As we move past the excitement of Super Bowl 54, yet are still a few weeks away from the start of the new league year, things have become eerily quiet.
For those of you not interested in the second rendition of Vince McMahon’s XFL, we’ve been previewing different positional options the Atlanta Falcons could consider in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Having already gone through running back, tight end, defensive end, defensive tackle, cornerback and guard, today we’ll look at four wide receivers that would make sense for the Falcons in the middle-to-late rounds of April’s draft.
Van Jefferson — Florida
2019 Stats: 49 catches, 657 yards, 6 TDs, 13.4 yards per catch
Projection: Rounds 3-5
Analysis: Van Jefferson would be the perfect addition to a Falcons team looking to add depth at receiver and an immediate contributor on special teams. Jefferson checks most of the boxes in terms of his hands, route running and speed. He played for a good Florida program, and while he doesn’t have No. 1 WR potential, he brings enough to warrant consideration in the fourth or fifth round if he’s still there.
Jefferson, the Mississippi transfer, had his best season with the Gators in 2019. He finished with 49 catches, 657 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Watch Jefferson (No. 12) going up against LSU below:
Antonio Gandy-Golden — Liberty
2019 Stats: 79 catches, 1,396 yards, 10 TDs, 17.7 yards per catch
Projection: Rounds 3-4
Analysis: Extremely productive out of Liberty, the 6-foot-4 Antonio Gandy-Golden is a perfect example of just how deep this year’s receiver class is. In 2019, he posted a second-straight 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season, while averaging 17.7 yards per catch. The question surrounding the big-bodied WR is whether or not he has enough speed to produce at the same level in the NFL.
Gandy-Golden reportedly impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl, and has the type of boom-or-bust potential worthy of taking a gamble on if he falls past the third round. Watch him below (No. 11) playing against Syracuse:
Jauan Jennings — Tennessee
2019 Stats: 59 catches, 969 yards, 8 TDs, 16.4 yards per catch
Projection: Rounds 4-6
Analysis: Jauan Jennings is another big-bodied receiver that boosted his stock at the Senior Bowl. In 2019, he took his game to a new level which put him on the NFL’s radar. Jennings nearly doubled his 2018 production this season, finishing with 59 catches, 969 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, while averaging 16.4 yards per reception.
He hasn’t benefited from Tennessee’s QB play, but get him the ball and good things generally happen. Watch Jennings (No. 15) square off against South Carolina below:
Jeff Thomas — Miami
2019 Stats: 31 catches, 379 yards, 3 TDs, 12.2 yards per catch
Projection: Rounds 4-6
Analysis: Thomas doesn’t have the elite numbers of some of this year’s top-level receivers, but might be the fastest player on this list. His stats actually dipped from 2018. On film, though, he gets open quite a bit. Had Thomas been more involved in the offense, his stock would be significantly higher and it could still improve based on his forty time.
He’s a late-round option that could develop into a productive player in a pass-heavy offense like Atlanta. Watch Thomas (No. 4) torch Virginia Tech below:
