2020 NFL Draft
Wide Receivers
By: Alex Khvatov
Which 2020 WR prospect has the best traits?
Hands
Alex Khvatov: Isaiah Hodgins (Oregon State)
Route Running
Alex Khvatov: Jerry Jeudy (Alabama)
Body Control
Alex Khvatov: CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma)
Athleticism
Alex Khvatov: Donovan Peoples-Jones (Michigan)
Deep Threat
Alex Khvatov: Henry Ruggs III (Alabama)
Quickness
Alex Khvatov: KJ Hamler (Penn State)
Yards After the Catch/Elusiveness
Alex Khvatov: CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma)
Acceleration off the Line/Releases
Alex Khvatov: Jalen Reagor (TCU)
Contested Catches
Alex Khvatov: James Proche (SMU)
Blocking
Alex Khvatov: CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma)
5 Burning Questions
How many wide receivers will be drafted in the first round? Identify them.
Alex Khvatov: I believe that we will see six receivers being selected in the first round. CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma), Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), Henry Ruggs III (Alabama), Justin Jefferson (LSU), Tee Higgins (Clemson) and Denzel Mims (Baylor). Lamb, Jeudy and Ruggs III are the top three receivers. Slot WR Jefferson ran a 4.43 at the Combine and helped himself with that time. He is a precise route runner. Higgins is a big target with a huge catching radius. He will be an attractive player for the Bills. Mims is the wildcard. His size, speed and athleticism will help him sneak into the first round. The Packers could be a possible destination for him.
Will you take the over or the under on 20 wide receivers being selected in the first three rounds?
Alex Khvatov: This is a very talented and deep WR class. We haven’t seen a group like this in quite some time. But I will still take the under on that number. 18 or 19 wide receivers will get drafted in the first three rounds.
Which WR prospect has risen more in your eyes since the season ended?
Alex Khvatov: Even though he needs to improve as a route runner and has displayed inconsistent hands at times on film, Baylor WR Denzel Mims is the guy in my eyes. He has helped himself more than any WR out there in the postseason. His speed/size combination is a very dangerous one. He was a big riser coming out of the Senior Bowl. He measured in at 6’2 ¾, 206 pounds, 33 7/8-inch arms and 9 3/8-inch hands at the Combine. He ran a 4.38 forty, 6.66 three-cone, 38.5-inch vertical and a 10’11 broad jump. This guy has been on a mission.
Who is your small school WR gem in the 2020 NFL Draft?
Alex Khvatov: Mount Union is a powerhouse football program at the Division III level. It has produced the likes of Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts. They have another legitimate prospect coming out this year. Wideout Justin Hill is a player who is completely off the radar. He was voted as the OAC’s top receiver for three straight years. He was named first team All-American his senior year (80 receptions for 1,681 yards and 23 TD’s). He displays good hands, body control and terrific leaping ability. He has been a dangerous deep threat in college. I don’t think that he will get drafted, but some team will get a steal in Hill as an undrafted free agent.
How does this WR class compare to the historic 2014 WR group?
Alex Khvatov: The 2014 WR class was a special one. In the first round, we saw five receivers taken (Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks and Kelvin Benjamin). In the second round, we saw Jarvis Landry, Davante Adams and Allen Robinson come off the board. Third rounder John Brown is another player who has enjoyed a good career. The 2020 WR class is a notch below the 2014 class in terms of star power. But the depth of this WR group is unlike anything else that we have seen before. There will be plenty of WR’s drafted on day three or guys that will go undrafted who will enjoy good careers at the next level. If you are an NFL team in need of a WR, this is the draft to grab one or two or three.
