In a 2026 NFL Draft that's top-heavy with physically-imposing wide receiver prospects, one of the most captivating wideouts is the 5'7" Mississippi State product, Brenen Thompson. Thompson is the definition of the term "juiced up", and he finally put together his intriguing athletic tools to produce at an elite level with over 1,000 yards in 2025.
Four years before declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, he was a highly-regarded recruit out of Texas who stayed in-state and committed to the Texas Longhorns. After one quiet season in Austin, he flipped across the Red River Rivalry and transferred to Oklahoma, where he spent two seasons in a reserve role. He entered the transfer portal again before his senior season, ending up with the Bulldogs and showing out as one of the premier WRs in the SEC.
Brenen Thompson NFL Draft Profile:
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170 pounds
Hometown: Spearman, Texas
Statistics:
- 2025: 57 Receptions, 1,054 Yards, 6 TDs, 4 Carries, 14 Yards, 1 TD
- Career: 84 Receptions, 1,557 Yards, 10 TDs, 4 Carries, 14 Yards, 1 TD
Strengths:
Efficient mover early in routes against softer coverage, works out of his break, and gets to his spot quicklyIncredible stop-and-go footwork, can drop into his hips on a dime, and explode out to generate separation downfieldEstablishes his base extremely quickly on sit-down routes, makes himself available, and positions himself well to transition smoothly at the catch pointDeceptive hands and quick lateral footwork to give himself space on quick in-breaking releasesSets up his second-level sitdowns against zone coverage smartly, positioning himself to work into space without being too predictableExcellent hip turns when working to the inside on downfield routes, stays smooth and sudden with his movementsCollects himself immediately after the catch, secures the ball, and settles into his footwork to work downfieldWorks away from his frame well to reel in passes and contorts his body to sink into his base and drive upfield after the catchManipulates the CB’s blindside well through his route stems, can dissect outside leverage, and time his inside route cuts to take advantage of themSolid knowledge of how to stack cuts, will stay rounded on his first to take a sharper second cut and break away from deep safetiesImpressive burst and top speed to separate downfield on straight-line vertical routesBrings down passes with good awareness of the sideline and in the red zoneSharp foot strike when making vertical cuts, gains a ton of ground, and explodes through his lower halfPlays with a ton of juice and wastes no time working into open space later in playsUnderstands leverage on mid-level routes against zone coverage, will split zone assignments, and optimize his availabilityWeaknesses:
Undersized and will have to be schemed away from the play on run concepts, can put his head down and throw a “shock block” at times, but struggles to hold his ground on most playsHe lets his hips drag a bit when stopping himself suddenly, will have some balance issues, and has to exert himself more to work back to the QBWill have issues when trying to work downfield along the sideline against outside leverage, doesn’t have the size or physicality to successfully work through itGets a bit jittery when working laterally through traffic, slows up his routes, and can shrink separationSize gives him problems against more physical corners in press-man coverage, forcing him to work away from contact and lose initial momentumCBs that attack him at the top of his routes have frequent success against him, and he can’t do much to work away from themNFL Outlook:
Calling Thompson a spark plug would be a massive understatement. From his release package to his route running and through his post-catch movement, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenses to constantly contain. His top speed and elite burst make him dangerous on every route he runs, and his suddenness gives DBs problems throughout every game he plays in. Being undersized, his main issues come through physicality and overall limitation concerns with how large his role can reasonably be in the NFL. However, his tools, explosiveness, and developed route tree, as well as the NFL’s greater reliance on Slot WRs in recent years, should create a favorable situation for Thompson to enter the league and be a valuable contributor from Day 1.
NFL Player Comparison:
There's no perfect comparison for a player like Thompson, but his NFL career might fall on an arc that includes Kalif Raymond and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. He's twitched up, is an electric mover, and is a natural separator, but his size and lack of physicality could bring severe limitations if early issues arise. At worst, he could be likened to a "gadget guy" such as Raymond, but his skillset could yield similar production as Brown at his peak, with the hope for greater consistency than the former Baltimore Ravens' 1st round pick.
Prospect Grade:
