Malachi Fields Draft Profile: Where Could Notre Dame's Star Wideout Land?
- Noah Wehby
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
The 2026 NFL draft has a plethora of talented wide receivers, making it one of the deepest position groups in the draft. Malachi Fields is a big part of that, but with a very up and down draft process, Fields' future seems as unpredictable as ever.
Although Notre Dame's backfield is getting most of the attention in the draft, Malachi Fields is also set to hear his name called early on day two (most likely). Fields largely flew under the radar for much of the 2025 season at Notre Dame. Behind that backfield, a lot of the best parts of that Notre Dame team did not receive national recognition. Fields is the perfect example of that type of player. In that Notre Dame offense, the passing game was a compliment to the running game, so targets were hard to come by. Even then, it is clear why scouts are falling in love with Fields' size, hands, and ability to track a deep ball.
After three productive years at Virginia, Fields joined the Irish as the primary outside threat for their new star quarterback CJ Carr. It was clear from the start that Carr had a lot of faith in Fields' ability to win downfield. While his 2025 numbers were down from the two years previous, he made a lot of key plays for the Irish in some really big moments. Fields always seemed to come up with a big third down, a jump-ball downfield, and the occasional touchdown. Although his numbers were down, Fields still finished with 630 yards and five touchdowns. It was clear throughout the season that Fields was plenty good enough to be a 1,000 yard receiver at Notre Dame. Due to the offense he was in, Fields' name was just not called upon enough to put up the numbers that the national media notices. While people may not have noticed his numbers, they did notice the unbelievable catch he pulled off against Pitt. In what was probably his best play as a member of the Fighting Irish, Fields stretched over the top of a defender to reel in the ball with one hand. There is no doubt that many Irish fans are disappointed that Fields could not come back for another year, but it is the NFL teams who are grateful to add a weapon like him to their team.
Looking into what Fields brings as a prospect, the first thing that jumps off the page is his size. Standing at 6'4" and 223 lbs, Fields is a huge target on the outside. With that size, Fields is amazing at boxing out defenders on curl and out-routes. To pair with that, his size is just as dangerous when going for jump balls. Simply out, Fields is just too big for a lot of the corners that he matches up against, which puts him at a distinct advantage. At the NFL level, size can only get you so far, so it is important for a player like Fields to have more in his arsenal. For him, it is his elite hands and ball tracking ability that tips the scales. Fields often has to catch the ball in tight windows or with a man right on him, making his hands that much more important. At Notre Dame, it was rare to see him drop a ball, and he often wowed people by making even the difficult ones look routine. At the Senior Bowl, Fields displayed his elite ability to track a ball in the air, an underrated skill for wide receivers. Fields showed that he might just be the best in the whole class at doing just that. Todd McShay, one of the top draft class analysts, reinforced this notion when talking about how much Fields impressed him at the Senior Bowl. Yes, the combine showed that Fields is not an elite athlete that is going to blow anyone away with his athleticism. For NFL teams, that does present a concern for his ability to separate at the next level. Only time will tell if that concern is warranted, but Fields does present a lot of skills to help him become successful at the professional level.
Best Fits
Round 2, Pick 35: Tennessee Titans
Although Fields could sneak his way into the end of the first round, it is much more likely that he lands somewhere in the early second. Luckily for Fields, there are a lot of teams in this range with needs at wide receiver, one of them being the Titans. The Titans could very well take Jeremiyah Love with their first round pick, making this a Notre Dame reunion for the duo. The Titans, now under Robert Saleh, have already made some moves in free agency to beef up a Titans defense that ranked among the worst in the NFL. With those upgrades, the Titans could use the draft as an opportunity to give Cam Ward the necessary weapons to be successful. Fields would pair nicely with what the Titans already have in the wide receiver room. After signing Wan'Dale Robinson, they now have a quality slot wide receiver who is excellent at working the middle of the field. Last draft, they drafted Chimere Dike, a fourth round pick who was surprisingly productive as a sure set of hands for Ward to find. If they were to add Fields, he would fit perfectly as the "X" or boundary wide receiver. He would give that room a true outside threat to win balls downfield. Ward likes to work off the cuff, so a big-bodied target who could get downfield would be a nice addition to an already promising, young wide receiver room.
Round 2, Pick 36: Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders will draft Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the draft, filling their biggest need at quarterback. They have been big spenders in free agency, as they try to build up the offensive line and defense to accommodate a rookie quarterback. With their second round pick, they could go after a player like Fields to help Mendoza out even more. The Raiders are in desperate need of more weapons, as they only ranked 25th in passing yards last season. To add to that, the Raiders only accounted for 20 passing touchdowns. Fields could help increase these numbers, especially alongside Mendoza. During his time at Indiana, Mendoza became elite at throwing the back-shoulder pass. It was a staple of the Indiana offense, and it proved difficult to stop with the accuracy Mendoza threw with. Fields is a perfect target to throw the back-shoulder to. With his big frame, Fields is able to shield smaller defenders with his body, and with his long arms, he is able to stretch out to grab the ball. It may be a bit of a niche reason to pick a player, but Fields is a match made in heaven for a quarterback like Mendoza.
From this point in the draft, there are a number of teams that could consider Fields in the second round. The Giants, Chiefs, Browns, Dolphins, and Jets are all teams that pick in the first-half of the second round and need wide receiver help. With the immense depth at wide receiver in this draft, you could see them fly off the board in this part of the draft. Fields is not considered to be in that first group of wide receivers which include Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson. He is the next next group however, and his landing spot may just depend of the team's preference. Either way, Fields should expect to hear his name early on day two, giving him some high expectations to perform early in his career.
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