The Chargers selected Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson in the fourth round (No. 105 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Thompson is one of the most explosive wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft class and is ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. ‘s No. 74 overall prospect.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who had him at No. 82 overall, offered the following breakdown of Thompson:
An alum of Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” Thompson is an electric athlete who reaches his top gear in a hurry (24.07 mph at the combine). He has a basic understanding of how to weaponize his speed, setting up double moves or holding his vertical stem on posts or go routes (10 catches of 40-plus yards in 2025). He can loosen coverage using the threat of his deep speed, giving the quarterback clear targets on comebacks. The next steps in his development are expanding his route tree and showing more consistent snap in and out of breaks.
The selection of Thompson gives the Chargers another dynamic receiver to an already talented room, as he figures to be another key weapon for Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel in 2026.
The 22-year-old Thompson is listed at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds.
Thompson, who earned Third-Team All-SEC honors in 2025, is joining the Chargers after a monster final season with the Bulldogs where he led the SEC with 1,054 receiving yards. He also had five catches of 50-plus yards last season.
The receiver was also quite the standout at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the whole event at 4.26 seconds.
