Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields wows Senior Bowl scouts with size and ball-winning prowess, boosting his 2026 NFL Draft stock.
The Senior Bowl kicks off this Saturday featuring several high octane players across the country who are looking to raise their draft stock. Former Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields is starting to draw a lot of attention for his size, playmaking ability, route running ability and catch radius he's put on display this week at Senior Bowl practice.
"There are a talented bunch of wide receivers at the Senior Bowl this year, but Fields was clearly a cut above every other player at the position. His ability to get into breaks was impressive, and he had the catch of the week on a deep ball from Arkansas QB Taylen Green. He was already one of my Top 50 prospects and he’s only going to move up the board after the way he popped this week." - Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Media Analyst
Fields was named a Top 50 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft by Jeremiah earlier this week. He was one of three Notre Dame players listed in his Top 50 alongside running back Jadarian Price (No. 43) and star running back Jeremiyah Love (No. 2).
"Fields is a big, physical wide receiver and a phenomenal ball winner," Jeremiah said about Fields in his Top 50 rankings. "He powers through press coverage and runs clean routes. He isn't super twitchy, but he's efficient with his footwork at the top of routes and works back to the quarterback well. He wins a lot of 50/50 balls down the field and in the red zone."
"He is a bully when the ball is in the air," Jeremiah continued. "To see him at his best, watch the Pitt game; he makes several impressive plays, including a remarkable one-handed grab. After the catch, he lacks elite pull-away speed, but he's tough and competitive. Overall, Fields will fill that power forward role at the next level and should be a real weapon in the red zone."
The 6-4, 223-pound receiver finished the 2025 season with 36 receptions, 630 receiving yards, averaged 17.5 yards per catch and had five receiving touchdowns. In his career, Fields accumulated 165 receptions, 2,479 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. He's one of the most productive receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft and is a physical specimen.
Fields was brought into South Bend to be their primary boundary receiver and quickly became one of quarterback CJ Carr's go-to targets throughout the season. He helped jumpstart the offense in the second half against Miami and had one of the best games of his career against Pitt on the road hauling in two touchdown grabs and one of the best catches of the 2025 season.
The Virginia native has prototypical NFL size and will fit in the boundary for several teams in the league. It's likely he won't be a day one pick, but his stock is quickly rising. Ideally, Fields has a strong NFL combine to continue boosting his draft stock. This isn't a very deep class at wide receiver; Fields has the opportunity to quickly move his way up several GM's draft boards over the next two to three months.
Unfortunately, we didn't see Fields in the post season, but it was likely his role in the offense would have grown once they reached the playoffs. Hopefully, Fields goes to a team at the next level where he can continue to grow and we can continue watching his impact on Sundays.
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