📈 Wide Receivers on the Rise After the Combine

The biggest pass-catching winners from Indy

AuthorAuthor

Doug Norrie & Joe Holka
March 12, 2026

Four WR Prospects

4 wide receivers who have teams rethinking their draft boards… in two minutes or less.

Deion Burks (Oklahoma)

Burks was already known as a dynamic open-field weapon, but his combine performance revealed elite explosiveness that scouts simply couldn’t ignore.

  • Ran a 4.30-second 40-yard dash, the third-fastest time among wide receivers at the combine

  • Led all wideouts with a 42.5-inch vertical jump, showcasing rare lower-body explosion

  • Also placed near the top in multiple drills including the 10-yard split (1.49) and broad jump (10'11"), highlighting elite burst

Burks already flashed speed and run-after-catch ability on tape, but this performance confirmed he’s one of the most explosive athletes in the entire receiver class.

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Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati)

Caldwell entered the combine as an intriguing size-speed prospect, and left Indianapolis looking like one of the most physically gifted receivers in the class.

  • Posted a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score, ranking second among nearly 4,000 WR prospects since 1987 (Calvin Johnson was first)

  • His 1.48-second 10-yard split led all players at the combine, demonstrating rare acceleration for a 6'5" receiver

  • Also recorded a 4.31 forty and 42-inch vertical, elite numbers that confirmed his vertical-playmaking traits

Caldwell still needs refinement as a route runner, but his rare blend of size and explosiveness has scouts reevaluating where he belongs in the draft.

Bryce Lance (North Dakota State)

Lance already had the production of a future pro, but his combine testing proved that his athletic traits translate far beyond the FCS level.

  • Blazed a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, ranking fifth among wide receivers

  • Ranked top four in both the vertical (41.5") and broad jump (11'1"), confirming elite explosiveness

  • Also posted the second-fastest 20-yard shuttle (4.15), highlighting impressive movement ability for his size

Pair those athletic traits with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 25 touchdowns over the last two years, and Lance suddenly looks like one of the most intriguing receivers in the draft.

Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State)

Everyone expected Thompson to run fast, but the Mississippi State speedster delivered one of the most eye-popping performances of the entire combine.

  • Clocked a 4.26-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time among all wide receivers

  • That time tied the fourth-fastest 40 ever recorded by a wide receiver at the NFL Combine

  • His speed complements legitimate production after a 1,054-yard breakout season that set Mississippi State’s single-season receiving record

Thompson’s game has always been built on vertical speed, and this performance reminded teams that few prospects in the class can change a game with one deep ball the way he can.

So that’s the list… 4 wideouts who could be making NFL defenses pay sooner than you think… as promised, in two minutes or less.

See you next time,

-Joe