NFL draft WR boom talk
Mock-draft fever is centered on wide receivers — ESPN projects another rookie WR could top 1,000 yards after last year’s Tetairoa McMillan season, with prospects like Makai Lemon (projected to pair with Jayden Daniels) and Dillon Thieneman rising into top-10 conversations. Expect Myles Garrett’s name to keep surfacing in trade speculation and the Bills to target defensive help in draft plans (profootballnetwork.com) (billswire.usatoday.com) (atozsports.com).
Tetairoa McMillan finished his 2025 rookie season with 70 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns across 17 games. (espn.com: ) McMillan swept rookie honors — he was voted the 2025 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year at NFL Honors and also won PFWA rookie/offensive rookie awards. (nfl.com: ) (profootballwriters.org: ) Rookie 1,000-yard receiving seasons have appeared in successive recent years — Puka Nacua totaled 1,486 yards in 2023, Malik Nabers had 1,204 in 2024, and McMillan logged 1,014 in 2025 — underscoring why draft analysts expect another rookie WR to reach the mark. (statmuse.com: ) USC’s Makai Lemon posted 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025 and has worked out for multiple NFL teams in March, including meetings with the Saints, Commanders and Titans. (espn.com: ) (profootballrumors.com: ) Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman transferred from Purdue, compiled heavy tackle totals across his college career, earned high-level All-America/All‑conference attention, and entered 2026 draft boards as a Day 1/early Day 2 safety prospect. (purduesports.com: ) (oregonlive.com: ) Trade chatter around Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett intensified after Cleveland amended his contract’s option-bonus timing—moving trigger dates to within seven days of the regular season—prompting analysts to list Garrett as a plausible name in offseason trade scenarios. (cbssports.com: ) (profootballnetwork.com: ) Multiple mock-draft outlets are projecting the Buffalo Bills to prioritize defensive additions at No. 26 in April’s draft, with recent mocks specifically linking Buffalo to edge/defensive-front prospects such as Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. (billswire.usatoday.com: ) (buffalobills.com: )
