The New England Patriots have been doing their homework on a number of wide receiver prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, as the team continues to search for reinforcements at the position following the release of Stefon Diggs, last season's receiving yards leader.
While signing Romeo Doubs somewhat lessened the initially dire need to add more pass catchers to the roster, that should not prevent New England from at least investing some late-round draft capital in adding a young talent to this group.
Even if the Patriots do end up making that long-rumored AJ Brown trade, they should still pick up some depth at the receiver spot this April to develop for the future.
Here's a look at some of the more under-the-radar wideouts in this year's class, which the franchise has reportedly met with in various capacities during the pre-draft process, possibly giving some insight into who the front office may be considering taking a chance on.
Potential sleeper WR prospects New England is checking up on
Lewis Bond, Boston College
Last season, Lewis Bond finished with the most career receptions in Boston College program history, compiling 213 catches. Despite playing on an Eagles offense last year, which ranked just 12th in the ACC in yards per game, the team captain managed to put up 88 grabs (another school record) for 993 yards and one touchdown during his final collegiate campaign.
Bond is listed at 5'11" and 190 lbs, possessing solid hands and an ability to create once he gets the ball in his hands. The 2025 All-ACC second-team member was charged with just three drops on 111 targets and accumulated 423 yards after the catch a year ago. Scouting reports have also praised his route-running ability and penchant for finding open space in defensive coverage schemes.
A projected Day 3 pick, New England met with Bond at the Senior Bowl and had head coach Mike Vrabel, among other staffers, in attendance at Chestnut Hill for his BC pro day. Bond should certainly be a possible target for the team if he begins to slide in the draft.
J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
J. Michael Sturdivant, out of Florida, feels like a prospect who will wind up among either the biggest steals or misses of this draft. NFL Next Gen Stats gave Sturdivant an athleticism score of 87, the fourth-highest mark among receivers in the 2026 class, but also assigned him a production score of just 58, which ranks 37th-best
He showed out at the NFL Combine, displaying eye-popping measurables (standing 6'3" and 207 lbs), running a 4.40 40-yard dash (tied for 12th fastest at his position), and scoring a 9.95 Relative Athletic Score (19th highest out of 3,926 wideouts from 1987 to 2026). However, Sturdivant's impressive testing numbers haven't yet translated into consistent statistical performance.
In 2025 with the Gators, he recorded 27 receptions for 406 yards and three touchdowns, a stat line that would be more indicative of a possible undrafted free agent if it weren't for Sturdivant's outstanding athletic potential. The best single-season totals of his collegiate career came while he was still playing for California during the 2022 campaign, finishing with 65 catches for 755 yards and seven scores.
The Patriots met with Sturdivant at the East-West Shrine Bowl, getting a closer look at a project player who might warrant taking a flier on, with some expert mocks have him coming off the board as early as the fifth round.
Jordan Hudson, SMU
SMU's Jordan Hudson had a career year in 2025, racking up highs in catches (61, led the team) and receiving yards (766, ranked 11th in the conference), while also posting his second-best mark in scoring grabs (six, tied for second most on the team).
Measuring 6'1" and 191 lbs, the All-ACC third-team selection came up particularly big in the Mustangs' early November upset win over eventual CFP National Championship runner-up Miami, hauling in 11 catches for 136 yards during the contest.
Analysts praise Hudson's tracking ability, penchant for winning 50/50 balls, impressive body control, run-blocking potential, quick hands, and his ability to create yards after the catch as both an elusive and physical ball carrier.
Meanwhile, knocks on his prospect profile include a lack of elite separation speed (clocked a 4.48 40-yard dash at his pro day), occasional endzone drops, and a need to expand on the route tree he showcased while in college.
New England met with Hudson at the Senior Bowl, and a recent mock draft by ESPN's Matt Miller has the team selecting him in the seventh round (247th overall). Other squads that he says have given him "great feedback" include the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Camden Brown, Georgia Southern
No player in the history of Georgia Southern football had ever reached 1,000 yards receiving in a single season until Camden Brown did it last year. The 2025 All-Sun Belt Conference first-team selection posted 1,079 yards on 65 catches, scoring a school-record 14 touchdowns (second-most across the FBS) in the process.
Listed at 6'2" and 200 lbs, Brown's stellar season caught the attention of NFL clubs, but it's worth cautioning that it was pretty much the only productive campaign he had in college. Across three seasons spent at Auburn before transferring, he totaled just 26 grabs for 289 yards and three scores, putting up a double-digit catch total on the year only once.
Though Brown previously failed to make much of an impact against SEC competition, the 2025 All-American honorable mention has still garnered draft projections in the sixth or seventh rounds, as he remains a big target in the passing game, fresh off a breakout campaign that has seemingly put him on the Patriots' radar.
The team met with Brown at Hula Bowl, a game in which he had a pair of catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
Kansas standout Emmanuel Henderson Jr. is an explosive kickoff returner, an area of need for New England after seven different players tried their hand at fielding kicks a year ago. Last season, the 2025 first-team All-Big 12 return man brought 18 kickoffs back for 455 yards, including one 94-yard touchdown, giving him a conference-leading 25.3-yard average.
As a receiver, Henderson made the All-Big 12 third-team, putting up a team-leading 45 receptions for 766 yards and five touchdowns on the year, all of which were also career-high totals.
Before joining the Jayhawks, the 2025 Biletnikoff Award Watch List member spent three seasons at Alabama, where he made the transition from running back to wideout, but totaled just five catches for 96 yards and six kickoff returns for 115 yards during his time with the Crimson Tide.
Measuring 6'1" and 185 lbs, Henderson ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, 19th fastest among receivers at the scouting event.
Scouting profiles note his upside includes a unique ability to contribute in two facets of the special teams, being effective at both returning kicks and covering punts as a gunner, effort as a blocker, the separation he can create on deeper routes, and athletic talent that allows him to make fluid catch adjustments.
Henderson has been criticized, though, for below-average hands, a need to improve at beating press coverage, and an overly slender frame, which he may need to bulk up to make it at the pro level. The Patriots met with him at the East-West Shrine Bowl, with the possible fringe pick being listed by ESPN's Aaron Schatz as the 34th-highest-rated wide receiver prospect in this year's class.