Lazy, amusing, or whack:
View: https://x.com/PFF_College/status/2038006976924520850
Talented wide receivers are available in all rounds of the NFL draft — and even afterward — as these players have proven.
www.pff.com
Puka Nacua, BYU (Los Angeles Rams fifth-rounder in 2023)
Draft Concerns: Lacks speed, acceleration and elusiveness
Nacua began his college career at Washington (2019, 2020) before transferring to BYU for his final two seasons (2021, 2022). His stock rose behind a 90.7 PFF receiving grade (tied for fourth in the class). He caught 92 catches in that span for 1,430 yards with 58 first downs and 11 touchdowns.
Nacua was also a threat at any level of the field. Not only did he earn a 92.6 PFF receiving grade on targets beyond 10 yards (35 catches for 924 yards), but he was also a dangerous screen weapon (82.8 PFF receiving grade, seventh).
The now-24-year-old's separation rates raised concerns, particularly his 44.3% mark against man coverage (12th percentile). He eased that with a fifth-ranked 92.6 PFF receiving grade on contested passes, bringing in 16 of 27 such targets for 442 yards and 14 first downs.
None of the original concerns remain. Through his first three seasons, Nacua holds a PFF-record 95.5 receiving grade. He has been the definition of a matchup nightmare, ranking first in receiving yards (4,845), yards after the catch (2,089), yards after contact (1,093), missed tackles forced (68), gains of 15-plus yards (126) and yards per route run (3.16). He is also the league's highest-graded contested-catch player (96.2), slot receiver (96.7) and screen weapon (96.6).
2026 NFL Draft Counterpart: KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
Draft Concerns: Lack of high-end speed, high drop rate
Concepcion is smaller than Nacua with better quickness and elite separation ability (96th percentile). A 9.0% career drop rate is Concepcion’s biggest red flag. However, he still racked up 114 catches for 1,379 yards, 15 touchdowns and a 72.9 PFF receiving grade. He forced 21 missed tackles, gained 349 yards after contact (eighth most) and recorded 33 gains of 15-plus yards between his time at North Carolina State (2023, 2024) and Texas A&M (2025).
Concepcion played primarily from the slot (1,083 snaps) but also earned a 71.9 PFF receiving grade across 86 outside targets. He brought in 53 of those passes for 790 yards, seven touchdowns and 22 explosive gains. He was a solid receiver on contested plays, too, bringing in 17 of 35 such targets for 10 touchdowns and a 75.6 PFF receiving grade.
The Texas A&M product logged 70.0-plus PFF receiving grades at every level beyond the line of scrimmage, grading out best from 20-plus yards, where he brought in 17 of 48 targets for 534 yards and five touchdowns. He also showed an ability to win against both coverage schemes, recording 78.0-plus PFF receiving grades against man (78.3) and zone (78.5) looks in 2025.
