2020 NFL Draft Preview: A deep group of talented wide receivers
Mar 19, 2020, 6:33 AM | Updated: Apr 10, 2020, 10:29 am
The NFL Draft is slated for April 23-25, providing seven rounds for the Broncos and other teams to find their stars of the future. At this point, Denver is slated to have 11 total picks, five of which will fall within the first 95 selections. In other words, John Elway will have plenty of assets to work with throughout the weekend.
What will he do with those picks? That’s anyone’s guess. But in the coming weeks, 1043TheFan.com will provide an overview of the best prospects.
Today, we continue by looking at a position where the Broncos will almost assuredly look in the draft – wide receiver. Outside of Courtland Sutton, Denver is very thin at that position. DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick have potential, but they aren’t the kind of weapons a young quarterback needs. Thus, expect John Elway to go shopping for wideouts to help Drew Lock. When the draft rolls around, here are the best options on the board:
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Top Five on the Board
1. CeeDee Lamb – When it comes to making plays in the passing game, few are as talented as Lamb. Time after time at Oklahoma, he’d make the spectacular play look easy, which has scouts raving about his ball skills. While not the fastest wide receiver in the draft, Lamb is still considered the best in a very good group because of his overall skill set. He’s a very good route runner, has good size at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and can outmaneuver defenders for the football.
2. Henry Ruggs III – Speed. Speed. And more speed. That’s what Ruggs brings to the table, as he’s projected to be a Tyreek Hill-type of player in the NFL. In other words, he’s a match-up nightmare for the opposition, as few defenders can stay with him stride for stride. He didn’t have huge production at Alabama and he’s a little on the slighter side (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), but those potential negatives are greatly outweighed by his upside. There’s no better player in the draft once the football is in his hands.
3. Jerry Jeudy – The more-productive of the Alabama wide receivers, Jeudy posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Crimson Tide. In 2018, he 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last year, he posted 1,163 yards and 10 scores. Primarily, that’s because he’s an elite route runner who knows how to get open. Some scouts have compared him to Marvin Harrison, which sets some lofty expectations. While he doesn’t have the blazing speed of his college teammate, Jeudy can certainly stretch the field.
4. Justin Jefferson – Jefferson is a classic example of scouts looking at the measurables instead of watching the game film. Anyone who saw the wideout at LSU, particularly in big games, knows that he has a nose for the football and/or end zone. His four-touchdown performance, all in the first half, against Oklahoma in the national semifinal game was off the charts. Somehow, however, he’s fallen down the draft board and some scouts see him as only a third-down receiver in the NFL. He’s too productive to be limited in that way.
5. Laviska Shenault – Injuries. Injuries. Injuries. That’s the story with Shenault, as it’s been throughout his career. At Colorado, he was typically the best player on the field, able to make spectacular catches, break tackles in the open field and generally dominate games. The problem, however, was that he was constantly nicked up and unable to play. That trait has continued as he’s transitioned to the pros, as a core injury hobbled him at the Scouting Combine and surgery cost him his pro day. He’s a risk, but there is a lot of upside.
