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    2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers
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    2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers – who is WR1?

    Every draft class has its strengths and weaknesses. The 2020 NFL Draft class is no different, and its greatest strength may be the top of it's receiver class. There are four receivers that I view as potential suitors for the coveted WR1 spot.

    By Matthew Valdovinos

    Best since 2014. Three words that hold a lot of weight, yet without context seem underwhelming. In 2014, the wide receiver draft class was legendary. It’s nearly unheard of for one class to produce five Pro Bowlers from one position. Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, and Davante Adams are the biggest names. It’s a class that’s yet to be matched, until this year.

    I believe the 2020 receiver class has the ability to be just as good, if not better than the 2014 class. While typically, it’s an impossible standard to hold a class to, but this is no normal class. The 2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers are truly elite prospects, as I currently have four receivers graded as first-round prospects. For reference, I only had four first-round receiver grades through the draft classes of 2017-2019. 

    Which receiver is worthy of the title WR1? As I stated earlier, I have four receivers with a first-round grade, and each one has a skill set that could lead them to be the first receiver drafted. Whether it’s otherworldly route running, a total and complete skill set, generational speed, or a complete physical specimen. Whatever your taste, there’s a receiver for you. Here, I’ll breakdown what each receiver does well and why they deserve to be viewed as WR1 candidates. After, I’ll breakdown my personal rankings and why I view them that way.

    Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – 6’1, 192 pounds

    Among the 2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers, Jerry Jeudy seems to be the consensus favorite to be selected first. Many view Jeudy as a generational-level draft prospect and the best receiver we’ve seen in quite some time. I don’t like to toss around the term “generational” as liberally as others, so I wouldn’t go that far. However, I can admit that Jeudy is generational in certain aspects of his game. Namely, his route running. Jerry Jeudy is the best route runner I have ever seen.

    Jeudy isn’t an elite physical prospect; he won’t run a low 4.3 (though he’s no slouch) and he’s not going to drop jaws with his measurements. However, his truly elite ability is in his route running. With a combination of dominant footwork, varied releases, hand fighting, and body control, Jeudy has put together a skill-set that translates to any football field. He naturally creates separation, unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. Here Jeudy runs a “sluggo” route against soft coverage in the slot. He starts with a vertical release and once he gets close enough to the defensive back, he breaks on the slant. Once the cornerback bites, he uses no wasted movement as he cuts back vertically, creating nearly five yards of separation.

    Jeudy also possesses the ability to stop at any given moment, regardless of how fast he’s moving. To quote a close friend of mine “If most people stop on a dime, Jerry Jeudy stops on a nickel.” Yeah, I don’t really get that metaphor, either. But watch this jaw-dropping stop on the move by Jeudy:

    To top off his dominant skill set, Jeudy is elite with the ball in his hands. If all else fails, he can succeed on his ability to produce yards and points on screen passes and dump-offs. His route running and speed make him a vertical threat, while his YAC ability and body control make him a complete receiver prospect.

    CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma – 6’2, 191 pounds

    Similar to Jeudy, Lamb is a receiver who lacks dominant physical tools but also has no glaring weaknesses in his game. Also, similarly to Jeudy, Lamb is a supreme route runner and a YAC threat. He may not be on the level of Jeudy in those fields but is great nonetheless.

    However, where Lamb truly shines is his unrivaled body control and concentration at the catch point. I’m a big believer that dominating 50-50 balls in college isn’t a translatable skill to the NFL. The reasoning is that almost every college receiver that thrives on 50-50 balls is naturally a more gifted athlete than the cornerbacks covering them; it’s not like that in the NFL.

    However, CeeDee Lamb doesn’t win 50-50 balls because he’s more physically gifted than cornerbacks. He wins 50-50 balls because he’s more mentally gifted. His concentration and awareness of where he is, where the boundary is, and where the ball is, is amazing. In this clip, you see Lamb’s awareness on body control as he catches a heater while falling out of bounds. He manages to keep his feet in bounds and it’s called a completed catch. Catches like this litter Lamb’s film.

    Lamb is probably the worst natural athlete on this list. What’s amazing about that, is that I believe Lamb will still run a sub-4.5 40 and will test well in agility and explosion drills. Lamb possesses excellent vision as a runner and has a knack for breaking tackles. Here, he shows his tough running as he scores a long touchdown on a delayed screen:

    Among the 2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers, I believe Lamb has the skill set that is the most translatable to the NFL, and he also has the least amount of weaknesses or negatives to his game. He can also do this:

    Henry Ruggs III, Alabama – 6’0, 190 pounds

    Henry Ruggs III doesn’t possess the same developed skill set as Lamb and Jeudy. He’s not a dominant route runner, nor is he a physical presence on 50-50 balls. However, he has something neither Lamb nor Jeudy has: His speed. Ruggs is fast. Like, insanely fast. Many believe he’s a contender to break John Ross’ 40-yard dash record, and some even believe he’s got speed to break the 4.1s. Something that has never happened. Laser or hand-timed. Ruggs has speed that might be unmatched in any level of football. If Ruggs actually runs a sub-4.2, I would fully expect him to be the first wide receiver drafted. Here his speed is on full display:

    While I mentioned earlier he isn’t the 50-50 receiver the Lamb is, it doesn’t mean he’s incapable of winning jump balls. In fact, Ruggs has shown flash plays from time to time that make him seem very special.

     

    My concern with Ruggs is that he lacks a level of consistency in his game that we commonly see in NFL deep threats. Guys like DeSean Jackson and Will Fuller are both great weapons but don’t provide a ton for your team on a down-to-down basis. Neither is a true No. 1 receiver, and both work best as secondary weapons that threaten vertically and provide big plays occasionally. So I’m left wondering, just what exactly will Ruggs be? The next DeSean Jackson, or something much much more?

    Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado – 6’2, 220 pounds

    Among all the 2020 NFL Draft top wide receivers, Laviska Shenault has been the quietest this season, for a number of different reasons. The first is his health. Shenault has struggled his entire career to stay healthy. In the past two seasons, he’s missed five games and always seems to be nagged by something.

    Unfortunately, Shenault also plays in an offensive system that doesn’t utilize his skill set. A majority of his passes come from behind the line of scrimmage, and he’s used more like a running back than a wide receiver. This makes his evaluation extremely difficult because he’s a rare physical blend. He’s comfortably the biggest receiver on this list and doubles as an explosive athlete. Everything I stated is evident in this next clip. Shenault is lined up in the wildcat (a common occurrence), and he uses his vision to find the hole and then runs past everyone for the touchdown. 

    Chenault has the best physical profile of anyone on this list, and that’s the main driving force behind his potential case for WR1. What could he be, instead of what he currently is? His ceiling is that of Julio Jones, but his floor is eerily close to Cordarelle Patterson. Including his injury history, he’s the definition of a boom-or-bust candidate. However, if you’re willing to bet on his ceiling, Shenault could be the guy for you.

    Personal Rankings

    My wide receiver rankings are obviously built through my eyes. It’s how I view each prospect’s strengths and weaknesses and the value I put into each one of them. My list might differ from yours and that’s perfectly fine; if you disagree with me, let me know on Twitter what yours looks like. 

    WR1: Ceedee Lamb, Oklahoma. 

    Lamb comes in as my WR1 because I view his skill set as the easiest to translate to the NFL. The way he wins works in the NFL, and I expect him to be a weapon by Day 1. I see little to no weaknesses in his tape, and he’s currently my highest-rated wide receiver.

    WR2: Jerry Jeudy, Alabama.

    Jeudy is the consensus top receiver prospect, and some even view him as the best prospect in the entire draft class. I’m a big fan of Jeudy and he’s still a top five prospect for me, but he’s only my WR2. That said, Jeudy is a weapon, and any team would be lucky to have him on their team.

    WR3: Henry Ruggs III, Alabama.

    Ruggs is a speed demon. His speed alone should get him drafted in the first round. Combine his speed with the occasional jaw-dropping catch and his vision as a runner and you’ve got a true threat. However, Ruggs lacks consistency and a developed skill set. Ruggs could have the highest ceiling in this class, and he might make history in Indianapolis. 

    WR4: Laviska Shenault, Colorado.

    If Shenault was healthy and if he played at a school like Ohio State, we may be talking about him as the undisputed best receiver in the country. However, he isn’t, so we can’t. His upside is immense, and his physical traits are dominant. Unfortunately, Shenault’s evaluation is almost all projection at this point. 

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