Buying or Selling Stock on Top 2nd-Year NFL WRs Ahead of the 2026 Season

The top of the 2025 wide receiver class featured four first-rounders, including a two-way player, and four other pass-catchers who went in the second round. One of them won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Overall, premier receivers from last year's draft had a mixed-bag 2025 season. A few finished the campaign trending in the right direction, while others struggled to carve out consistent roles.

Fortunately, players have more than one season to build their NFL careers. We could see a few second-year receivers break out in the upcoming campaign.

Based on recent reports out of practices from organized team activities (OTAs), offseason changes to rosters and projected roles, here's a buy-or-sell stock update on the top-eight selected wideouts from the 2025 draft.

Who's primed for a Year 2 leap? Which second-year wideouts may have to work a little harder for opportunities in their respective team's passing attack?

Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech

The Las Vegas Raiders' wide receiver group is wide open in terms of who emerges as the No. 1 option to complement All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers in the passing game.

That said, Jack Bech's second-round draft status won't make him the clear-cut favorite to see a high volume of targets. Las Vegas made notable changes that will impact its offense.

The Raiders brought in a new coaching staff led by Klint Kubiak. They signed Jalen Nailor to a three-year, $35 million deal. 

According to ESPN's Ryan McFadden, fourth-year pro Tre Tucker has been "a quiet leader" for Las Vegas' young receiver room.

McFadden said the expectation is that free-agent pickup Kirk Cousins will start over No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. He may trust Tucker more than the younger receivers because of his experience and leadership qualities. This also may apply to Nailor, who's a fifth-year pro and played with Cousins for two seasons in Minnesota.

As a rookie last year, Bech didn't have many flashes. He caught 20 passes for 224 yards as an afterthought within one of the league's worst receiver units.

Without much offseason buzz thus far, Bech needs a strong showing through training camp to raise the optimism for his second-year outlook.

Stock: Sell

Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III

When an offensive-minded play-calling head coach tells you he's buying stock in his ascending second-year receiver, you should too.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson heaped praise on Luther Burden III during OTAs.

"I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now," Johnson said to reporters via Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune. "He's been extremely coachable."  

Burden seems primed for a breakout 2026 season, and it's not just because of Johnson's comments.

The Bears traded wideout DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. He finished with the second-most targets (85) on the team last season. 

Secondly, fellow wideout Rome Odunze told reporters that he's dealing with a "different type of foot structure" in the healing process from a stress fracture that sidelined him for five games last year.

Odunze said he doesn't expect last year's foot injury to impact his playmaking ability, but it's worth keeping an eye on his route-running and cuts on the field.

With the departure of Moore and Odunze working through lingering effects of a foot stress fracture, Burden could be the Bears' No. 1 receiver in the upcoming season.

Stock: Buy

Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka

In a strong start to his rookie campaign, Emeka Egbuka eclipsed 100 receiving yards and scored a touchdown in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks.

However, after a 115-yard, one-score performance against the New England Patriots in Week 10, Egbuka saw a drop-off in production. In the final quarter of the season, he saw fewer targets with fellow wideouts Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan healthy.

This year, Egbuka should see an uptick in target share. 

Tampa Bay lost Evans to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. He averaged nearly eight targets per game last season. Keep in mind that 10th-year wideout Chris Godwin has missed 18 games over the last two years because of injuries.

Egbuka, a top-20 pick from last year's draft, could be Tampa Bay's reliable lead receiver. 

New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson told reporters Egbuka is going to take "huge, huge strides."

Take Robinson's words at face value. Egbuka is in a position to be a rising star with the opportunities he'll get in the Buccaneers' passing attack.

Stock: Buy

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (0).

The Green Bay Packers allowed Romeo Doubs to walk in free agency and traded fellow wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.

While those moves seem like positives for Matthew Golden's second-year outlook, the Packers also signed Jayden Reed and Christian Watson to extensions. They're solidified in Green Bay's passing attack.

Don't forget that tight end Tucker Kraft is working his way back from a torn ACL. He's recorded 113 catches for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns in 42 games across three seasons.

Unlike the more promising second-year receivers, Golden doesn't have a clear pathway to a significant role. Despite his 2025 first-round draft status, he may be the No. 3 receiver and No. 4 pass-catching option in the Packers offense this year.

Golden should outpace his receiving totals from last season (29 catches for 361 yards), but don't expect a significant Year 2 leap if Reed, Watson and Tucker all stay healthy.

Stock: Sell

Tre' Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tre Harris

As the Los Angeles Chargers' No. 4 wide receiver last season, Tre' Harris saw limited action, hauling in 30 of 43 targets for 324 yards and a touchdown. 

The Chargers have yet to re-sign Keenan Allen, who led their pass-catching group with 122 targets in 2025. If he doesn't return, Harris could be a fixture in three-receiver sets along with Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.

However, Harris faces competition for targets from tight ends Oronde Gadsden and David Njoku. Also, new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel featured two running backs more so than three receivers in his formations with the Miami Dolphins last season.

According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Dolphins fielded the second-highest rate (43.8 percent) of multi-running-back sets and the third-lowest rate (40.9 percent) of three-receiver alignments with McDaniel as their offensive play-caller in the previous term.

While McDaniels' creativity with tight ends and running backs could be an intriguing wrinkle for the Chargers offense, it could come at Harris' expense.

If McDaniel's offense doesn't frequently feature three wideouts, Harris will still be a low-rotational player at the position. 

Remember, Gadsden, a fifth-rounder from last year's draft, had a bigger role in the Chargers' aerial attack than Harris through the previous term. Njoku is a proven pass-catching tight end heading into his 10th season.

Barring injuries within the Chargers' pass-catching group, Harris probably isn't going to see enough targets to make significant strides in his second year.

Stock: Sell

Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins

While Tank Dell recovered from multiple leg surgeries, Jayden Higgins took advantage of opportunities as the Houston Texans' No. 2 receiver. 

In 2025, Higgins started in 10 out of 17 games and finished the campaign with the third-most targets (68) on the team.

Although quarterback C.J. Stroud trusted tight end Dalton Schultz as the second option in the passing game, Higgins made strides in the second half of the previous term. He recorded at least four receptions in four consecutive games between Weeks 10-13 and scored four of his six touchdowns after Week 9.

Dell has participated in team drills during OTAs, but he hasn't played a snap since Week 16 of the 2024 season. The fourth-year pro will need to knock off some rust, and the Texans may initially be conservative with his workload upon his return. In the meantime, Higgins will likely hold on to the No. 2 spot on the receiver depth chart.

Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan M. Alexander noted that head coach DeMeco Ryans praised Higgins for being bigger, stronger and faster in his second offseason.

Stock: Buy

Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

Gregory Payan/AP Content Services for the NFL

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter

While on the Rich Eisen Show, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said that Travis Hunter will see an increase in snaps at cornerback, though he will continue to play wide receiver as well.

We haven't seen a highly productive two-way player since Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who coached Hunter for two collegiate terms at Colorado.

Hunter would truly have to be a unicorn talent to perform at a high level on both sides of the ball in the pros. The odds are stacked against him as a wide receiver, though.

Last year, Hunter missed nine games because of injuries. He played 67 percent of the snaps on offense and 36 percent on defense. With a bigger role at cornerback, he may see a reduction in his pass-catching role, especially with the quality of talent in the wide receiver room.

Parker Washington is a developing wideout who led the Jaguars in catches (58) and receiving yards (847) last season. Jacksonville acquired Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders before the 2025 trade deadline. He'll have a full offseason to build a connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Brian Thomas Jr. could have a bounce-back year that looks similar to his 2024 rookie Pro Bowl campaign

It's hard to justify buying Hunter's stock as a part-time receiver without a defined role.

Stock: Sell

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan

It shouldn't take much to convince anyone to buy stock in the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

Tetairoa McMillan won the award while playing in an offense that ranked 21st in pass attempts and 26th in passing yards. Quarterback Bryce Young only averaged 188.2 passing yards per game last season.

Yet McMillan logged two 100-plus-yard receiving performances and accounted for nearly 31 percent of Carolina's receiving yards total.

The Panthers don't have a prominent pass-catching tight end who demands a ton of targets. Xavier Legette has had an underwhelming start to his career after Carolina selected him with the No. 32 pick in the 2024 draft. Jalen Coker has missed multiple games because of injuries in both of his seasons.

So, even with rookie third-rounder Chris Brazzell II in the receiver rotation, McMillan's target share should be secure and may increase as he builds a stronger rapport with Young.

Stock: Buy

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.