With former Silver & Black linebacker and Detroit Lions general manager Matt Millen slated to announce the Las Vegas Raiders second-round selection in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, it’d be apt if pick No. 36 is a wide receiver.
During Millen’s tenure as the chief personnel man in Detroit from 2001-08, the Penn State product selected a first-round wide receiver in four of those seasons including three-straight opening-round wideouts from 2003-04 (Charles Rogers, second overall; Roy Williams, seventh
overall; and Mike Williams, 10th overall). The last one of the list: Calvin “Megatron” Johnson taken second overall in the 2007 draft.
Thus, it’d only be apt, that the former Raider and GM with an affinity for wide receivers, announce Las Vegas’ second-round pick and said selection be a wideout prospect.
Granted, the obvious notion for the Silver & Black is elite tight end Brock Bowers is the de facto WR1, however, that doesn’t minimize the team’s need to bolster a wide receiver room chalk full of young and unproven talent. The Raiders did ink veteran Jalen Nailor in free agency and spent draft capital in the 2025 excursion to take Jack Bech in the second round (58th overall) and Dont’e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round (108th overall), so the cupboard isn’t bare.
Our Matt Holder broke down Plan A, B, and C for the Raiders when it comes to wide receiver prospects this past week, so let’s take a look at Day 2 prospects that have the production and talent to become Las Vegas top wideout:
KC Concepcion, Texas &AM
2025 Stats: 13 games, 61 receptions, 919 yards, 9 touchdowns; 10 rushing attempts, 75 yards, 1 touchdown
Projected as a late first-round/early second-round talent, this 5-foot-11 and 196-pound receiver has the quick acceleration and immediate separation that NFL play callers fantasize about. Able to put defensive backs in a blender and make them look absolutely foolish, Concepcion quick start and stop and ability to hit top speed in an instant fits extremely well with a Klint Kubiak-run offense.
It’s his ability to separate and get open alongside the speed that makes Concepcion a YAC (yards after catch) monster in the pros. Kubiak’s offense features quick passes that allow pass catchers to make plays after the catch and Concepcion is the type that can be a nightmare in the slot or on the perimeter. Route running, separation skills, reliable hands, all provide a quarterback with an option that gets open quickly and can burn defenses with the run after catch.
Denzel Boston, Washington
2025 Stats: 12 games, 62 receptions, 881 yards, 11 touchdowns
When Kubiak spoke of a “big X” receiver, this 6-foot-4 and 212-pounder fits the bill to a T. While his long speed will be a question as he heads to the NFL, what’s not ambiguous about Boston’s game is being a physical, big-bodied, competitive target who will fight for the ball in flight. He’s a bully of a wide receiver and that’s something Las Vegas does not have.
Able to burst at the line of scrimmage, Boston uses that acceleration alongside his size and length who actually plays to his size — unlike Thornton who is 6-foot-5 and 205-pounds and is learning how to play to his size. Boston’s ability to box out and dominate 50/50 throws in a Kubiak offense would be something to behold, especially for a Raiders team that habitually goes dead in the red zone. Boston snared 20 total touchdowns the last two seasons at Washington and exhibits a large catch radius which will make him appealing to both veteran and young quarterbacks alike.
Zachariah Branch, Georgia
2025 Stats: 14 games, 81 receptions, 811 yards, six touchdowns; 4 rushing attempts, 7 yards
The familial bloodlines are there with this Branch being the great nephew of legendary Raiders speedster Cliff Branch, with Zachariah offering the same take-it-to-the-house speed anywhere on the field. He’s also a Las Vegas native. But at a shade under 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, would this Bulldog be simply redundant to what the Raiders already have in Tre Tucker?
Branch does exhibit scare-you-to-death speed and has toughness for his size that allows him to avoid or slither past tackle attempts for lethal YAC. And in a Kubiak offense that relies on quick timing, Branch’s elusiveness would be quite the show in the desert. At his size, Branch may be relegated to the slot, but as Tucker has shown and Kubiak’s own belief, size or lack of it doesn’t mean a smaller wideout can’t be a perimeter option. Branch was recently arrested, however, and faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing public sidewalks/streets-prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to ESPN. He was released after posting $39 bond.
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
2025 Stats: 12 games, 62 receptions, 1,107 yards, 9 touchdowns
Now here’s yet another size/speed athletic freak from the Volunteers that stands 6-foot-4, 198 pounds, and ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Like fellow Tennessee product Thornton before him, Brazzell is a long-limbed wideout who uses his speed and leaping ability to go above the rim for the ball. The difference between this Vol compared to the one the Raiders took in the fourth-round last year: Competent route running.
Showcasing the ability to bend and disguise his steps in 2025, Brazzell brings both element of speed and size to separate cleanly from defenders. That noted, in a Kubiak-orchestrated offense, Brazzell must shore up mental and physical toughness for catches underneath as having a wideout who can take the lid off a defense is grand, but so is a pass catcher that can thrive on intermediate routes.
Chris Bell, Louisville
2025 Stats: 11 games, 72 receptions, 917 yards, 6 touchdowns
Standing at 6-foot-2 and a rock solid 222 pounds, this prospect certainly fits the “big X” mold that Kubiak noted is a traditional aspect of an NFL offense. Bell isn’t one that shies away from contact and it’s that mental and physical toughness that’ll make him an attractive wide receiver prospect for a variety of NFL teams. A November ACL tear is of concern, but Bell is reportedly on schedule in recovering from December surgery.
When healthy, Bell is a bully who gets open on slants, digs, and crossers and is able to find openings in coverages to make himself an ample target. His size makes him hard to bring down and it’s on these type of intermediate routes that can lead to YAC and explosive plays that make Bell a fit in Kubiak’s offense.
