In the 2025 NFL season, 20 players reached the 1,000 receiving yard threshold, with four of them achieving the feat for the first time: Wan’Dale Robinson, Tetairoa McMillan, Michael Wilson, and Alec Pierce. With a lot of players changing teams and others recovering or fully recovered from injury, there is a solid chance a handful of players will achieve this feat for the first time in 2026. Before the NFL Draft unfolds, we want to call our shot and identify five prime targets to break 1,000 for the first time in the upcoming year.

1. Emeka Egbuka-WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is probably the easiest prediction on the entire list. Egbuka fell just short of 1,000 receiving yards in 2025 with 938. He started the year off hot, but faltered in the back half of the campaign and finished 62 yards from the milestone. Franchise cornerstone Mike Evans departed in free agency for San Francisco, leaving all the opportunity in the world for the sophomore out of Ohio State to obliterate last year’s receiving totals. Egbuka has all the talent in the world, and with a healthy Baker Mayfield at the helm, look for the former to at the very least clear the thousand-yard mark.

2. Harold Fannin-TE Cleveland Browns

Fannin stepped into an immediate role for Cleveland as a rookie in 2025, splitting reps with David Njoku and delivering an impressive 731 receiving yards on 72 receptions and a whopping 107 targets. Gaudy numbers as a tight end are tough to come by as is, but as a rookie it’s a testament to how major of a piece Fannin was and is in the Browns offense. Shedeur Sanders is expected to start the year as the Browns QB, and developed a significant rapport with Fannin late in 2025. With Njoku still unsigned, there’s a solid chance Fannin has the tight end room (and potentially top target duties) to himself in 2026. The sky is the limit for the Bowling Green standout.

3. Christian Watson-WR Green Bay Packers

The main issue that has prevented Watson from reaching the 1,000 yard mark thus far is health: he’s missed 20 games over his first four seasons due to injury. He averaged 61.1 yards per game in 2025, which would have been enough to hit the threshold had he played the entire season at that pace. Route specialist Romeo Doubs (Patriots) and dart-throw Dontayvion Wicks (Eagles) are no longer on the roster, leaving WR1 up for grabs. The job is essentially Watson’s to lose, as Matthew Golden was pretty underwhelming in terms of both usage and production as a rookie in 2025, and Jayden Reed is more boom-or-bust than a true WR1. If Watson can replicate even his baseline in 2025 AND stay healthy, he’s a lock for 1K in 2026.

4. Colston Loveland-TE Chicago Bears

This spot was a toss up between Loveland and wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, but we ultimately decided on the sophomore out of Notre Dame. Loveland really came around in the last four games of the 2025 season (including the playoffs), notching 378 receiving yards and a pair of end zone trips. Wideout DJ Moore was dealt to the Buffalo Bills, leaving three young mouths to feed in Chicago with Caleb Williams poised for the jump to superstardom. Loveland has a real shot to be the team’s top receiving threat, and should work his way into the upper echelon of tight ends in 2026 with a 1,000 yard season.

5. Parker Washington-WR Jacksonville Jaguars

We are putting all are eggs in Washington’s basket in 2026. This receiving corps looked to be headed by Brian Thomas Jr entering 2025, but a string of injuries and poor production by the 2024 rookie sensation left the door open for Washington and trade deadline acquisition Jakobi Meyers to steal the spotlight during the second half of the year. While Meyers is one of the better safety blankets in football, Washington has all the makings of a pending WR1 breakout in 2026. He racked up 454 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns across the final four games of 2025 (including the playoffs), and enters 2026 at a prime age of 24. While Thomas could rebound and Meyers and tight end Brenton Strange provide QB Trevor Lawrence with plenty of talent on offense, Washington has the chance to put together a special season in 2026.