikoff because of his ball skills and crafty route running. 

With just a 2.2% drop rate the past two seasons and a 71.4% contested-catch rate in 2025, Lemon caught nearly everything thrown in his vicinity. His hand-eye coordination and body control jump off the tape, and he's an underrated player after the catch who can create YAC.

But it's his route-running that makes him a high-floor prospect ... he's an expert with his route tempo and stem work, and he's elite at finding holes in zone coverage. Lemon is a plug-and-play slot.

➡️ Makai Lemon draft profile: Scouting report, team prediction & draft odds

🔮 Who will be the first wide receiver drafted?

Carnell Tate, Ohio State (64%)

Despite the recent increase in Tyson's top-10 buzz, I would be shocked if Tate isn't the first wide receiver drafted on Thursday night. He's the easiest of the three wide receivers to project to the NFL, with Tyson's injury history and Lemon's lack of production outside of the slot.

While Tate wasn't as productive as Tyson or Lemon at their peaks, he was also sharing targets with Jeremiah Smith, a projected top-three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Tate still managed to be one of only 15 wide receivers with 1,600-plus receiving yards and 13-plus receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons while never being the No. 1 option. Plus, he was one of just six Power Four wide receivers to average three-plus yards per route run in 2025.

With so many teams picking in the top half of the draft needing wide receiver help, I don't expect Tate to go any later than No. 8 to the New Orleans Saints.