Is There a WR1? Scouting 2026 Rookie WRs with Jeff Bell

Is there a true WR1 in the 2026 rookie class?

While Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiah Love, and Kenyon Sadiq have separated at their positions, the wide receiver group feels murkier. Is that a weakness — or an opportunity?

Jeff Bell of Footballguys joins Dynasty Compass to break down the 2026 rookie wide receiver class, from the top tier (Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson) to late-round dynasty dart throws to the feel-good story of the draft.

We also discuss rookie draft tiers, landing spot volatility, positional evolution in the NFL, and how dynasty managers should approach mid-first-round picks in this class.

If you're holding 1.03 through 1.10, this one’s for you.

Topics Include

• 2026 Rookie WR Tier Breakdown
• What Makes an Elite WR Prospect
• How Landing Spot Changes Dynasty Value
• Trading Around Rookie Draft Tiers
• The Shrinking Slot Role in the NFL
• Late-Round WR Targets with Upside
• The Tyren Montgomery Story

Chapters / Timestamps

0:00 - Is There a Clear WR1?
2:20 - Jeff Bell's Rookie Evaluation Process
7:20 - What "Problem-Solving" Looks Like for WRs
9:40 - Red Flags for Rookie WRs
12:00 - Is This Truly a Weak Class?
14:57 - Where Do Rookie WR Tiers Break?
17:13 - What to Do With Mid- to Late 1st Rounders
19:32 - Top Tier: Lemon, Tate, Tyson
22:03 - Gaps Between Top Tiers
24:18 - Best Landing Spots for Top WRs
29:05 - Late 1st/Early 2nd Round Targets
33:38 - The Biggest Question Mark
36:48 - Scouting Film vs Spreadsheets
38:48 - The Best Story in the Draft
44:32 - Third Rounders with First-Round Upside
47:02 - Bonding Over Deep Dynasty Waivers

Related Episodes

• Episode 21 – Scouting Rookie RBs with Dave Kluge
• Episode 22 – Scouting Rookie QBs & TEs with Mike Kashuba
• Episode 12 – Draft Picks: The Currency of Dynasty

Links Mentioned

• Footballguys Rookie Guide
• Dynasty Waivers of the Future (Footballguys)
• Jeff's Dynasty Rankings
• dynastycompass.com

Support the Show

If you’re enjoying Dynasty Compass:

• Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
• Share the show with a dynasty league mate
• Visit dynastycompass.com for more strategy

Transcript

Is There a WR1? Scouting Rookie WRs with Jeff Bell

Blaylock: As we're looking at the 2026 rookie class. There is a clear QB1, Fernando Mendoza, a clear RB1, Jeremiah love and a clear TE1, Kenyon Sadiq. But is there a clear WR1? Is there even a clear top wide receiver tier? Jeff Bell from Footballguys is joining me today to talk about that and what dynasty managers should do with the draft picks they have in the first round and beyond. Next on Dynasty Compass.

[Theme Music]

Blaylock: Welcome to Dynasty Compass. I am your host, Jeff Blaylock, the other Jeff B from Footballguys, and I am thrilled to have today The reason why I am the other Jeff. B. This is Jeff Bell in the other box, for those of you listening, and my guest today, he is the original Jeff B at Footballguys.

And so now both of us are together. Jeff Bell, thanks so much for joining and welcome to Dynasty Compass.

Bell: You know, Jeff Hive. We, we are one, we are all, all in. There is no other Jeffs, we're all part of the hive. So it's great to be able to record here with you and, and thrilled that you reached out, and definitely happy to jump on and start to talk about this 2026 rookie class.

Blaylock: Yeah. The, uh, Footballguys Rookie Guide just came out, uh, a few days ago. That was, uh, a lot of work. It's very clear that you guys worked very hard on that. So, you know, what goes into creating something like that, and how much of your life has it consumed since the beginning of the year?

Bell: You know, I would say the entire, but at the same time, uh, we're stepping into, I'm a CPA and we're starting to get pretty busy at work. So like, it wasn't even my whole, it was a lot though. And it's really interesting. This is my, this is at least my fourth year, if not my fifth year, but I think it's my fourth year.

Eh, it's one of those, um, doing this and. Really just kind of the way that we've built it over the years has really changed dramatically in terms of, um, when we first started doing it, we were building it in Canva and so like a lot of the like moving things around and like doing all the, the player blurbs and, and pulling all the information and, and it was a lot more of a manual process on that.

And now it's a lot more, uh, streamlined and we're kind of, we create player cards on base camp. We just do our write up. And, and so my job has gotten in that regard, has gotten a lot easier because I, I mean, our amazing graphics we're able to pull it together and we're really thrilled with the product this year.

But as part of that, my responsibility has shifted. Now I'm responsible for the player pool that we're, like the entire player pool that we're actually writing up. And, uh, one of the, I I've joked with, uh, my friend Matt Waldman before about how, um, his editors have like, ask him of like, like, just go off the list.

Like, why don't you, and like, there's no list. So there's no list at all. And so you really end up feeling like almost like an NFL area scout or like you're just trying to, uh, build the list. And so like that's, that's one of my biggest stress points now of like I've done, I do the wide receivers and so we have 57 wide receivers in the guide this year.

But also just viewing the whole player pool and balancing that against, there's only so much time in the world and people probably don't need to read 212 profiles if we even had the availability to do it. When you break down, it ends up being like 12 quarterbacks get drafted and like about 32 wide receivers, about 23 running backs.

What you're starting from before even we have the NFL combine process, and so it's just a blank slate of where you're gonna go with it and, and so I think that that's one of the biggest consuming things is just the stressing out about missing a guy.

Blaylock: Well, I mean, clearly you struggled with this 'cause you only found 157 guys to profile this year. So,

Bell: And I cut, I cut like 75. I cut like 25 guys down. Like in the last week there was some messages behind the scenes of like, Hey, where are we going with this? And so there was about about 30 players that got the ax at the end.

Blaylock: yeah. So while you guys have been working on that, I've been working on dynasty projections and I look at some of these names and I go, "Who, who were these guys?" 

So, so we've talked about how you, how you come up with names out of nowhere because there is no list. But what is your process for evaluating rookies once you have, once you've given yourself the name that you're gonna chase today, what's, what do you, how do you go about that?

Bell: Yeah, one of the, so this is my fourth year doing wide receivers and being able to just go really deep into wide receivers. And one of the things that I always really value and keep in mind, Bucky Brooks is somebody that I really appreciate, and Bucky talks a lot about the scouting process, and we talks about wide receivers.

He always talks about building a basketball team. And so like you're looking for players that have complimentary skill sets. And so I'm looking for, I'm looking for players with complimentary skill sets, but how do I project them into actual NFL roles? And so that's where you're looking for a guy that can.

Um, kind of if you like, put it in your mind of like, have the guy that can win vertically or the guy that can win in the short and intermediate areas. Then you get like the, the all star scorer that can just do everything is like the Malik Nabers type of a player. It doesn't really matter. And so with the process is, I'm always trying to keep in mind of what can a player do, what can he do as opposed to like, what can't he do. What's the negatives in his game? What can he do that provides a potential path to an NFL roster? Once he makes an NFL roster, what can he do? 

I view it in tiers of like, there's, there's making the roster and then there's getting onto the field, and then there's actually being in a position to get the ball and, and to be able, and so like trying to identify what a player can do, how can he build that path out and what does that path look like for these players? What skill sets do they offer?

Blaylock: So when you're, when you're doing these evaluations and you're, you're looking at those kinds of traits and, and perhaps you're also looking at, at video or film, so us older guys call it film, of the guys who, who you're, who you're scouting, what, what, out of all of that just screams to you that this guy has 'it.'

He has got what it's gonna take to see the field, to get the ball to potentially become, you know, a, a top tier starter, or at least have a really long, productive career in starting lineups for dynasty managers for years to come.

Bell: Yeah. So I realize I, I am, I am infamous about not actually answering the question. And so, um, the, you talk about process of evaluating players. So I, I watch everything I can find. It is basically

Blaylock: Okay.

Bell: it. And, and so, uh, caddy's, cutups on is one that I really like for all 22, but I watch everything that I can find.

You get into this like a Tyren Montgomery, like I'm watching like huddles and they're like anything that I can find to be able to watch players. And so my process is basically scouring the webs and, and everything possible to be able to find anything that I can see players is where a lot of my process ends up landing on.

But uh, now when I'm doing that, what screams that he has 'it?' Um, I, I think it's the ability to, and really just probably in anything in life that you're looking for, but somebody that can solve problems. And I think that if you're thinking about somebody that can solve problems of, like, if, it doesn't matter if you're, if you're hiring an accountant or if you're hiring somebody in, um, you know, crisis management, if they can solve problems that they bring that skillset.

And so when I'm looking for a guy that has 'it,' the, the ability to solve problems, the ability to — Everybody in that game plan knows exactly what this guy is going to do, and he still just does it. And so just seeing that and seeing like, like players, one of the things, especially wide receivers, but um, the ability to erase angles is, I think is so fascinating.

I was just a interesting concept and I, I vividly remember Ted Ginn. So Ted Ginn, his very first time he touched the ball at Ohio State was on a punt return and it was against Michigan State and. He took it to the house and it was like, like guys were like, you could just tell like, this guy knows this angle because he's done this hundreds of times in, in high school and by the time he gets to the spot he thinks he needs to be at, Ted Ginn is 15 yards downfield. 

And so like seeing like that ability of like, basically to just put players that, you know, they've repped it out, they know what they're supposed to do and you still put them in bad positions or the, the defense might throw something at you that is specifically designed to stop this, but you still solve that problem.

And I think that just in general, and you look at high level athletes that have more, more ways to solve a problem, like Josh, Josh Allen can solve a lot of problems where Josh Allen can use his physicality, keep plays alive. He uses his past strength and, and whereas Bryce Young, his problem solving might be a little bit more limited on what, um, the, those tight windows are some of those things that Bryce Young's able to do. And so I think that looking for the ability to solve, uh, the most problems possible.

Blaylock: I know you didn't wanna highlight, uh, negatives that, that this is really more of a pursuit of positives, but there, at least with the top talents, there has to be some red flags that you also see that say, you know, this one, let's pump the brakes on the hype train for this guy just a little bit. What would some of those be that you see?

Bell: Uh, probably especially at wide receiver, uh, I, Dont'e Thornton probably doesn't deserve this, but I've, I've started calling it Dont'e Thornton package basically of like, when you see. A guy that, so like Dont'e Thornton, when I watched the Tennessee film, it was like, the stats were cool because he would have like a lot of explosive touchdowns, but literally everything was just run a straight line down the field fast or catch a wide receiver screen and some poor UAB defensive back would break a tackle and Dont'e Thornton would run 75 yards for a touchdown.

And, and so just like, like very, very limited on. What a player is offering and really kind of when you're looking at it holistically, when you're looking at. Again, like the, the basketball team. So if you're looking at the concept of a basketball team, like there's, there's some players that their, their job is to have the ball and put the ball in the basket.

And there are other players whose job is to allow the player to put the ball in the basket. There's a guy that is a screener. There's a guy that is gonna stand in the corner and sure he can shoot threes, but he's only gonna stand in the corner. Or like, like players that very, very limited of when you're looking at.

How you would scheme out an offense. And, um, again, the antithesis of like talking about a player that can solve a lot of problems of, uh, really just offering. It very clearly looks like they're going to be a supporting player. Like they, they can definitely be on the field. 

And we, in dynasty space, it's the roster cloggers where it's those guys that, um, we, we know the high snap guys that don't necessarily turn into the high, um, you know, high usage guys. And so just kind of those guys that maybe look a little bit more like window dressing.

Blaylock: Yeah, I mean there's certainly a future being some teams WR3, but that's not really, uh, not really an asset from a dynasty standpoint to have somebody stand out there and run 45 routes and be thrown to once.

Bell: exactly. Yeah. It is a lot of good blockers and a lot of guys that can run fast down a straight line and, and maybe they'll be forgotten about occasionally, but for the most part, uh, they're not gonna be schemed into what's going on.

Blaylock: Yeah, so as we're looking kind of at this, this draft class overall, and, and you know, I've been hearing and, and thought this myself, that this class as a whole is maybe not as strong as others that we've seen. Maybe not as strong as the one that's coming up, but there does seem to be. Some depth at the wide receiver position, and maybe it's a little bit stronger there.

So how would you rank this 2026 rookie wide receiver class against some of the recent ones we've had and, and potentially the one that's coming next year in 2027?

Bell: I think it's, um, so we are looking at just specifically receivers. Um, I tend to think the class is be a little bit better than it's given credit. I don't know that we have, I think that when you talk about a weak class, you can be talking about a couple different things you, but I think when you say it's a week class.

Really it's a weak class because there's, there's no Ja'marr Chase, there's no Jeremiah Smith. And I mean, having Jeremiah, Jeremiah Smith make next makes it even more glaring. And, and to me, a lot of this class just maybe holistically reminds me a lot of 2022 and, and it's not quite there of like, we actually have a quarterback.

We didn't have a quarterback in 2022, but like Breece Hall, we knew Breece Hall was pretty good, but also Bijan coming next year. And so it's like one of those things, or like the receivers are, are pretty solid, but at the same time, Ja'Marr Chase was just last year and now you're just telling me, we just have Garrett Wilson.

So it's like one of those things of like, like the context that as you're looking around it, but. Really to break it down and dig into it. I mean, we, we feel pretty comfortable that a quarterback can go one in the class. There's a wide, there's a running back that we feel has a chance to go top 10 in the class, which is relatively rare.

There's three wide receivers, I think feel, we feel like should be off the board in the first half of the draft. And I mean the, the 2023 draft with the Jaxon Smith-Njigba class, no wide receivers went off the board until late in the teens. And so I think that when you, a lot of the talk about it being a weak class is like.

Everybody's just ready for this 2027 class. And so, I mean, that's part of the context on it, but, um, I, I think it's a little bit better than maybe giving credit, but the 2022 kind of sticks in my mind where we're like, you get Garrett Wilson, you get Chris Olave, you get Breece Hall. Like Garrett, there's probably guys in this class, but I understand you had Ja'Marr Chase the year before and the year after you had Bijan, so.

Blaylock: Yeah, when you, when you're looking and you've already kind of identified you, you've got Mendoza who's, who's likely the 1.01, unless something, uh, really uncanny happens. You mentioned, without naming him, Jeremiah Love, who I believe is that running back, that's, uh, that is top 10 worthy. You've got some wide receivers. 

If, if you're thinking about a 12-team dynasty league and you're thinking about what that first round looks like, you know, in many years we see kind of five to six to eight players kind of clustered toward the top, and then there's a drop off at that point.

Where do you, where do you see that drop off in this year's class? Is it after Jeremiah Love at two? Is it down among this first group of receivers? Does it include Sadiq? Where do you kind of put that, that cliff. where there's a drop off in talent that's very noticeable between the early picks and the later picks?

Bell: I think you're feeling pretty good if you have one of the first two picks in the draft. I think you're feeling okay if you have the first five picks in the draft of like basically three to five, and then probably six to eight, you're probably hoping you see something that makes you feel better about having the number six pick is probably where we're landing right now as you really kind of slice it all up.

I think that you're gonna see, I mean, I think you could have Jeremiah Love or Fernando Mendoza as the the 1.01. And the other guy obviously being the 1.02. And then you probably put the three wide receivers with Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson in some order next to that, then you're probably looking at, in my mind, you're looking at uh, Sadiq at the tight end, you're looking at KC Concepcion, you're looking at Denzel Boston.

You're looking at hoping that couple of the running backs. I think there's some interesting running backs about six or seven interesting running backs behind Love that you're hoping they land into spots where you feel pretty good about them. And so that's where you get to about eight or nine players and and separating around two, around five, and then probably that eight or nine, so

Blaylock: Okay. How many, uh, how many wide receivers do you see going in the first round of typical dynasty drafts this year?

Bell: I wanna say five, but I feel like six because I feel like there's gonna be, like somebody's gonna work their way in there of, um, when it comes down to it and. Really, again, as we're breaking it down, I feel really good about five here. We know there's a quarterback. We know there's at least one running back, so we're at seven now at this point.

So you're looking at five other spots. Sadiq, if he's in there too. So then you're looking at four other spots and then kind of you're counting on some of the running backs to working out. You're not, unless like we see something pop with Ty Simpson in um, or if Chambliss or somebody ends up being that second quarterback in Superflex. I have a feeling there will be a wide receiver that it makes it six.

Blaylock: What would be your advice as somebody who's got that pick immediately below that cutoff point? So pick one: 1.03, 1.06, 1.09, 1.10. Any of those particular places where you've, you've got some kind of measurable drop off and what's your advice to that person? And you may be talking to somebody who's got one or more of those picks who's dying to know what you would do with them.

Bell: I, I, so one of my favorite dynasty minds, uh, is, is Leo Paciga. I think is really, uh, one of my favorite dynasty minds. And Leo is always talking about playing who's in your leagues and, if you're below those tiers, it really, I think timing is big on how much does it cost to move up to those tiers. Like how, basically how plugged in are your league mates?

Are you able to do the little incremental move that gets you into that tier, especially early in the game. As you get closer to the draft, I think you get some pretty rigid consensus locked in on what those actual tiers are. I think that basically. If you're able to play it, you know, your league and you're able to give up minimal amounts to be able to step into those tiers, absolutely do it. I think it's worth doing it. 

I tend to think that we get way, way too warped onto consensus mind on where those tiers actually land, and it ends up being, um, probably beneficial to move out of those tiers at some level. When, you know, when people are ready to give, uh, they're sitting there with the, the 1.06, and they're just desperate to get one of those three wide receivers and they'll give you a future first.

And, um, probably at that level it might be worth just taking KC Concepcion and a future first then, as opposed to, uh, you know, being absolutely convinced that it's gonna be Jordyn Tyson is the dude. Like, and so I think that kind of like, that's where I view that on, you know, is it, is it you're early enough in the game where the incremental movement isn't really gonna affect you too much?

Or is it later in the game where you are locked in on these are the eight players in the draft and everybody else is trash.

Blaylock: Well, let's hope it's not quite that bad, but it, but it, it may be this year. So we've talked a little bit, we've already talked a little bit about the consensus RB1, QB1, and TE1, in, in that being Love, Mendoza and Sadiq, respectively. 

But there doesn't seem to be as much consensus on what the WR1 is, but there do seem to be three or so that have kind of separated themselves a little bit early on in this process. Did do any of you know Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson—I believe those are your top three, although that may not be the right order, that that you have them in.

Bell: That's, that's the right order, so you got it.

Blaylock: Wonderful. Do any one of them kind of stand out above the others, or are they more kind of an interchangeable group of three people that, you know, if you had, say the fifth overall pick, you're content with whichever one of those three falls to you and, and that's that.

Bell: I, I'm definitely content at this point in time. If, um, if I've got the lower pick, especially if I'm able to, uh, move something to have the lower pick, um, I do have Lemon first just because I think his game. Not, he doesn't really have the injury concerns that Jordyn Tyson has kind of looked at. And then I think his game profiles a little bit more, as I'm thinking in my mind of like half PPR or PPR scoring plays in a little bit more, I think, maybe than Tate's does.

And so that's where this differentiating factor; that said, I think that the only opinion that I think that I'm absolutely convinced is wrong is being steadfast that one of these guys is the clear number one, because I think that, I think landing spot is really gonna matter on deciding, uh, where this breaks down.

I mean, one of these guys ends up as, um, you know, attached to like Jayden Daniels or something like that. And you feel great about that versus another guys playing with Kenny Pickett. I mean, it, it's, it's, I think it's silly to, um, like really plant a flag and then. And then like, not move because you've decided that this guy is your wide receiver one.

And it doesn't matter if he's playing with, um, the, the ghost of whoever. I don't know, like

Blaylock: Yeah. I mean, I, I would imagine that someone like Mendoza is still going to be the QB1, even if for some reason he winds up in, in the Jets instead of with the Raiders. I don't think that there's any, any reason anybody else would vault ahead of him, uh, in the order. But it sounds like with these three, they, their, their pole positions could change quite a bit.

Now, I believe you've got KC Concepcion next, and you've, you've already mentioned him once and how. You know, as of this moment, what's, what's the, what's the delta, the the, what's the gap between him and those, those top three guys that you just mentioned?

Bell: I mean, I already kind of said with the tiers that I don't know that it's not quite as wide as we've decided, like consensus. Um, and, and again, that's, that's kind of, uh. I do feel like we see these players sometimes that we decide are, there's a massive gap and, and then the draft actually comes and, uh, Jordyn Tyson's the fourth receiver off the board and you're like, well, we, what do we do this now?

Like, so I think that that's, um, I think that him and Boston are definitely gonna be in the conversation there in the, the mid to late first round. And I think the other three are gonna be kind of more the mid to early first round conversations. So, uh, again. You're still getting a first round wide receiver out of this.

I, I do believe. And so, um, overall it doesn't really hold up as quite as well as it did last year, but like, I know last off season was thinking a lot about like Rome Odunze and Brian Thomas Jr. And about how like, you know, you, you, you probably didn't feel too, too bad about if you ended up with Brian Thomas Jr. instead of Rome Odunze. 

You might, people might feel a little bit different now, but I think overall, um. You tend to do, tend to see that. And, and another, right before when I got your questions and I was going through, I was looking at old ADPs and I thought was really interesting on like a guy like, like Zay Flowers was like way behind like Quentin Johnston and Jordan Addison and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

And like now, like you, maybe you're not feeling too bad about having Zay Flowers instead of uh, maybe Jordan Addison or Quentin Johnson. So.

Blaylock: Yeah, I mean it's uh, that part of that of course is just landing spot and part of that is all sorts of other in intangibles that, that happen. I mean, landing spot does play kind of an outsized role, uh, in terms of. Success, at least immediate success for some of these players. Just as you know, draft capital of the NFL really helps to dictate who's gonna get the first playing opportunity.

So. these, of these five guys that, that we've talked about—Lemon Tate, Tyson, Concepcion, Boston—where would you, where would you put them in terms of you could just wave a magic wand over them and put them in the best possible spot. What does that look like and what does their role in that spot look like?

Bell: Can I just say Buffalo for all of them because they need a wide receiver and.

Blaylock: Yes. For, for those who are not watching on video, he has, uh, both Buffalo Bills posters behind him today. So, uh, very much a big Buffalo Bills fan. Yes. The Bills need, any or all of these guys, uh, their WR room

Bell: Yeah, I mean,

Blaylock: is, uh, is something to behold.

Bell: yeah, I, I think it's, um, man, this is a good, this is a good question so, so where are we gonna put I, you know, I actually should just look at the Footballguys Rookie Guide because, um, I did landing spots for them and where I thought, let's do that. Let's go to the Footballguys Rookie Guide, uh, where I thought would be good landing spots for these players when I actually scouted them.

So Makai Lemon, the landing spots that stood out to me. I had Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. And so I think that when you're, especially when you're looking at the Steelers and the Saints, those we know DK Metcalf and Chris Olave, the ability for those players to be vertical down the field players kind of, um, I, I view a lot of the way I view it basically thinking about like high low concepts of like.

You're as an NFL quarterback, you don't have time to stand back there and scan the whole field and be this Drew Bledsoe field general that is just like standing six foot seven in the pocket and looking all around. So it really ends up being, you're playing half the field and in that half the field, you're looking at a high low, who's, who's gonna be the high guy?

Who's gonna be the low guy? And so that's where I think having like a DK Metcalf or Chris Olave, potentially over the top with Makai Lemon. Would be a very, very fun spot there. And then, uh, the Browns kind of coming in as just desperately needing that. The lead receiver, there might be some overlap, maybe you might think with uh, um, Fannin there.

Harold Fannin Jr. At tight end, but I think Lemon can win vertically up the slot and, and play kind of inverse. Be that guy that can stretch the field there. 

Carnell Tate. So I had the Washington Commanders, the New York Jets, and the Los Angeles Rams for Carnell Tate. And really kind of, when I'm looking at these landing spots, I'm kind of feeling like where they're gonna land in the draft, what teams are in those areas.

And, and so I'm seeing Tate kind of more as, uh, the back end of the top 10 or so, or like early into, and that's where we know the Rams have that Falcons pick right there. The Jets have an extra pick. So kind of. The need, I think overall for, uh, Commanders to have a young  developmental wide receiver, um, opposite Terry McLaurin, I think maybe Shades of Brian Thomas Jr. playing with Jayden Daniels at LSU. 

If you were to put Carnell Tate there in that offense, the Jets, uh, having, they love their Ohio State players and being able to play opposite Garrett Wilson, and you can kind of invert those roles for how that works best there. The Rams to kind of project him into that Devante Adams long term player that is able to line up win at different levels.

So Jordyn Tyson. I've got Cleveland Brown, Tennessee Titans, new Orleans Saints. Again, just teams that I see massive needs picking in the top 10 ish. For wide receiver KC Concepcion, I had the Buffalo Bills, again, Cleveland Browns–They really need a wide receiver, those Cleveland Browns–and then the San Francisco 49ers for Concepcion, a team that we felt really good about the receiver depth at the 49ers like three years ago. And now we definitely do not. 

And then, uh, for Denzel Boston, I had the Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks. And so kind of, you know, local flair there potentially for Boston with Seattle, but also a big receiver are opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Baltimore, I think could definitely use a, a big receiver like Boston opposite Zay Flowers.

And then I think Buffalo could use like literally any type of wide receiver at this point.

Blaylock: Yeah. Yes. That, yes. I, I believe that that would definitely, uh, that would definitely help Josh Allen out. Uh, if he had anybody he could throw to reliably that wasn't named Khalil Shakir. 

When I looked at your personal big board a couple of days ago you had a bunch of wide receivers just kind of clustered together at the end of the first round, beginning of the second round. If we were looking at it from a dynasty 12-team draft standpoint, so how about those guys? And, you know, which ones are really exciting and, and which ones are, you know, talents there, but there's not that, maybe just not that exciting of an option for someone picking in that area of the draft.

Bell: Yeah. Um, and, and really the way that I end up doing my ranks is I, I do do a lot of grouping with my ranks and kind of have a cluster wide receivers, a cluster running backs, and kind of wait to see do players separate out of this because of landing spot or because they, where they, draft capital, like what, what the league tells you about a player does belong outside of this tier.

But otherwise, at this early part of the process, kind of a lot of clustering in the way that I, um, will group out the positions, uh, player that, I mean, I, I really love Reggie Virgil and there's not a lot of conversation about Reggie Virgil right now, but I, to me, I think he's a very, very smooth player that can, um, bring a lot of different things.

And so I think he's really, really interesting. I've got him ranked pretty high because I think the league is gonna value him. I have no idea what at all, what we have with Zachriah Branch. Um, in terms of, um, can he actually play wide receiver? Can he or he like just a straight up guy? I mean, uh, Kavontae Turpin is my, I know you're, you're a TCU guy and Kavontae Turpin is my comparison for Zachariah Branch. And I know you remember the Josh Doctson and, uh, Trevone Boykin, uh, TCU teams with Turpin, and that true freshman Turpin, just this explosive di dynamite player. And then, um, you, he, his winds and, and twists and turns throughout his life. But, uh, got it together there. So, and I know you're a Cowboys fan too, so you know, Turpin very, very well.

Blaylock: I know him. I know him very well. And I'll say as I was, I was scanning through, uh, the guide, uh, a few days ago and saw that comparison for Zacharian Branch, that comp, I'm like, oh, so gadget guy. Really fast, dynamic with the ball in his hands, but yeah.

Bell: But you, but you know, too though, like, like Turpin was a vertical guy.

Blaylock: Yeah. Oh yeah.

Bell: yeah. Like he, there was, there were some things there that he just didn't because of when. How long it took him to get really get in the league. Like basically the developmental aspect of, um, where he was as a true freshman versus, uh, kind of there of like, I mean, that ceiling was as high as anybody as a true freshman.

Blaylock: yeah. But he just struck me as, as that's not the, the sort of archetypal wide receiver that someone might be looking for. So with with Branch, uh, uh, the suggestion at least, uh, for me was that this is more of a home run hitter kind of a guy, but he's also capable of giving you a nice solid zero week in and week out.

Bell: There's that, but there's also, if you were to have 21-year-old Kavontae Turpin and the NFL team takes him at the end of the first round, it is gonna be kind of that Xavier worthy, like, let's see if we can figure something out here with this guy of, and I think that that's kind of what you're looking at with Branch.

Blaylock: Anyone else in that tier you want to highlight? Or, or even the tier right below that.

Bell: I think it's, it's so, it's so difficult. It was so difficult for me of, um, like as I'm going through and, and writing up guys, you know, it, it's, again, like that grouping, it's pretty easy for me to like, dump guys into buckets and, and feel, but then like when you've got nine guys sitting in the bucket, like to pick, to pick the next one out can be, can be pretty difficult there.

But, um, yeah, I think that the other Texas Tech guy, Caleb Douglas, I think is pretty interesting. I think I was probably a little bit too harsh on Omar Cooper Jr. On where I initially ranked him, but I think that, um, he's worth mentioning probably have a little bit more reservation than some might with Chris Bell where, um, you know, obviously the injury but also kind of was the secondary receiver up until he was, ended up being the senior and, and kind of that's some concern there. 

I mean, I think Chris Brazell II is like, he's another boom-bust type of a guy, and I know I've got him as my WR6. And really that breaks down on, uh, as I'm looking at that bucket of players, who do I feel like has the best chance to go in the first round? Like kind of who's, who's got that, uh, tantalizing skillset of athleticism, the ability to be an outside receiver that teams were looking for, that was the guy that there, but I think that that's a really, really boomer bust potential pick.

Blaylock: the outside receiver is an interesting point because as, as we've watched the NFL evolving into multiple TE sets, it seems like the outside guys still have lots of opportunity to eat, but the slot receivers are being squeezed out because why would you wanna throw it to a 5-foot-9, 165 pound guy when you've got a 6-foot-4, 230 pound TE with good hands that you could throw it to instead. So does that kind of a, a evolving role sort of situation, is that gonna trap any of these, you know, top 10, 12, 15 or so wide receivers and, and potentially push them into, they've gotta have the perfect system because the role that they play is slowly disappearing from the NFL

Bell: I think the guy.

Blaylock: lessened.

Bell: The guy that I'm seeing consensus sitting as a top 10 receiver that I have biggest concerns about that would be is Antonio Williams, uh, the Clemson wide receiver. I think that, um. As I'm looking at like just where the league is heading, that he seems to fit that mold of a guy that's disappearing a little bit there.

I, I do really like that point. It's something that, um, I'm seeing in the league and I think that it's something that I valued heavily as I was going through evaluating these players and looking and ranking them out of, uh, those players that. I definitely knocked players if I felt like they were more of a limited inside player, just because I just don't know.

I know like, uh, Kaden, wet, Kaden, um, Wetjen from Iowa, like a lot of people loved him, uh, at this Shrine Bowl, and he was really interesting. And my comparison to him is Wes Walker. And I think that if you were to put Kaden Wetjen, again, the absolute opposite of where he being in Iowa, if you're like a Texas tech, like I think I could see him catching 120 balls in that, like Mike Leach air raid, Mike Leach air raid offense.

Uh, but. It's like, does the NFL want that guy anymore? Or like, is that really going to be, is that role there as opposed to wanting those versatile, multiple tight end fronts and the ability to have the receivers that can play outside that you're not losing too much by, um, you're not really tipping your hand and just into a very, very specific type of skillset set.

Blaylock: Yeah. And I think there's a really good lesson in that for, for dynasty managers, which, uh, is to really look, and you mentioned it almost right off the bat in the show, is what role is this? Guy going to be able to play in the NFL before we even look at what team he might land on. What is the sort of ideal use of this person's skillset?

And if it, the, the more you get it into a narrower, a narrower box of opportunity, uh. You know, the less valuable I think that per could be. That's not to say that, you know, Antonio Williams won't be the WR1 when we redraft this five years from now, or three years from now. When we go back and redraft the rookie class, he could, everybody will end up there, but he could also end up, uh, nowhere in three years, uh, because the role plays may not be there anymore.

Bell: and I think it's really interesting because the, the. It's really, really difficult to find athletic tight ends that can be like those slot receivers because we know at the NFL level of you've got like basically a 10 year window to find these guys, and it feels like only half the league can actually find those guys.

And so the, the idea that a college programs can actually find those guys. And so I think it's, it's interest. It's a really interesting conversation to see as this evolves because in the college game. There's still an awful lot of production for like that, that, uh, slot receiver and Xavier Restrepo from Miami last year was a great example of that, of just a lot of production with Cam Ward and, um, and so as we are playing dynasty as, um, we, like there's, there's different ways to approach it. 

There's always a argument about, uh, you're, are you a film guy or are you a numbers guy? And it's like, I, I mean, like, I'd take all the inputs and I value everything, but like, I, I think that you could definitely see a potential case where, um. The, the production things that tell you, this guy's a really productive receiver might point into that archetype that doesn't exactly get valued by the NFL and we, we see it. year where, like, like last year I vividly remember a guy's like Isaac TeSlaa going day two and or Chimere Dike or like, where it's like he's a, he's a twitched up guy that, uh, tested very, very well and but didn't have really the production profile. And I'd see the, the numbers guy get very, very upset. My spreadsheet tells me that he sucks and like, why are they these dumb NFL teams?

What are they doing again? But the reality of it is, is, is they're looking for the elite outcome, the highest percentage outcome, and it's a lot. Like if you're not taking that super, super twitched up guy, then you're already dealing with not the highest percentage possible outcome. Like it's, it's a lot easier to grab the 4.3 guy that is, is that looks like it can do all the things and then hope that he learns a way wide receiver as opposed to make a 4.7 guy into a 4.3 guy.

Blaylock: I say it's a lot easier to catch to teach technique than it is speed. So there, there at some point there's a, there's a

Bell: Teams love speed,

Blaylock: Lots of speed, lots and lots of speed. So, you know, I mentioned this idea of redrafting this class several years from now. Is there, aside from your top guys, is there somebody kind of in that middle of the pack who you think could end up being the guy we say, okay, that was actually the WR1 from this class.

Bell: My crazy take, my crazy, crazy take is, uh, Tyren Montgomery. I absolutely love him. Um, he, he's my favorite story in the draft by far. He, uh, I don't know, are you familiar with the story of Tyren  Montgomery, or I can share it with your viewers

Blaylock: Please go ahead.

Bell: So, so Tyren Montgomery, he walked on to LSU'S basketball team in like 2020 in like Covid. And so, uh, if you follow college sports, like walking onto a basketball team is walking onto a high level SEC basketball team is a whole lot different than walking onto a football team. Where there, there's like 13 guys on the basketball team. So like that tells you something of like the, the type of athlete, the type of ability that he has.

Uh, his mother ended up getting sick and he had to leave school. She ended up passing away, taking care of his younger brother who now is a co uh, college quarterback at, um, it's, uh, wanna say it's a school in Kentucky. I don't know for sure off the top of my head where it is. Um, so. Basically goes home, like has to leave the LSU basketball team.

He walked on, goes home, takes care of his brother, his brother's a quarterback, they're in the backyard, they're just throwing the ball around. And, and Montgomery, like any freak basketball player would be, is just playing the ball in the air and like all these things and his brother's like, you know, you really could play wide receiver.

You should definitely try this. And so he was like, sure, I'll try to do that. But he never had played wide receiver. So like trying to go to a D-1 college when you've literally never played a position. Like there's nothing that you can show coaches. And so he's making all his own videos and, and doing all these, uh, crazy things.

And it's so cool because like the videos are out there on X of these things that he made, like him just like jumping over a 55 inch bar, like clearing it like on a leap, like, and just like wild, wild, uh, athletic feats. And so he goes and he starts playing flag football. So that he can get some tape and he ends up in this big tournament in Las Vegas, ends up making the Olympic flag football team.

And so, but he couldn't go to the Olympics like this is dude, like never played by receiver before. Makes the Olympic flag football team basically and like a couple tournaments and then he couldn't play in the Olympics because he would lose his college eligibility. Gets a shot at Nicholls State, plays one year there.

First year playing wide receiver. Exhaust his eligibility at the division one level, but he was still able to play Division III. He looks and he goes around, he picks John Carroll because John Carroll. So John Carroll, if you know anything about John Carroll or the lineage, so Nick Caserio GM for the Texans went to John Carroll.

Tom Telesco GM for the Charges went to John Carroll. Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator for the Patriots went to John Carroll. Chris Shula, who was a coordinator for the Dolphins went to John Carroll. So basically Montgomery said there's a deep NFL network here. I'm gonna go to John Carroll. And then when he gets there.

It is like literally just making these D three guys look like children. Like, like just like, and that's, and you talk about like what you wanna see. Like that's what you wanna see. Like when it's a, especially when it's a D-III guy just makes these, these guys look like kids and just beasts them and then he goes and to the American Bowl.

And so one of the things that we talk about process and, and one of the things that I've learned that I've realized about the process is kind of pay attention to the NFL to NFL telling you guys that they think are good. And so the way that the, the College All-star game process kind of works. There's, um, a college Gridiron Showcase is a, a game.

There's the Hula Bowl, there's the American Bowl is new. And these kind, these games are set up before the games that we all know with the Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl because they basically end up being tryouts for guys that. Fill the end of the roster for these, the senior bowl and the Shrine Bowl.

And if you were to look back like, uh, said to Chimere Dike, or like Jalen Coker is the guy that really lit it up and and earned another opportunity. Montgomery goes out, just lights up the American Bowl, goes to earns a spot in the Senior Bowl, and then. Day one Senior Bowl practice coming out there and he's going up against, I think it was Caleb Hood is his name, from uh, I think he was like consensus number four corner in this draft right now.

And first rep just Mosses the dude. Like, this is like, I think I wanna say it's Caleb Hood. I might be wrong on the name there, but I, I'm thinking a guy, he is pretty sure he went to Texas A&M, so you're talking about like top five corner of the class played SEC and everything. And this just dude comes out of nowhere.

Mosses him and, and just lights up every single Senior Bowl practice everybody's buzzing about, uh, Tyren Montgomery at the Senior Bowl, and I think it's, it's really interesting. It's just a lot of things that I look for in a prospect and having that multi-sport background, I think it's so interesting and important that have that and, and to, to develop different skill sets.

And Stevie Johnson's a guy that. Would used to give Darrell Rivas fits and Stevie Johnson was, his background was basketball, and so basically he would just do basketball moves on Darrell Rivas and Darrell Rivas. We know obviously a hall of fame corner and like high, high technical ability, but then you get the guy that is just like, what's this guy doing?

Like, I not, he's not doing what any other receivers are doing, and so I just think it's a, just a fascinating story, fascinating human interest story and just such a complete unknown mystery box.

Blaylock: Yeah, that, that sounds, that sounds like a terrific, uh, dart throw pick for, for dynasty managers to make. If you, uh, get to that point in the draft and, and don't know exactly where you want to go to have somebody you can at least root for if nothing else. Uh, is valuable. I mean, I've said before. Say it again, that one of the keys to, to dynasty is to get round one talent with your round three rookie picks.

Uh, and we've talked about some of these guys already, uh, so you can just bring them back up or, or name a different one. But who would be kind of your, your, your favorite day two, day three NFL draft guys who you know are looking at being in that third dynasty round. That are worth the shot because they could turn into exactly that.

That kind of, I wouldn't say Puka Nacua kind of talent, but that's where he came from in, in dynasty drafts. So someone kind of in that, in that range of the dynasty draft, who could, who could be somebody's WR1 at some point?

Bell: Yeah, and, and a name that I'm not seeing at all. Reggie Virgil, I think definitely has the potential to be able to be there. I think that, uh, Caleb Douglas is another, both Texas tech wide receivers is another guy that I think have, has an opportunity to end up there. I mean, Kevin Coleman Jr. Was a big riser during the Senior Bowl.

He might have moved up out of that range, but I think he's a real interesting one to take a look at. Um, Barion Brown was a high thought, highly thought of devy player that. Just like the production didn't quite get there. Kentucky's O, Kentucky's offense was basically offensive for a lot of his career, and so, um, they, they weren't trying to score points.

And that's the type of athlete that you're looking for. I think that as you're supposed to make that bet. Um, I think that, so. Mention Barion Brown, Aaron Anderson from LSU, and also Chris Helton from LSU. There are three different LSU wide receivers in this class that they are high level athletes. The production wasn't quite there, but I, I definitely feel like at least one of them is going to figure it out because if, you know, if you're giving me three chances here on a receiver, hitting on LSU is a pretty good place to make that bet there.

So I think that those are three interesting names.

Blaylock: Yeah. Yeah. I think those are all really good names and, and good people for, to, uh, keep out, uh, for dynasty managers to keep in mind. Um, Jeff, thanks so much for, for being here. Before you go, uh, you know, it's another chance to talk about the rookie Guide your, your show that you do with Dave Kluge. Anything else you want the folks at home, uh, to know about you?

Bell: I mean, you know, if you know about the show with Dave and the Rookie Guide, I feel like. I really just, I, I prefer to use that time to like, highlight you, Jeff and, and to say thank you so much for – No, but like, I'm serious man – because, uh, it means a lot to, uh, have me on to be able to talk about these things and to be able to, uh, you know, what you're doing in really you're kind of year one in the space and, and what you're doing in your first year is phenomenal for, uh, to do that.

And, you know, I know. You've always been there for me of somebody that like going above and beyond and you've helped out with like leagues and different things and around and, and so I think it's just, that's exactly what, you know as you're trying to carve out a, your area and the space and just being supportive in that regard.

How can I help? And, and all that. And, and just really you're participating in round tables or whatever it might need to be, or like, I'll pick up this article here. You know, you and, and Josh really crushed it. I need some help. And you guys picked up the, the dynasty waivers of the future article and absolutely crushed that.

And so I think that that's awesome. And so I like, thank you, man. Like, you know. People, people see me enough like they don't need to worry about me anymore, but I appreciate, uh, you doing what you do.

Blaylock: Well, I, I think, yeah, I appreciate that and, uh, I love doing that dynasty waivers of the future, uh, uh, piece with Josh every week. So we're trying to look several weeks ahead at who no one knows about now, but it's going to be the waiver wire, darling.

You read a waiver wire article and you're like, well, those guys have been gone since the draft, or those guys have been gone for three years, so who is that? Who are the guys I can look for if I need somebody? So that was really fun and I really appreciate you giving me that opportunity and thanks. For being here today for sharing your scouting and wisdom on the wide receivers.

Sure. We will have more to talk about that as we get closer to the NFL draft and then head into training camps this summer.

So, Jeff Bell, thanks so much, uh, for joining me, and thank you all for watching on YouTube or listening on Apple, Spotify, or whatever your preferred podcast provider is. Please, like, please subscribe, uh, if you're on, if you're listening on Apple and like what you're hearing. Please write a review. That'd be one of the best things that could help us grow the show right now is to get some positive reviews and five star writings over there and check out our website, dynastycompass.com.

You can find both of the Jeff Bs on the Twitter/X. I'm at @jeffblaylock. Jeff, you are at

Bell: @4WhomJBellTolls, the number four whom J Bell tolls.

Blaylock: There we go. And uh, so you can look for us there and, uh, and we'll see you next week on Dynasty Compass.

[Theme Music]