Up, Down or Stay: Where should you rank Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and OU’s CeeDee Lamb?
Want to know a good way to upset an NFL draft analyst?
Tell him or her you think the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL draft is someone other than Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy or Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb.
Then strap in for a good 30-minute lecture on why you’re wrong.
While it’s possible someone else is the first receiver drafted, those two are widely considered WR1A and WR1B — and for good reason, as the two have dominated since their freshmen seasons.
First rounders? Absolutely.
Top 15? Hmm, probably.
Top 10? Now it gets a little dicey.
Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
*2017 | Alabama | SEC | FR | WR | 8 | 14 | 264 | 18.9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 264 | 18.9 | 2 | |
*2018 | Alabama | SEC | SO | WR | 15 | 68 | 1315 | 19.3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 1315 | 19.3 | 14 | |
*2019 | Alabama | SEC | JR | WR | 13 | 77 | 1163 | 15.1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 78 | 1164 | 14.9 | 10 |
Career | Alabama | 159 | 2742 | 17.2 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 160 | 2743 | 17.1 | 26 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
*2017 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | FR | WR | 13 | 46 | 807 | 17.5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 807 | 17.5 | 7 | |
*2018 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | SO | WR | 14 | 65 | 1158 | 17.8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 1158 | 17.8 | 11 | |
*2019 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | JR | WR | 13 | 62 | 1327 | 21.4 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 2.2 | 1 | 71 | 1347 | 19.0 | 15 |
Career | Oklahoma | 173 | 3292 | 19.0 | 32 | 9 | 20 | 2.2 | 1 | 182 | 3312 | 18.2 | 33 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Who needs a WR?
If you’re ranking, then drafting with, your own customized On The Clock big board, you’ll inevitably face the issue of where to slot Jeudy and Lamb.
Some of the top draft analysts say those two are future Pro Bowlers. That alone is enough to move them up draft boards. But those two are top of the class of what’s considered a potentially historically deep receiving class.
That means, there’s a good chance you can find a future Pro Bowler at receiver on Day 2 or even Day 3.
And that’s enough reason for some teams to pass on Jeudy and Lamb.
So let’s look at the potential landing spots for the duo:
1. Cincinnati: Will likely draft LSU’s Joe Burrow.
2. Washington: If they stay put, they’ll likely draft Ohio State’s Chase Young or a QB
3. Detroit: Young if Washington takes a QB, or Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, Auburn’s Derrick Brown, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs or Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons.
4. NY Giants: WR is pretty low on their needs’ list.
5. Miami: Needs a QB.
6. LA Chargers: Needs a QB.
7. Carolina: See Giants.
8. Arizona: Just traded for All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins.
9. Jacksonville: See Giants.
10. Cleveland: OT is the biggest need.
11. NY Jets: While you can make the argument that OL, pass rusher and CB are bigger needs, either Jeudy or Lamb would be a huge upgrade for the Jets.
12. Las Vegas: The Raiders absolutely need an upgrade at WR as it has yet to adequately replace Amari Cooper.
13. San Francisco: Thanks to a trade with Indianapolis, the Super Bowl runner-up has a relatively high draft pick – and could also use an upgrade at receiver.
14. Tampa Bay: Even with “new” QB Tom Brady, WR is pretty low on the priority list. Still, it makes you wonder about a Brady-to-Jeudy or a Brady-to-Lamb connection.
15. Denver: OT and CB are probably the biggest needs, but so is WR.
16. Atlanta: Already has Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.
17. Dallas: Already has Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, but … owner Jerry Jones loves the splashy pick, and Jeudy and Lamb would fit the bill.
I have a strange feeling one of CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy will be available to the #Cowboys at No. 17.
Which one do you believe would be a better fit in their offense?
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 25, 2020
18: Miami: If they land a QB with their first pick, they could pair him with a top WR.
19. Las Vegas: See No. 12.
20. Jacksonville: It would be surprising if either Jeudy or Lamb are still available at 20, but if one of them is, you can bet Jacksonville will sprint to the podium.
Of course, all of this is highly subjective. It’s not out of the question for a team like the Giants, for example, to pair Jeudy or Lamb with last year’s top pick, QB Daniel Jones. Both Arizona and Jacksonville might want to pair another stud WR with their second-year signal-callers, too.
But, as it stands now, the “sweet spot” for Jeudy and Lamb seems to be the 11 to 15 range of the first round.
Jake Rigdon (jake@sydwriting.com) covers the NFL draft for Fanspeak and the On The Clock, which is the only NFL draft simulator that allows you to customize and use your own big board while giving you control over trades.