Scott Gulbransen
Nine years covering the Raiders. I’ve filed more stories and done more podcast episodes about dysfunction, coaching changes, and wasted draft picks than I care to count.
This week at the NFL Combine feels different.
The Raiders walk into the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with the No. 1 pick, a head coach who actually has an offensive identity, and real questions worth asking. The best one: Who’s catching passes for Fernando Mendoza?
With so many other needs on the roster, don’t be surprised if general manager John Spytek gets aggressive after taking Mendoza. The Raiders have the assets and the cap space to move back into the first round, and wide receiver is the position that keeps coming up in those conversations. Klint Kubiak’s offense needs weapons. Brock Bowers is elite. Ashton Jeanty is going to be a problem for defenses. But Mendoza needs someone to throw to on the outside, and right now, that room is thin.
So with that backdrop, here are five wide receivers I’ll have my eyes on all week at the NFL Combine.
Carnell Tate | Ohio State
Watch this kid work during receiver drills and you’ll understand why scouts can’t stop talking about him. Tate isn’t the biggest receiver in this class and he’s not going to blow anyone away with his 40 time. What he does is make the game look easy. His route running is as polished as I’ve seen from a college receiver in years — sharp breaks, precise footwork, and an almost uncanny ability to find the soft spot in a zone. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch last season at Ohio State. Put him next to Mendoza and you’re immediately giving your quarterback a legitimate WR1 to grow with. He’ll be gone before 25, probably before 20. The Raiders won’t get him at 33 unless something strange happens.
Jordyn Tyson | Arizona State
This is the guy I’m most curious about walking into this week and also the one who makes me the most nervous. Tyson is as explosive as anyone in this class. His release off the line turns cornerbacks sideways, and when he gets into his routes, he’s genuinely hard to cover. The problem has been staying healthy. He’s never played a full college season. The combine medicals will tell teams a lot, and if he gets a clean bill of health, his stock jumps fast. He will not take part in on-field workouts due to health concerns. A healthy Tyson going into the draft could legitimately be a top-10 conversation, but I expect him to slip. He’s a risky prospect with massive upside.
Makai Lemon | USC
Every analyst in Indianapolis right now is making the Amon-Ra St. Brown comparison, and I don’t think they’re wrong. Lemon is 5-11 and the size concern will follow him all week. But 79 catches, 1,156 yards, and 11 touchdowns last season is not a small-school stat line. He runs precise routes, catches everything, and absolutely punishes people after the catch. He generated 502 yards after the catch alone in 2025. That’s a weapon. For a young quarterback learning to navigate NFL defenses, having a receiver who consistently gets open over the middle and makes something happen after the ball arrives is invaluable. Watch his short-area agility numbers. If he pops athletically, the size conversation gets quieter in a hurry.
Denzel Boston | Washington
Boston is the name I keep coming back to when I think about what Las Vegas realistically could target. He’s right on the bubble between late first round and early second, which puts him directly in play at pick 33 if he doesn’t run as well as hoped. At 6-3 and 209 pounds, he’s a contested catch machine — physical at the line, great hands, fights for every ball. He gives a young QB a big target to trust in tight windows. Watch him in one-on-ones. Big receivers either separate themselves or get exposed in those drills, and Boston’s tape suggests he belongs.
Zachariah Branch | Georgia
Branch is the wildcard this week, and honestly, the most fun player on this list to watch. He’s undersized and his route tree is still developing, but if he goes sub-4.3 in the 40 — which some people think is possible — he becomes one of the most-talked-about players in Indianapolis regardless of position. Speed like that opens up an entire offense. Kubiak used that kind of threat effectively in Seattle. Branch might be a Day 2 pick who ends up being a steal.
The Raiders haven’t had this kind of draft capital or this kind of offseason clarity in a long time. Mendoza is the foundation. But who lines up outside of him matters just as much. This week in Indianapolis is where that picture starts coming into focus.
This week at the NFL Combine is a good time to be paying attention, Raider Nation.
