Who are the wide receivers who’ll matter in the 2020 NFL Draft, and what’s the college perspective on all of the top prospects?
2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings
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The last four years have been a big nothing-burger for highly drafted wide receivers.
There wasn’t a lot of sizzle in last year’s draft – the first receiver off the board was Hollywood Brown to Baltimore with the 25th pick – and DJ Moore was the first one taken with the 24th overall pick to Carolina in 2018. They’re fine, but receiver wasn’t really a thing over the last two years.
Corey Davis, Mike Williams, John Ross. Those three went in the top nine overall of the 2017 draft – the value came later on, at least a little bit – and Corey Coleman, Will Fuller, Josh Doctson and Laquon Treadwell were first rounders in 2016. Michael Thomas, though, went in the second round.
This year should make up for the ugh.
It’s one of the best receiver drafts in a long, long time going deep with a lot of speed, a lot of value, and a whole lot of high-end talent up top to get fired up over.
From the college perspective, here are the top wide receivers in your 2020 NFL Draft, starting with the ones who’ll be in the mix, and then diving into the five who’ll actually matter over the next ten years of the pro football world.
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15. Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Size: 6-1, 206
The Good: A physical powerhouse – even though he doesn’t have the size of some of the other top targets in the draft – he battles for everything that comes his way. He was fantastic over the last three seasons with 32 touchdown grabs, but it was the last two years that took him to a whole other level with 164 catches for almost 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.
The Not-So-Good: There’s little flash to his style. He averaged over 15 yards per catch and made his share of deep plays, but he’s not going to blow past anyone. Yeah, he’s got power and pop, but he doesn’t have the big body type to do it on a regular basis at the next level.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Surround him with speed and use him as an ultra-reliable playmaker on midrange plays and around the goal line. He’s not going to have any problems battling for anything that comes his way, and he’ll do everything he needs to for a play.
Projected Round: Third
14. Van Jefferson, Florida
Size: 6-1, 200
The Good: Ultra-reliable for a passing game that wasn’t exactly the Fun ‘n’ Gun days, he spread out 175 catches over his four years with 16 touchdowns as a terrific midrange man. He battles for plays, will always be where he needs to be, and he can work just about anywhere in any style.
The Not-So-Good: The okay numbers in his four seasons weren’t necessarily his fault, but he never did bust out and do anything amazing. He’s not a deep threat and will be seen mostly as a possession receiver.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Not everyone can be DeAndre Hopkins. Jefferson will fall outside of the top 100 because there’s no flash, but the coaching staff and starting quarterback who get him will fall in mad, deep love. He’s a professional route-running wide receiver who’ll fit in right away as a No. 3 guy you don’t have to worry about.
Projected Round: Fourth
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13. KJ Hamler, Penn State
Size: 5-9, 178
The Good: A fun playmaker who seemed to always do something fun whenever he gets the ball in his hands. Hiccup-quick with elite deep speed, he’s a great fit for the modern NFL averaging 17 yards per catch in college on his 98 grabs and 13 scores.
The Not-So-Good: He’ll get erased from a play when anyone applies a pop. He’s a wispy player who’s just an okay pass catcher and offers nothing in the way of power or blast.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There are way too many dangerous and athletic traits not to get him on the field in some way. Use him as a return man, and running back, a deep threat, or anything else that can get the ball in his hands on the move.
Projected Round: Second
12. Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Size: 6-4, 238
The Good: The darling of the post-season scouting circuit, he’s a good veteran with incredible size, rising skills, and a 4.42 40 to go along with all of his upside and explosion. His athleticism is off the charts for a player with his frame, and he learned how to use it last year with 66 catches for well over 1,000 yards and 13 scores. He’ll hit, too, as a terrific factor for the running game.
The Not-So-Good: For all of his tools and traits, he’s a relatively straight-forward receiver. He’s a good route runner, but he’s not as open as he should be considering his tremendous speed. He’ll have to battle for pass after pass at the next level against far tougher defensive backs than he usually saw in college.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It’ll be interesting to see what the draft market thinks about him. He’s got so many good parts to his game that are missing from the rest of the receivers in this draft that he might just slip into the late first round. The quarterback who gets to throw his way will be ecstatic.
Projected Round: Third
11. Denzel Mims, Baylor
Size: 6-3, 207
The Good: 6-3 wide receiver prospects who run a 4.38 tend to get a whole lot of love. He’s got all the NFL upside and tools to possibly slip into the first round as a mismatch nightmare of a deep threat. He caught 182 passes for 2,901 yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three seasons – he’s a durable veteran.
The Not-So-Good: For all he brings, he’s just an okay deep threat once he gets shoved off his stride, He was able to blow up at times in the wide open Big 12, but he doesn’t play up to his body type physical-wise, and he might not necessarily be a full route tree guy at the next level.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: You give a long, long look to anyone with his combination of size, length and speed. There’s a chance he could be just scratching the surface, and at the absolute worst, he’s going to be a killer of a second or third option if he gets a quarterback with a live arm throwing his way.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Ten
2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Ten
10. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
Size: 6-0, 205
The Good: There’s a good all-around mix of traits, tools and talent to get fired up about. He’s built well, can handle himself in traffic, and he’s got the 4.5 speed to average 17 yards per catch in his two years at ASU. He turned into a big-time playmaker when the team needed one last season. The combine workout was outstanding – especially the 40″ vertical.
The Not-So-Good: There isn’t any one thing that makes him stand out from the elite pack of this year’s class. The all-around game is good, but he had offseason surgery on his stomach, he’s still learning his trade, and he has to be able to battle a bit more when shoved around at the line.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There’s a world of upside to like. He’ll fall just outside of the first wave of top receivers, but he’s a good deep threat who worked himself into a fantastic prospect who’ll thrive if he doesn’t have to be the No. 1 guy.
Projected Round: Second
9. Jalen Reagor, TCU
Size: 5-11, 206
The Good: Explosive, he was held in relative check in the pedestrian TCU offense, but he still averaged over 15 yards per catch with 22 touchdowns. With 4.47 speed and brilliant leaping ability, he’s got the athleticism and all-around quickness to be an instant all-around playmaker in any offensive system. Few receivers in this draft move better than he does.
The Not-So-Good: He doesn’t necessarily need to be in wide open spaces – he creates his own areas to move through – but he’ll be erased in press coverage more often than not. There isn’t necessarily No. 1 target potential with him, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Just get the ball in his hands and let him be brilliant. He can shine as a kick returner, a runner, or a receiver who’ll dominate as a No. 2 man who gets to roam free. Every offensive coordinator dreams of having a guy like him to use.
Projected Round: Second
8. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
Size: 6-3, 212
The Good: Very big and very physical, he more than held his own over the last four years as a top target for a wildly inconsistent Gamecock offense. He caught 234 passes for 3,045 yards and 22 touchdowns as a model of reliability, and then …
The Not-So-Good: He got hurt. He wasn’t able to go at the combine and will be a wee bit of an early concern after getting banged up late in the season and then breaking his foot this offseason. The elite quickness isn’t there, and he only averaged 11.5 yards per catch last season.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He could be fantastic if surrounded by speed. Use him as a go-to third down target, a red zone main man, or a physical best friend for a quarterback to rely on. He’s missing some of the dangerous tools of the top guys, but he’ll have a very long and very productive NFL career as a strong No. 2 man.
Projected Round: Third
7. Michael Pittman, USC
Size: 6-4, 223
The Good: Yeah, he’s got great size and bulk, and yeah, he blew up after USC changed around its offense – catching 101 passes last year for 1,275 yards and 11 scores even with the occasional quarterback concerns – but the deep speed isn’t there and … 4.52. That’s good enough for a guy with tight end size and physical style. Throw in his blocking ability, and there’s a whole lot to like.
The Not-So-Good: There’s little wiggle and there isn’t a whole lot of quickness. There’s a chance he becomes a bit limited as a decent physical No. 2 rather than a true No. 1. It took a switch to a Texas Tech-like offense to unleash him last year.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Possibly the most underrated and underappreciated receiver in the draft, he’s got a rare blend of all-around tools and toughness to be someone’s No. 1 guy at a value price. Whatever you want out of an NFL wide receiver, here you go. Draft him, put him on the field on Day One, and don’t worry about one of your wide receiver positions for the next several years.
Projected Round: Second
6. Tee Higgins, Clemson
Size: 6-4, 216
The Good: A brilliant playmaker with a whole lot of size and big game experience, he’s everything you want in an NFL wide receiver. Smooth, athletic, and explosive, over his three seasons he averaged over 18 yards per catch with 27 scores. Experienced, he saw it all in his 37 games, and he’s ready to go right away at the next level.
The Not-So-Good: Just how much does he stand out from a deep pack of wide receiver talent at the top of the draft? He’s not quite as physical a target as you might like considering his size, and might turn out to be a bit of a one-trick deep threat.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Don’t overthink this. With his size, skill, and ability to make himself massive with his leaping ability and length, he’s an NFL No. 1 wide receiver. Go ahead and put him in the top three of this list if you want to.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 5
2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Top Five
5. Laviska Shenault, Colorado
Size: 6-1, 227
The Good: Nah, he’s not as fast as some of the other top targets in the draft, and nah, he’s not quite as proven as some of the others, but he’s got enough of an intriguing skill set to turn him into something special once he gets to the next level.
He’s got excellent size, the toughness to battle for passes, and the uncanny playmaking skills to catch 142 passes for 1,775 yards and ten scores over the last two years. He also ran for seven touchdowns.
He’s just fast enough to now be slow – he’s a sub-4.6 prospect – he’ll bring more power than any other target who’ll go in the first two rounds, but …
The Not-So-Good: He gets beaten up. He only played 27 games in his three seasons, and the team suffered massively when he couldn’t get on the field. Yes, he’s a different type of receiver, but he’s not a polished NFL target who’ll run the smoothest routes. His worth will be as an overall playmaker, but he doesn’t fit a type.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Good luck figuring this one out, but he’s got enough overall talent to be a brilliant part of a good wide receiver ensemble. There isn’t one set role he’ll instantly fit into, but get him on a team with a whole lot of speed and he’ll be the tough guy who’ll come up with the big play and the big moment. Some offensive coordinator is going to love playing around with all of the options.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 4
4. Justin Jefferson, LSU
Size: 6-1, 202
The Good: There’s an aspect of the presumptive first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft that no one likes to tackle about other than Joe Burrow.
Joe Burrow isn’t Joe Burrow without Justin Jefferson.
The LSU receiving corps was loaded, and everyone got to eat – Ja’Marr Chase had a whole lot to do with this, too – but Jefferson was the one who made everything look so easy.
That’s not totally fair – Burrow was beyond brilliant – but throw the ball up Jefferson in a mile-wide radius, and he’ll go get it. He finished with 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns, and then he walked into Indianapolis and ran a 4.43 at the combine.
The Not-So-Good: He was just okay when he got jammed. Better when he got a release and then got to go after the ball when it was in the air, he might turn out to be a tougher-than-expected NFL receiver to figure out. He’s got the speed, and he made a whole lot of plays down the field, but his bread was buttered on the midrange plays to keep everything going.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: The guy caught 165 passes over the last two seasons and came through time and again in the biggest of games. The more NFL teams saw him this offseason, the more they fell in love with the possibilities. He might not turn out to be the flashiest receiver in the draft, but there’s a whole lot of Michael Thomas to his game.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 3
3. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Size: 6-2, 198
The Good: Not just an Oklahoma system guy, Lamb is about as complete a receiver as there is a draft loaded with complete receivers. He’s got good enough size to handle himself across the middle, he’s got the 4.5 speed to take anyone deep, and he’s got the high-end No. 1 receiver mentality.
In his three years at OU he caught 173 passes for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns, and he took his game up a few notches when Hollywood Brown and Kyler Murray left and he had to become the star of the passing attack.
Brown was a good prospect – going with the 25th overall pick last year to Baltimore – but Lamb can do a whole lot more. He’s more versatile and he’s every bit as slippery in the open field.
The Not-So-Good: Okay … he’s an Oklahoma system guy. He got to run through a whole lot of open areas and wasn’t beaten up enough by defensive backs manning up on him, especially in the Big 12. Yes, he has good size, but he’s not going push anyone around for contested passes.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Put him into the bag with Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs of receivers who could be the best one in the draft. Jeudy is a little more smooth and proven in the right system, Ruggs has the better wheels, and Lamb has the ability to do a little of everything right.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 2
2. Henry Ruggs, Alabama
Size: 5-11, 188
The Good: Fast, fast, fast, fast, FAST. The pressure was on – relatively speaking – at the combine to see if he really did have the otherworldly wheels, and then …
4.27.
Throw in the explosion in the leaping drills, and he’s got the freakish skills that can’t be coached up or taught. But he’s more than just a one-trick guy – he’s a fully-formed NFL receiver who won’t just be used to take the top off the D.
He averaged 17.5 yards per catch on his 98 career grabs with 24 scores, and he would’ve done a whole lot more if he wasn’t surrounded by guys who needed the ball, too. There’s a chance he catches a whole lot more passes in a whole lot more ways at the next level.
The Not-So-Good: Don’t expect him to be a 100-catch guy. No, he’s not going to be just a deep threat, but he’s not going to be a tough target who muscles his way for the ball, either. He’s not likely going to be a true No. 1 guy, but …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Is Tyreek Hill a No. 1 target? He’s going to be the type who can win a game all by himself just by connecting on a few big plays needed to take over. It’s a deep draft for receivers, and there are others who can do more and bring more to their respective overall games, but … 4.27. Drop mic.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings No. 1
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1. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Size: 6-1, 193
The Good: The type of all-around receiver who can instantly turn into a superstar No. 1 target for any offense, he makes it all look so easy. In a Bama game with several other mouths to feed – and loaded with future NFL wide receiver stars – he was the main guy, catching 145 passes for 2,478 yards and 24 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Smooth as silk, fast enough with just over 4.4 wheels, and explosive enough to push past any defensive back, he’s special. He obliterated single coverage in college and has almost no issues whatsoever instantly converting to a pro offense.
The Not-So-Good: For everything he did, he left a few big plays on the field. He fought off passes a bit too often, he’s not quite physical enough to consistently handle getting shoved around, and he might not have a passer throwing his way as good as Tua Tagovailoa. He’s going to have to get used to being beaten up a bit.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: If it doesn’t work out and if he’s not a regular Pro Bowl-caliber star, it’s not your fault. Yeah, you might like it if he was a bit more of a physical presence, and yeah, he might have to get used to making more tough catches across the middle, but he’s it. He’s what you want in an NFL receiver who takes your offensive to a whole other level.
Projected Round: Top 15 Overall
