We're breaking down the 2026 NFL Draft's top receiver prospects by how they performed on deep passes (targeted 20-plus yards downfield) in 2025. Here were the class' top 10 qualifying FBS players on those plays.
1. Makai Lemon, USC: 99.9 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 10
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 79 catches, 1,156 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 22.9%
- Size/Class: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds/Junior
Lemon does not have elite size, but he makes up for it with his ability to separate and glide down the field (79.8% separation rate in 2025).
He earned a perfect 99.9 PFF receiving grade on targets of 20-plus yards last season. He led the class with 16 catches (tied) for 522 yards on those plays, generating a 147.1 passer rating when targeted. Lemon caught five touchdowns, averaged 6.8 yards after the catch per reception (ninth best) and secured five of seven contested targets.
He paces the class with a 97.7 PFF receiving grade on deep targets over the past two seasons. In that span, he caught 24 of 42 targets for 790 yards (fourth most) and six touchdowns.
2. Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee: 99.0 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 93
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 61 catches, 1,006 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 26.7%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds/Redshirt Junior
Brazzell has the speed to fly downfield (4.37-second 40-yard dash) and the size to box out defenders (6-foot-5). Those traits were on full display in 2025, as he caught 13 of 23 deep targets for 509 yards (second most) and six touchdowns (tied for third most). Brazzell averaged 4.8 yards after the catch per reception while generating a 122.7 passer rating on deep targets (tied for fifth best).
Brazzell spent the past two seasons at Tennessee (2024 and 2025), and 26.4% of his targets came on throws of 20-plus yards. He ranked ninth in deep yardage in that span (601), catching 16 of 38 targets with eight touchdowns. He earned an 86.6 PFF receiving grade on those plays.
The 93rd-ranked player on the PFF Predictive Big Board broke out early in his career, in 2023 at Tulane (44 catches, 711 receiving yards). He brought in eight of 15 deep targets for 282 yards, resulting in an 85.4 PFF receiving grade that year.
3. Ted Hurst, Georgia State: 98.8 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 169
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 71 catches, 999 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 21.8%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds/Senior
Hurst is similar in size to Chris Brazzell II (6-foot-3 and 195 pounds), but he lacks the same level of speed or separation ability (65th percentile during his two seasons at Georgia State). Still, Hurst was one of the best prospects on this list at forcing missed tackles over the past two seasons (26), as well as picking up yards after contact (334).
The Georgia State product ranks second in PFF receiving grade on deep targets over the past two seasons (97.6), behind only Makai Lemon. Hurst was targeted 27 times from deep in 2025 (tied for seventh most) and brought down 11 catches for 377 yards. Although he did not score on those passes, he tied for 10th in the class in yards after the catch per reception (6.6).
Hurst ranks fourth among his draft peers in receiving yards since 2024 (1,960), with 913 of that total coming from deep catches (first). He leads the class in deep targets in that span (64), which he saw at a 28.6% rate.
4. Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas: 97.2 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 331
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 45 catches, 766 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 36.8%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds/Senior
The senior receiver finally saw extensive time on offense in his lone season at Kansas (11 career targets in three seasons at Alabama) and displayed his breakaway ability. Henderson caught 45 passes for 766 yards, of which 415 yards came from deep targets (eighth most).
Henderson recorded one of the best separation rates in the class last season, ranking in the 89th percentile. He was great post-catch, racking up the third-most yards after the catch on deep targets (105) while averaging 9.5 yards per reception (third best).
5. Eric McAlister, TCU: 97.2 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 147
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 71 catches, 1,173 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 20.2%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds/Senior
McAlister turned 10 deep catches into six touchdowns in 2025 (tied for third with Chris Brazzell II) while averaging 7.8 yards after the catch per reception (seventh best). He gained 333 yards across those catches and secured six of 12 contested deep targets.
McAlister produced one of the lowest deep target rates in college football over the past two seasons (18.1%), but he still posted an elite 91.9 PFF receiving grade on those plays and ranked in the top 15 in receiving yards at that level (563). He brought in 16 passes in that span, of which eight were contested, while averaging 10.6 yards after the catch per reception.
Separation is also a concern with McAlister, who ranked in the 59th percentile in 2025 (65th percentile for career), but he can still rip the ball down and burn defenders for big plays. McAlister earned a second-ranked 93.2 PFF receiving grade on deep targets during his two seasons at Boise State (2022 and 2023). He was targeted 41 times beyond 20 yards at a 36.0% clip.
McAlister balanced out his separation numbers with his contested-catch ability. His 98.2 career PFF receiving grade on contested deep throws ranks second, behind Ted Hurst (98.4), in the class. McAlister brought down 18 of 31 contested deep targets for 634 yards (first) in his career.
Read More Stories Explore PFF Tools 15 min read Quick Read A pair of Indiana wide receivers feature, in addition to several top-50 prospects on the PFF Predictive Big Board. 2026 NFL Draft: Best receivers against man, zone coverages By Lauren Gray 16 min read Quick Read Learn more about which 2026 NFL Draft wide receivers excelled after the catch in their final college season. 2026 NFL Draft: Best wide receiver prospects after the catch By Lauren Gray Try the tool Mock Draft Simulator Make picks, trade up, and run your own draft in minutes. Build your board Big Board Builder Create custom rankings with Scouting Mode at the core. Subscribe For Full Access Mock Draft Simulator Be the GM for any team in the 2026 NFL Draft with a fully immersive simulation that lets you trade picks and players for a realistic, in-depth draft experience. Customizable Draft Big Board Trevor Sikkema’s Take control of your rankings with a customizable big board that lets you add players, share with friends, export to CSV and save your personalized list. Scouting Assistant Master the evaluation process with a customizable grading system built for serious scouts. Choose your own scouting categories, assign 0–10 grades in each area and generate a finalized prospect grade tailored to your criteria. NCAA Premium Stats Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Subscribe For Full Access6. Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State: 96.7 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 126
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 57 catches, 1,054 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 29.9%
- Size/Class: 5-foot-9, 170 pounds/Senior
Mississippi State worked to take advantage of Thompson’s 4.26 speed, targeting the 5-foot-9 receiver 26 times beyond 20 yards in 2025 (tied for ninth most). He brought in 11 of those targets for 478 yards (fifth most) and recorded five touchdowns.
He was also one of the best separators in the class ranking in the 96th percentile in 2025. That mark is significantly higher than his 67th percentile rate in 2024. That season, Thompson generated a 27.5% deep-target rate but brought in only two of 11 targets for 87 yards.
7. Jordan Hudson, SMU: 96.6 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 307
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 63 catches, 785 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 22.8%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds/Senior
Hudson is another receiver on this list who doesn't excel as a separator (69th percentile overall, 19th against single coverage), but he did convert his deep catches into points at a high rate. He brought in eight of his 21 deep targets in 2025 for four touchdowns, gaining 267 yards on those plays.
Hudson generated a 24.0% deep-target rate across three seasons at SMU. He caught 15 passes for 523 yards and nine touchdowns in that span. Those nine scores accounted for half of his touchdowns (18) during his SMU tenure. For his career, Hudson tallied 11 touchdowns on 19 catches beyond 20 yards.
8. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame: 94.8 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 75
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 36 catches, 630 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 37.1%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-4, 222 pounds/Senior
Fields is the slowest combine receiver on this list (4.61) but can still pull away from defenders at 6-foot-4 with long strides. He caught eight of 23 deep targets in 2025 for 291 yards and three touchdowns.
Fields finished his college career at Notre Dame after four seasons at Virginia. His breakout season came in 2023, when he caught 58 passes for 811 yards. Fields generated a 22.2% deep target rate at Virginia, earning an 81.1 PFF receiving grade across 15 such catches. Of his 11 career touchdowns as a Cavalier, seven came on targets of 20-plus yards.
9. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M: 92.8 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 31
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 61 catches, 919 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 20.8%
- Size/Class: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds/Junior
Concepcion logged a low deep-target rate (14.0%) during his time at North Carolina State (2023 and 2024). He was targeted 27 times beyond 20 yards and caught nine passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns with the Wolfpack.
He nearly matched that total in one season at Texas A&M: eight deep catches for two touchdowns across 21 targets in 2025. He also secured three of five contested deep targets.
The 5-foot-11 receiver was one of the best receiving threats in college football over the past three seasons, ranking in the top 10 in catches (186) and yards (2,224). He was the third-most-targeted receiver in the class in that span (294).
10. Denzel Boston, Washington: 92.3 PFF Receiving Grade
- PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 23
- 2025 Receptions and Yards: 62 catches, 881 yards
- Deep Target Rate in 2025: 25.3%
- Size/Class: 6-foot-4, 209 pounds/Junior
Boston is a dangerous vertical threat, especially against single coverage (89.7 PFF receiving grade in 2025). Of his 881 receiving yards in 2025, 293 came from eight deep catches. He also scored five touchdowns and secured four contested targets on those plays.
Over the past two seasons, Boston was targeted 41 times beyond 20 yards at a 20.1% rate. His size (6-foot-4) works to his advantage in contested situations (91.5 career PFF receiving grade), and he has enough quickness to stretch defenses.
Boston finished his college career with an 86.7 PFF receiving grade on deep targets, fueled by 13 catches for 442 yards and seven touchdowns.