2026 RSP A-Z Wide Receiver Podcast: Matt Waldman's RSP Cast

Anderson demonstrates good stem direction work (narrowing inside or widening outside) and stair-step execution to challenge defenders on vertical routes before breaking inside. However, he lacks confidence using his hands at the top of his stem to force sharp breaks; instead, he rounds off breaks early, which opens angles for defenders to cut off targets. This hand usage and leverage challenge will be critical for intermediate timing routes (curls, digs) that top receivers run—the money routes that separate elite from average receivers.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will maintain value despite two-tight-end set trends. The source believes elite slot/flanker receivers like St. Brown will not vanish even as offenses shift toward multiple tight-end alignments because they excel at the flanker position and can be aligned in multiple ways to preserve their usage.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will remain valuable despite the NFL's shift toward two and three tight-end base alignments. Matt Waldman believes elite slot/flanker receivers like St. Brown will not vanish even as pure slot receivers see reduced volume on teams adopting multiple tight-end looks; all four of St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Drake London, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba excel at flanker two.

Williams has potential to become very good against man-to-man coverage as an outside receiver, but his release footwork, route setups, and boundary work against tight coverage need refinement to match that NFL projection. The fallback plan is flanker-to-slot flexibility: if outside receiver doesn't work, teams can deploy him in the slot where he handles underneath work well against zone coverage while still offering big-play upside after the catch and downfield. This positional versatility makes him a compelling prospect with multiple pathways to NFL production.

Lance exhibits multiple catch-point technical flaws that could limit his NFL production: he leaves his feet unnecessarily when targets arrive at his chest, lacks confidence attacking the ball with proper technique, and is a habitual clap attacker (striking the ball with palms instead of fingertips, creating violent recoil and drops). Ball tracking is his biggest obstacle—the same issue that plagued Marvin Harrison Jr. in college and magnified in the NFL. These tracking and attacking issues usually get magnified in the NFL where defenses exploit them. Lance will likely be drafted late second or early third day for his deep speed and promise, but if he doesn't address these unforced errors, he could endure similar bouts of inconsistent production as Harrison Jr. The source emphasizes tracking issues aren't his only catch-point problem.

Lance is a one-dimensional deep threat prospect with significant technical catch-point flaws that could limit his NFL production. He positions himself well to the ball and defender with late hands and fluid jump-up-and-through ability, but ball tracking is his biggest obstacle—the same weakness that plagued Marvin Harrison Jr. in college and manifested in inconsistencies at Ohio State and in Arizona. Lance leaves his feet unnecessarily for targets arriving at his chest and is a habitual clap attacker of the ball (striking with palms instead of fingertips, creating violent recoil and drops), demonstrating a lack of confidence attacking the ball with proper technique. The source warns that these types of technique flaws, minor in college, get magnified in the NFL when defenses focus on them. Lance should be drafted late second day or early third day due to his deep speed and promise, but if he doesn't address these unforced errors, he could endure similar bouts of inconsistent production as Marvin Harrison Jr. The source notes he's a very talented guy but has technical work to do that could really slow him down.

Ridley was a third-round pick with an expectation to fulfill a starting role or deliver multiple high-end contributions within a year or two. The source uses this as a benchmark for evaluating third-round receiver success rates across different systems.

Georgia Southern (formerly Auburn) prospect with strong physicality at the catch point and after the catch; he's an acrobatic ball winner who withstands contact, bounces off hits, and makes defenders miss with the ball in hand. However, his route-running technique needs significant development. From release off the line to brake setups, Brown has many route tools at his disposal but isn't a master of any yet. He has good suddenness but needs to develop patience with how he sets up that suddenness to bait defenders into mistakes. If he develops this patience, he'll unlock his power at opportune moments during releases and route tops, making him more dangerous at earning separation.

Brown (Georgia Southern, formerly Auburn) possesses strong physicality at the catch point and after the catch; he's an acrobatic ball winner who withstands contact, bounces off hits, and makes defenders miss with the ball in hand. However, his route-running technique needs development—from release off the line to brake setups, he has many route tools but isn't a master of any yet. The source sees potential: if Brown develops patience with how he sets up his suddenness to bait defenders into mistakes, he'll unlock his power at opportune moments during releases and route tops, making him more dangerous at earning separation.

Matt Waldman ranks Tate as his #1 receiver prospect, emphasizing his advanced route-running nuance and timing that separates top NFL prospects from peers. Tate's moves possess timing and gravity that allow defenders to register and react to his cuts; his setups allow moves to 'breathe' long enough for defenders to react, unlike prospects who move too suddenly. Waldman projects Tate as an actual talent right away in the NFL, not just a prospect, and notes his timing and pacing of setups will separate him early in his career. Beyond big-play threat potential, Tate is developing into a strong runner of timing and intermediate routes—go-to target routes at vital points of drives where defenses deploy their best cover defenders. Compared to Jordan Tyson as a route runner, Tate is further along in the nuanced aspects of route running that separate top NFL receivers from top prospects.

Matt Waldman ranks Tate as his #1 receiver prospect, emphasizing his superior route-running nuance compared to peers like Jordan Tyson. Tate's timing and pacing of setups—allowing moves to breathe long enough for defenders to register and react—separate him from prospects early in his NFL career. Beyond big-play threat potential, Tate is developing into a strong runner of timing and intermediate routes (go-to target routes at vital points of drives). Waldman projects Tate as an actual talent right away, not merely a prospective talent. Tate possesses all the moves desired from a route runner and has figured out how to consistently make those moves meaningful enough for defenders to react to them, unlike prospects like Tyson who move too fast without allowing moves to breathe long enough to register in a defender's consciousness.

Tillman was a third-round pick from Tennessee who has shown promising moments but remains a contributor on a bad team. The source attributes his underperformance to Tennessee's offensive instability (described as a 'clown car' of quarterbacks) and scheme limitations rather than pure inability. As a third-round pick, he was expected to fulfill a starting role or deliver multiple high-end contributions within a year or two, but has failed to meet that threshold.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will remain valuable despite the NFL's shift toward two and three tight-end base alignments. Matt Waldman believes elite slot/flanker receivers like Lamb will not vanish even as pure slot receivers see reduced volume on teams adopting multiple tight-end looks; all four of Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba excel at flanker two.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will maintain value despite two-tight-end set trends. The source believes elite slot/flanker receivers like Lamb will not vanish even as offenses shift toward multiple tight-end alignments because they excel at the flanker position and can be aligned in multiple ways to preserve their usage.

Waldman scouts BYU's Chase Roberts as a prospect with strong after-catch skills and field awareness. Roberts demonstrates good feel for cutback lanes in the middle of the field, knows when to veer to opposite sidelines to maximize deep speed and force cornerbacks into tight pursuit, and excels at pressing blockers and splitting defenders on cutback routes. He has good instincts for blocked and unblocked pursuit angles. Waldman projects Roberts as an intermediate/vertical underneath receiver who stretches middle zones while working underneath safeties or cornerbacks, comparing his projected NFL role to Tim Patrick and Eric Decker—receivers who work those field ranges.

Waldman scouts Roberts as a strong after-catch processor with excellent feel for cutback lanes and blocker placement. Roberts maximizes deep speed by veering to opposite field sides to force cornerbacks into tight pursuit over 25–30 yards, and he splits defenders effectively on cutbacks. Waldman projects Roberts as an intermediate vertical underneath receiver who stretches middle zones while working underneath safeties or cornerbacks—a Tim Patrick/Eric Decker archetype. His after-catch skills and field awareness make him valuable in schemes requiring yardage generation on intermediate routes.

Waldman identifies inconsistency with execution as an underlying theme in Bell's scouting report, particularly in decisions around settling and using tempo against zone coverage. Bell has been observed settling behind fallen defenders (poor positioning), failing to communicate effectively with his quarterback, and creating confusion that leads to turnovers. Waldman notes these route-execution issues appear in almost every game scouted. While Bell possesses massive physical talent, Waldman emphasizes that massive physical talents typically don't achieve the same success as skilled technicians with baseline physical talent.

Louisville prospect with massive physical talent but significant execution inconsistency as an underlying scouting theme. Bell's decision-making with settling and tempo usage against zone coverage is problematic; Waldman has observed Bell settling even behind fallen defenders, leading to quarterback turnovers when the defender recovers and cuts off the route. Bell also struggles with quarterback communication and route clarity—Waldman notes similar communication issues in almost every game scouted. The core concern: massive physical talent without technical skill typically underperforms compared to skilled technicians with baseline physical tools.

Braswell is the closest stylistic comparison to George Pickens on the 2026 board; he functions as an intermediate vertical underneath receiver who stretches middle zones working underneath safeties or cornerbacks, with the ability to generate yardage after the catch. The source cautions against logo scouting Tennessee's recent WR draft history (Thornton, Hyatt, Tillman, Jones, Palmer, Jennings) as a predictive factor, noting that scheme emphasis—not program pedigree—explains the disconnect between Tennessee's system and NFL success. Braswell's George Pickens-caliber stylistic profile suggests he merits evaluation independent of Tennessee's recent track record.

Waldman identifies Chris Braswell II as the closest stylistic comparison to George Pickens on the board, winning that comp among multiple receivers with similar traits. Waldman cautions against logo scouting Tennessee's recent receiver failures (Hyatt, Tillman, Jones, Thornton) and notes that Braswell also played at Tulane, suggesting his pedigree extends beyond Tennessee's struggling program. His ability to work intermediate vertical routes underneath safeties and cornerbacks, with skills to generate yardage after the catch, positions him as a potential breakout prospect despite program-level skepticism.

Daniels is a physical ball winner with acrobatic skill and terrific hand-eye coordination in tight coverage; he's better than most at making difficult catches. He runs with physicality after the catch—powerful and determined, though not explosive or sudden. Best deployed free in zone coverage or schemed open with misdirection, where he can make big plays. While probably not a starter, he could be a valuable reserve in situational opportunities.

Allen is a shifty slot receiver with big-play ability after the catch and skill in the vertical game against zone defenders. He's at his best against underneath coverage where he can serve as an extension of the ground game or work across the middle into open space in the intermediate game. He has potential to become a viable boundary receiver.

Matt Waldman cites Adams as an exemplar of elite route-running craft and technical mastery. Adams delivers hesitation and double-up footwork release moves with far superior pacing and stride length than any receiver Waldman has seen enter the NFL in the past 10 years. Adams applies this combination of release moves in two or three different ways with NFL-caliber deception, whereas most college receivers cannot execute even one variation with the craft required to fool an NFL defensive back. This illustrates the distinction between baseline and advanced receiver skills.

Washington was a third-round pick with an expectation to fulfill a starting role or deliver multiple high-end contributions within a year or two. The source uses this as a benchmark for evaluating third-round receiver success rates across different systems.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will remain valuable despite the NFL's shift toward two and three tight-end base alignments. Matt Waldman believes elite slot/flanker receivers like London will not vanish even as pure slot receivers see reduced volume on teams adopting multiple tight-end looks; all four of London, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba excel at flanker two.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will maintain value despite two-tight-end set trends. The source believes elite slot/flanker receivers like London will not vanish even as offenses shift toward multiple tight-end alignments because they excel at the flanker position and can be aligned in multiple ways to preserve their usage.

Historical example of a pure deep threat specialist archetype—lacking a fully dimensional receiving game—whose value may decline as the NFL moves away from vertical passing; these one-dimensional specialists will need to develop intermediate timing games to remain relevant in evolving offenses. Historical archetype comparison for deep threat receiver profile; the source cites Henry Ruggs alongside Ted Ginn and Mike Wallace as examples of past deep threat types who may face development delays in changing offensive landscapes that increasingly demand intermediate timing and route dimensionality.

Brazell has enough promise to become a first-year starter for many teams if there's immediate demand. He's been a standout deep threat with elite speed, excellent length, and body control to rebound the ball in tight confines. He has focus and toughness to play through contact. Beyond his deep-threat profile, Brazell shows good deceleration as a route runner and ball carrier.

Hyatt was a third-round pick from Tennessee characterized as one-dimensional, failing to meet the expectation that third-round picks deliver a starting role or multiple high-end contributions within a year or two. He caught some deep balls as a rookie but hasn't emerged as a viable contributor. His limitations are attributed partly to Tennessee's offensive scheme and quarterback instability rather than pure talent, but the one-dimensional designation suggests limited NFL versatility.

Jennings is a Tennessee alum who came closest to NFL success among recent Volunteers receivers, functioning as a third option in his offense who does his best work against zone coverage. The source notes that Jennings did not play in Tennessee's current Baylor-variant spread system, distinguishing him from other Volunteers receivers and suggesting that scheme fit rather than program pedigree explains his relative success. Jennings has had productive starter moments due to injuries.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will remain valuable despite the NFL's shift toward two and three tight-end base alignments. Matt Waldman believes elite slot/flanker receivers like Smith-Njigba will not vanish even as pure slot receivers see reduced volume on teams adopting multiple tight-end looks; all four of Smith-Njigba, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Drake London excel at flanker two.

Elite flanker receiver whose skill set will maintain value despite two-tight-end set trends. The source believes elite slot/flanker receivers like Smith-Njigba will not vanish even as offenses shift toward multiple tight-end alignments because they excel at the flanker position and can be aligned in multiple ways to preserve their usage.

Route-running prospect with all the technical moves desired but a critical work-ethic and self-investment question mark. Many people like him but don't love him; Waldman is in that camp. The key concern is whether Tyson demonstrates enough commitment to working on his game and improving himself. While Tyson possesses all the moves desired from a route runner, he hasn't figured out how to consistently make those moves meaningful enough for defenders to react. If Tyson figures out move execution, he could perform at Davante Adams' level against defensive backs. However, compared to Carnell Tate as a route runner, Tyson is further behind in the nuanced aspects of route running that separate top NFL receivers from top prospects.

Waldman likes Tyson but doesn't love him, positioning him as a prospect with all the route-running moves desired but lacking consistency in making those moves meaningful enough for defenders to react. Tyson possesses the potential to do things to defensive backs similar to Davante Adams if he figures out how to consistently execute, but he's currently behind Carnell Tate in the nuanced aspects of route running that separate top NFL wide receivers from top prospects. The core issue: Tyson moves too fast without allowing moves to breathe long enough to register in a defender's consciousness. The source suggests that prospects like Tyson who possess all the moves you want from a route runner haven't yet figured out how to fully leverage those skills, and the evaluation hinges on whether he demonstrates commitment to developing his game.

Historical example of a pure deep threat specialist archetype—lacking a fully dimensional receiving game—whose value may decline as the NFL moves away from vertical passing; these one-dimensional specialists will need to develop intermediate timing games to remain relevant in evolving offenses. Historical archetype comparison for deep threat receiver profile; the source cites Mike Wallace alongside Ted Ginn and Henry Ruggs as examples of past deep threat types who may face development delays in changing offensive landscapes that increasingly demand intermediate timing and route dimensionality.

Historical example of a pure deep threat specialist archetype—lacking a fully dimensional receiving game—whose value may decline as the NFL moves away from vertical passing; these one-dimensional specialists will need to develop intermediate timing games to remain relevant in evolving offenses. Historical archetype comparison for deep threat receiver profile; the source cites Ted Ginn alongside Mike Wallace and Henry Ruggs as examples of past deep threat types who may face development delays in changing offensive landscapes that increasingly demand intermediate timing and route dimensionality.

Jones was a third-round pick from Tennessee but has been utilized primarily as a return specialist and running back rather than as a receiver, failing to meet the expectation that third-round picks deliver a starting role or multiple high-end contributions. His role limitation suggests the Titans have not viewed him as a viable receiving option.