The Official 2026 NFL Draft Thread
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And forKC.
Overview
- Hometown: Charlotte, NC
- Birthday: September 24, 2004
- Age: 21.6
- Jersey: No. 7
- High School: Chambers
- Year: Third-year junior
A one-year starter at Texas A&M (and three-year starter overall), Concepcion lined up both outside (65.5 percent of snaps) and inside (34.3 percent) in former offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s RPO-based scheme. A prized target in the transfer portal after two seasons at NC State, he was the Aggies’ leading receiver in 2025 and led the SEC in receiving touchdowns (nine) and punt return yards (456). He won the 2025 Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football, and he became the first player in school history to record a receiving touchdown, rushing touchdown and punt return touchdown in the same season.
An urgent, gliding athlete, Concepcion isn’t all the way there yet, but he has come a long way with his route running. He has the lower-body agility to elude the jam and is very intentional with his steps and body language, which allows him to gain vertical separation or detach at the top of routes. He isn’t the most natural hands-catcher (10.3 percent drop rate in 2025), although he will benefit from a more receiver-friendly quarterback in the NFL.
Dane’s takeaway
Concepcion must cut down on the drops and fine-tune areas of his game, but he is a versatile playmaker with an innate feel for getting open before the catch and creating after it. He has the receiving talent to become a starting slot or Z while also providing value as a punt returner.
Film breakdown
Here’s everything you need to know about KC Concepcion in Beast Breakdowns, a film breakdown partnership with our colleagues at “The Athletic Football Show.”
Combine stats
Tap any column header to see its definition. Scroll right to see more metrics.
STAT HT WT HAND ARM WING BP 10 20 40 VJ BJ SS 3C Combine 5′115/8 196 91/4 301/4 747/8 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Pro Day 5′111/2 191 91/8 305/8 737/8 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Note: Combine: Position drills only (choice).
Strengths
- Fluid, gliding athlete with adequate size
- Sudden in his releases to swipe away jams and quickly stack corners
- Efficient speed cuts to build/maintain momentum through route breaks (heavy dose of in/out routes on his tape)
- Uses crafty body lean in route construction to force defenders off-balance
- Bends back to the football and has a feel for exposing space (78.7 percent of his 2025 catches went for a first down or touchdown, third-best rate in FBS)
- Used on screens and gadgets to weaponize his catch-and-run acceleration (7.2 YAC per reception in 2025)
- Able to make impressive adjustments on the ball mid-air and in traffic
- Really like his compete skills (at the catch, after the catch and as a blocker)
- Averaged 16.2 yards per punt return in college, with two return touchdowns in 2025 (79 and 80 yards)
- Head coach Mike Elko says he has “tremendous” work ethic — he quickly ingrained himself in the A&M culture
- Recorded at least three catches in all 13 games in 2025; tied for the SEC lead with nine touchdown grabs
Weaknesses
- Too many drops and double catches on his tape (both at NC State and Texas A&M)
- Late to frame the football, leading to claps and body traps
- Unnecessarily jumps at catch point, disrupting his focus
- Will freelance his routes at times, upsetting timing with his quarterback
- Falls below size requirements at outside receiver for several NFL teams
- Muffed punt on 2025 Miami tape
- Right knee scope (March 2026), performed by Cowboys team physician, Dr. Daniel Cooper
College stats
Tap any column header to see its definition. Scroll right to see more metrics.
YEAR SCHOOL GP GS REC REC YDS REC AVG REC TD DROPS 2023 NC State 13 12 71 839 11.82 10 5 2024 NC State 12 12 53 460 8.68 6 7 2025 Texas A&M 13 13 61 919 15.07 9 7 - 2023 Freshman All-American; ACC Rookie of the Year; led team in receiving; enrolled January 2023
- 2024 Two rushing TDs
- 2025 Consensus All-American (AP); First Team All-SEC (WR, AP); Hornung Award; two PR TDs; 8-yd rush TD
Background
Kevin “KC” Concepcion Jr. (con-sepp-see-OWN), who has four younger brothers, was born in Rochester, N.Y., before his family relocated to Charlotte, N.C., when he was 6. He was raised by his mother (Arriel), who works in healthcare, and father (Kevin Sr.), who now works in the NIL/marketing space. KC’s great-grandmother (Loyda Gonzalez), who raised Kevin Sr., is a native of Barcelonita, Puerto Rico, and later moved to New York.
His father is a former athlete who was recruited for baseball, basketball and football out of high school and had a standout redshirt freshman season as a defensive back and return man at Buffalo in 2002. However, he had several run-ins with the law, which disrupted his playing career. He later played semipro indoor football for the Rochester Raiders in 2010 (65 catches for 921 yards and 30 touchdowns) and the Erie Explosion in 2011 (1,502 receiving yards, 46 touchdowns).
KC Concepcion started playing flag football at age 4 and tackle football at age 5. He played numerous positions in youth football, including quarterback through middle school. He also started playing basketball in seventh grade and was a standout point guard. One of his younger brothers (Arrion) played his freshman season as a wide receiver at James Madison in 2025. Another of his brothers (Lloyd) is a standout middle school athlete. He also has a half-brother (Keyon), who played his redshirt freshman season as a wide receiver at Division II Concord (W.Va.) in 2025.
Concepcion grew up with a stutter. He has been open about his experience, including being the target of bullying, and spoke about it at the NFL combine.
He attended Zebulon B. Vance High School in Charlotte, which was later renamed Julius L. Chambers High School in 2021. He was a four-year letterman on varsity and teammates with James Pearce Jr. (2025 first-rounder of the Atlanta Falcons) and Hollywood Smothers (NC State 2026 NFL prospect). Concepcion made an immediate impact as a freshman wide receiver for a team that finished 13-2 and won the 2019 Class 4AA state championship (first state title in school history). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his sophomore season was moved to the spring of 2021 — he helped lead the team to a 10-1 finish and another state championship (had a 14-yard touchdown catch in the title game). As a junior in the fall of 2021, Concepcion caught 36 passes for 458 yards and eight touchdowns, while adding three punt return touchdowns, as Chambers won 11 games. As a senior, he led Chambers to its fourth straight regional title and earned honorable mention all-state honors. He finished his final season with 32 catches for 527 yards and five touchdowns, along with one rushing touchdown and one kick return touchdown. He also played basketball at Chambers before deciding to focus on football.
A three-star recruit, Concepcion was the 82nd-ranked wide receiver in the 2023 class and the No. 21 recruit in North Carolina. He started to move up the recruiting rankings after his sophomore season and picked up offers from Boston College, Charlotte, Marshall, Maryland and NC State. As a junior, Concepcion received his first SEC offer (Vanderbilt), along with offers from Florida State, Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and West Virginia. Ultimately, his decision came down to NC State and North Carolina. He committed to the Wolfpack in August 2022, because they “showed the most love” and gave him a chance to see early playing time. After two standout seasons, Concepcion entered the transfer portal in December 2024 and took visits to Alabama, Colorado, Miami and Texas A&M. His connection with head coach Mike Elko and quarterback Marcel Reed led him to the Aggies.
While at NC State, Concepcion established the KC Concepcion Foundation and is involved in the community, including back-to-school drives. He elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
-
And forKC.
Overview
- Hometown: Charlotte, NC
- Birthday: September 24, 2004
- Age: 21.6
- Jersey: No. 7
- High School: Chambers
- Year: Third-year junior
A one-year starter at Texas A&M (and three-year starter overall), Concepcion lined up both outside (65.5 percent of snaps) and inside (34.3 percent) in former offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s RPO-based scheme. A prized target in the transfer portal after two seasons at NC State, he was the Aggies’ leading receiver in 2025 and led the SEC in receiving touchdowns (nine) and punt return yards (456). He won the 2025 Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football, and he became the first player in school history to record a receiving touchdown, rushing touchdown and punt return touchdown in the same season.
An urgent, gliding athlete, Concepcion isn’t all the way there yet, but he has come a long way with his route running. He has the lower-body agility to elude the jam and is very intentional with his steps and body language, which allows him to gain vertical separation or detach at the top of routes. He isn’t the most natural hands-catcher (10.3 percent drop rate in 2025), although he will benefit from a more receiver-friendly quarterback in the NFL.
Dane’s takeaway
Concepcion must cut down on the drops and fine-tune areas of his game, but he is a versatile playmaker with an innate feel for getting open before the catch and creating after it. He has the receiving talent to become a starting slot or Z while also providing value as a punt returner.
Film breakdown
Here’s everything you need to know about KC Concepcion in Beast Breakdowns, a film breakdown partnership with our colleagues at “The Athletic Football Show.”
Combine stats
Tap any column header to see its definition. Scroll right to see more metrics.
STAT HT WT HAND ARM WING BP 10 20 40 VJ BJ SS 3C Combine 5′115/8 196 91/4 301/4 747/8 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Pro Day 5′111/2 191 91/8 305/8 737/8 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Note: Combine: Position drills only (choice).
Strengths
- Fluid, gliding athlete with adequate size
- Sudden in his releases to swipe away jams and quickly stack corners
- Efficient speed cuts to build/maintain momentum through route breaks (heavy dose of in/out routes on his tape)
- Uses crafty body lean in route construction to force defenders off-balance
- Bends back to the football and has a feel for exposing space (78.7 percent of his 2025 catches went for a first down or touchdown, third-best rate in FBS)
- Used on screens and gadgets to weaponize his catch-and-run acceleration (7.2 YAC per reception in 2025)
- Able to make impressive adjustments on the ball mid-air and in traffic
- Really like his compete skills (at the catch, after the catch and as a blocker)
- Averaged 16.2 yards per punt return in college, with two return touchdowns in 2025 (79 and 80 yards)
- Head coach Mike Elko says he has “tremendous” work ethic — he quickly ingrained himself in the A&M culture
- Recorded at least three catches in all 13 games in 2025; tied for the SEC lead with nine touchdown grabs
Weaknesses
- Too many drops and double catches on his tape (both at NC State and Texas A&M)
- Late to frame the football, leading to claps and body traps
- Unnecessarily jumps at catch point, disrupting his focus
- Will freelance his routes at times, upsetting timing with his quarterback
- Falls below size requirements at outside receiver for several NFL teams
- Muffed punt on 2025 Miami tape
- Right knee scope (March 2026), performed by Cowboys team physician, Dr. Daniel Cooper
College stats
Tap any column header to see its definition. Scroll right to see more metrics.
YEAR SCHOOL GP GS REC REC YDS REC AVG REC TD DROPS 2023 NC State 13 12 71 839 11.82 10 5 2024 NC State 12 12 53 460 8.68 6 7 2025 Texas A&M 13 13 61 919 15.07 9 7 - 2023 Freshman All-American; ACC Rookie of the Year; led team in receiving; enrolled January 2023
- 2024 Two rushing TDs
- 2025 Consensus All-American (AP); First Team All-SEC (WR, AP); Hornung Award; two PR TDs; 8-yd rush TD
Background
Kevin “KC” Concepcion Jr. (con-sepp-see-OWN), who has four younger brothers, was born in Rochester, N.Y., before his family relocated to Charlotte, N.C., when he was 6. He was raised by his mother (Arriel), who works in healthcare, and father (Kevin Sr.), who now works in the NIL/marketing space. KC’s great-grandmother (Loyda Gonzalez), who raised Kevin Sr., is a native of Barcelonita, Puerto Rico, and later moved to New York.
His father is a former athlete who was recruited for baseball, basketball and football out of high school and had a standout redshirt freshman season as a defensive back and return man at Buffalo in 2002. However, he had several run-ins with the law, which disrupted his playing career. He later played semipro indoor football for the Rochester Raiders in 2010 (65 catches for 921 yards and 30 touchdowns) and the Erie Explosion in 2011 (1,502 receiving yards, 46 touchdowns).
KC Concepcion started playing flag football at age 4 and tackle football at age 5. He played numerous positions in youth football, including quarterback through middle school. He also started playing basketball in seventh grade and was a standout point guard. One of his younger brothers (Arrion) played his freshman season as a wide receiver at James Madison in 2025. Another of his brothers (Lloyd) is a standout middle school athlete. He also has a half-brother (Keyon), who played his redshirt freshman season as a wide receiver at Division II Concord (W.Va.) in 2025.
Concepcion grew up with a stutter. He has been open about his experience, including being the target of bullying, and spoke about it at the NFL combine.
He attended Zebulon B. Vance High School in Charlotte, which was later renamed Julius L. Chambers High School in 2021. He was a four-year letterman on varsity and teammates with James Pearce Jr. (2025 first-rounder of the Atlanta Falcons) and Hollywood Smothers (NC State 2026 NFL prospect). Concepcion made an immediate impact as a freshman wide receiver for a team that finished 13-2 and won the 2019 Class 4AA state championship (first state title in school history). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his sophomore season was moved to the spring of 2021 — he helped lead the team to a 10-1 finish and another state championship (had a 14-yard touchdown catch in the title game). As a junior in the fall of 2021, Concepcion caught 36 passes for 458 yards and eight touchdowns, while adding three punt return touchdowns, as Chambers won 11 games. As a senior, he led Chambers to its fourth straight regional title and earned honorable mention all-state honors. He finished his final season with 32 catches for 527 yards and five touchdowns, along with one rushing touchdown and one kick return touchdown. He also played basketball at Chambers before deciding to focus on football.
A three-star recruit, Concepcion was the 82nd-ranked wide receiver in the 2023 class and the No. 21 recruit in North Carolina. He started to move up the recruiting rankings after his sophomore season and picked up offers from Boston College, Charlotte, Marshall, Maryland and NC State. As a junior, Concepcion received his first SEC offer (Vanderbilt), along with offers from Florida State, Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and West Virginia. Ultimately, his decision came down to NC State and North Carolina. He committed to the Wolfpack in August 2022, because they “showed the most love” and gave him a chance to see early playing time. After two standout seasons, Concepcion entered the transfer portal in December 2024 and took visits to Alabama, Colorado, Miami and Texas A&M. His connection with head coach Mike Elko and quarterback Marcel Reed led him to the Aggies.
While at NC State, Concepcion established the KC Concepcion Foundation and is involved in the community, including back-to-school drives. He elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
Concepcion must cut down on the drops
hell yes , him and Jeudy WOW i cant wait to watch the balls hit the ground
g
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Well, Sadiq, my first pick, was taken 16th.
and my OT pick, Max Iheanachor, OT, went to the squeelers.
So, let's look on the bright side - Fano can play both tackle spots,
has the ability to start fast, as compared to Freeling, who will take some time.
and, Fano was not there at the draft. Stayed home.
Guess what other OT the Browns drafted, that didn't go to the draft. lol
Joe Thomas.
Now, KC Concepcion - his drops are a concern...except it has to be said some of it can be his qb wasn't all that accurate.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25292033-nfl-draft-2026-scouting-report-texas-am-qb-marcel-reed
"Reed's arm talent is average. His passes sail the further he pushes the football downfield. When throwing downfield, his passes lack control. Throw will get away from him as he muscles them into windows.
- His accuracy and ball placement are inconsistent from the pocket. Reed tends to put the ball in compromising positions. His ball placement doesn't consistently put his receivers out of coverage.
- Reed's footwork is unsettled and lacks calmness inside the pocket. He is consistently toesy and bouncy in the pocket, leading to inaccurate throws. Throwing from a sound and strong base will help improve his accuracy and ball placement"
so, I have a "wait and see" on Concepcion, he could turn out to be very, very exciting a wr for the Browns.
maybe.
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Some of those 7 "drops" this year were balls most receivers would not have touched making them very difficult to catch. Reed was inconsistent as the A&M QB which is what cal points out. I think he'll work out fine when you add all the extra ST play to the mix. I think he saves us one ST position and maybe even 2. That allows us more room to have extras in other areas of critical need.
I'd like to see us use some of that draft capital we now have to move up for Boston.
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I am not a fan of guys that drop passes. I would like to see him return punts though. It did seem like there were better options at Wr though
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Sure, injuries got him but his attitude was his biggest problem.
Point being, WRs who are sub 6ft can thrive.
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Boston or Hurst at WR or Kayden McDonald
should Be looked at tomorrow early
Boston or Hurst at WR or Kayden McDonald
should Be looked at tomorrow early
Or McNeill-Warren at safety, or the two Tennessee cornerbacks.
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Some of those 7 "drops" this year were balls most receivers would not have touched making them very difficult to catch. Reed was inconsistent as the A&M QB which is what cal points out. I think he'll work out fine when you add all the extra ST play to the mix. I think he saves us one ST position and maybe even 2. That allows us more room to have extras in other areas of critical need.
I'd like to see us use some of that draft capital we now have to move up for Boston.
Some of those 7 "drops" this year were balls most receivers would not have touched making them very difficult to catch. Reed was inconsistent as the A&M QB which is what cal points out. I think he'll work out fine when you add all the extra ST play to the mix. I think he saves us one ST position and maybe even 2. That allows us more room to have extras in other areas of critical need.
I'd like to see us use some of that draft capital we now have to move up for Boston.
Boston might be a good complement to Concepcion, as would be Hurst.
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Man, the Jets last night.
I have a feeling their fans are pretty psyched today.
Bailey, Sadiq and Cooper. My oh my.
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In a perfect world the Browns add another OLineman (Center), a WR with size and a secondary player tonight.
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- Round 2, Pick 39
- Round 3, Pick 70
- Round 3, Pick 74 (from Chiefs)
- Round 4, Pick 107
- Round 5, Pick 148 (from Chiefs)
- Round 5, Pick 146
- Round 5, Pick 149 (from Bengals)
- Round 6, Pick 206 (from Bears)
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Round 7, Pick 248 (from Seahawks)
33San Francisco 49ers Stribling WR34Arizona Cardinals Bisontis G35Buffalo Bill TJ Parker DE36Las Vegas Raiders to Texans Kayden McDonald DT37New York Giants C. Hood CB38Houston Texans To Raiders T. Stukes S39DenZel Boston WRCleveland Browns
Browns & Buffett: Got to go fishin, Down to rock bottom again, with just a few Friends -
Well Boston is still available right?... So lets see what happens... Every player drafted has some holes to their game. It comes down to what player can minimize or eliminate said holes..... I love this kids skill set.. I'm sure Tex loves him because he's an AGGIE.. What light can you shed on him Tex?... I wouldn't mind picking up that Gunnar kid or whatever his name is... The O line dude..
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I think at the end of the day Fano will be a good to very good starting OLineman somewhere on the OLine. Not sure he's the answer at LTackle though.
I liked Concepcion all season long, but I really like Omar Cooper. Definitely going to be comparing the two in the seasons ahead.
Loved picking up the 3rd and 5th to get the guy I think they wanted all along. I'd like to see them be aggressive and trade up if they are targeting specific players if needed. This seems like a draft you want to get seven guys you really like over ten guys.
I'd like to see them be aggressive and trade up if they are targeting specific players
Exactly. The trade with the Chiefs gives us fire-power to get back into round 2 for a second dip if we wanted. I still want Boston. Do we want to move up from pick 7 in round 2 to snag him? We can do it now. I don't have a passion for drafting three 5th rounders. Let's use them to move up and get someone that we really want. - I'm looking forward to day 2's action.
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CBS Sports gave us A+ overall and A+ for both our picks.
Cleveland Browns -- A+
Pick Player Grade R1 (9) -- via trade with Chiefs Spencer Fano -- OT, Utah A+ R1 (24) KC Concepcion -- WR, Texas A&M A+
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Two "A+" picks makes the Browns the biggest winner of Day 1. Cleveland wanted to come out of the first round with an offensive lineman and a receiver, and it got both of them. Not only that, but it got terrific value. - CBS Sports
NFL.com also rated us an A
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The Athletic gave us a B+ for both picks.
I gotta say l was a little surprised they didn’t go for Downs or Bain when both were still available at 9 after the trade down. If they were truly going for BPA wouldn’t you think one of those guys would’ve been the pick?
It occurred to me Berry is probably playing it safe to hang on to his job.
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I'd like to see them be aggressive and trade up if they are targeting specific players
Exactly. The trade with the Chiefs gives us fire-power to get back into round 2 for a second dip if we wanted. I still want Boston. Do we want to move up from pick 7 in round 2 to snag him? We can do it now. I don't have a passion for drafting three 5th rounders. Let's use them to move up and get someone that we really want. - I'm looking forward to day 2's action.
Exactly. The trade with the Chiefs gives us fire-power to get back into round 2 for a second dip if we wanted. I still want Boston. Do we want to move up from pick 7 in round 2 to snag him? We can do it now. I don't have a passion for drafting three 5th rounders. Let's use them to move up and get someone that we really want. - I'm looking forward to day 2's action.
Totally agree using those picks to move up early. Unfortunately I will have to keep up via my phone since wifey scheduled an evening out for dinner with friends starting exactly when day 2 draft starts.
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the 24 pick - the Browns gave KC Concepcion the opportunity to star with the Browns offense.
Watching his highlights - he really has that kind of ability, so I will be excited and have to admit I was one of those who overlooked him. Stuttering aside, and the drops rate aside.....he can really play - explosive, elusive and has some terrific instincts.
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