Turning The Page To #DraftSZN

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Borderline Round 1 WRs In The NFL Mock Draft

In each mock, I list the players I view as borderline candidates for Round 1.

From last mock to this most recent iteration, I've added three new WRs to my borderline list: Zachariah Branch (Georgia), Chris Brazzell (Tennessee) and Malachi Fields (Notre Dame).

The more I dig into the WR position, the more pleased I am with this year's class. Athletic testing will determine a lot, but we could see six WRs go in Round 1, maybe more. And Day 2 could also be strong.

As for these three borderline Round 1 WRs, here are my early thoughts.

Zachariah Branch | Georgia | 5-10, 180 lbs. | JR ​

The No. 1 WR in the 2023 recruitment class, Branch enrolled at USC as a unanimous five-star recruit with a world of hype. A sprinter like his great uncle and NFL Hall of Famer Cliff Branch, he won the Jet Award as a freshman as the nation's best returner (16-332-1 on punts, 24-442-1 on kicks), and he chipped in as a runner (9-70-1), but he did little as the No. 3 WR for the Trojans (31-320-2, 11 games). After a sophomore season in which he failed to progress beyond the No. 2 WR role (47-503-1, 12 games), Branch transferred to Georgia, where he immediately served as the No. 1 WR (81-811-6, 14 games) for the Bulldogs.

A jitterbug slot and return elitist, Branch is a certified fireworks technician. His blazing speed is legit: The summer before his freshman year, he scorched 26 mph on a treadmill. With his twitch, burst and vision, he detonates out of breaks, explodes with violent start-stops and annihilates angles with his cuts. Once the ball is in his hands, he looks more like a back or returner than receiver. Bubbles, jets and orbit screens are his bag of explosives.

Branch is small and has never been dominant, so NFL evaluators might see him as a slot/return contributor, not an offensive centerpiece, but if he sets the turf on fire in his pre-draft workouts, he could sneak into Round 1.

Chris Brazzell II | Tennessee | 6-5, 200 lbs. | rJR ​

Brazzell, the son of a former NFL & CFL player of the same name, is a stringbean Brobdingnagian boundary wideout who redshirted at Tulane (1-11-0 receiving) and then flashed as the No. 1 WR for the Green Wave in his first year of extended action (44-711-5, 13 games) before entering the portal as a four-star transfer and enrolling at Tennessee. There, he toiled as the No. 4 WR for the Vols as a redshirt sophomore (29-333-2, 13 games) and then broke out as the No. 1 option this past season (62-1,017-9, 12 games).

Despite his production in HC Josh Heupel's stat-inflating offense, Brazzell is more of a traits-based project than finished product. As a route runner, Brazell displays average change of direction and below‑average body control and spatial awareness. And after the catch, he's more of a linear build‑up athlete than agile tackle breaker.

Still, Brazzell has a strong catch radius with his length, and he drives off the line, eats cushion and stacks CBs on verticals, posts and deep overs with smooth, gliding strides.

I view Brazzell as a boom/bust role player in the NFL, not a true perimeter alpha, but if he tests well, he could go in the 20s.

Malachi Fields | Notre Dame | 6-4, 222 lbs. | rSR ​

A high school QB, Fields did little for his first two seasons at Virginia as he converted to receiver (16-230-1), but in his sophomore and junior campaigns he produced as the top perimeter WR for the Cavaliers (113-1,619-10, 24 games) before entering the portal as a four-star transfer and finishing his college career at Notre Dame this past year (36-630-5, 12 games).

A classic boundary bully, Fields overwhelms CBs with a massive catch radius, which enables him to win more than his fair share of contested targets (as we saw recently at the Senior Bowl). His game is built more on technique and effort than athleticism, but play callers who value ball skills and grown-man physicality might like him at the end of Day 1.

Around the Watercooler

Ushering us all into the 2026 season!

💪 ICYMI: We got a recent declare for the DRAFT. Powering up.

🤔 Super Bowl appearances don’t mean you can’t improve. Both the Seahawks and the Patriots have some glaring needs.

👀 Matthew is beyond grateful … What a Super view.

↕️ Ian and Dwain are already digging into 2026 early ADP returns.

📋 Coach Gene’s definitive list of OC rankings!

🏈 We’ve started our early positional ranks. Here are Kendall’s RBs and QBs.

📺 Do we agree with these Super Bowl commercial rankings?

🔮 We asked the Fantasy Life experts for their takes on the 2026 season.

✅ Kendall’s first round mock draft comes this week. Meanwhile, enjoy Chris Allen’s 2026 fantasy first round.

🎁 Who were some of the big surprises from last season?

🏆 Guess who is the favorite to win the Super Bowl next year? Not a shocker.

🫡 It’s official: The Raiders got a Super Bowl champ to be their head man. Please no Jeanty timeshare.