At this point, every mock draft has the Raiders taking a wide receiver in the first round. It is a glaring need for the Raiders as the offense struggled to get good production from the wide receiver group in 2019. Now the Raiders look to the draft for an upgrade for the group. One of those players tied to the Raiders is CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma.
Lamb is one of the most talked-about players in this draft class and bundled with two other potential top ten picks Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy. The former Oklahoma Sooner is coming off a monster year where he finished with 1364 yards and 21.4 yards per catch.
Lam was productive all three seasons with the Sooners totaling over 32 touchdowns in three seasons with 3288 yards receiving. He lived up to the expectations of a five-star recruit. He brings that upside and potential to the next level as a prospect.
What makes Lamb special as a prospect? Let us break down his amazing skill set and why he is one of the top receivers in the draft.
Pro: Yards After Catch
Yards after the catch is what separates receivers from good to elite. While Keenan Allen and Odell Beckham Jr. both are masters of route running, Beckham is a step ahead because of his ability to make a play out of nothing. That’s where Lamb steps in as he might be one of the most explosive receivers with the ball in his hands we have seen in years.
According to the PFF Draft Guide, Lamb is second in the nation in broken tackles with 26. Mind you, Lamb is only 198 pounds and breaks tackles like he’s 230 with a ferocious competitive toughness that is comparable to Terrell Owens in his prime. There were a few plays this season where Lamb had no reason scoring a touchdown, but he found a way to be elusive and bully his way into the end zone.
The best example was the Texas game, where he made six defenders look silly. Lamb is unique with the ball in his hands and can make plays in any offense in the NFL.
Pro: Route Running
Route running is always an essential part of a wide receiver’s game. If a player can’t run routes effectively, it’s easy to see he will have a hard time translating to the NFL. Lamb is underrated overall in this department but is as effective as they come when it comes to route running and creating separation.
What stands out when you watch Lamb is how productive he is at the top of his routes. Lamb shines right at the end of his stem and displays excellent agility in and out of his breaks to create space between him and the defender. While he didn’t face much press in the Big 12, he doesn’t have any false steps in his release and gets into his route with acceleration.
Lamb mental processing is top-notch as well, with a lot of experience against zone defenses playing in the Big 12. He is smart and will find holes in the zone to make himself available to the quarterback. This will help him be pro-ready from the jump and why he is a top prospect.
Pro: Adjust/Body Control
Here is where Lamb separates himself from other wide receivers. When scouts use these terms, it is based on catching the football outside the frame or having the body control and balance to keep your feet in for sideline receptions. Lamb does this at an extremely high level.
The true Junior has made acrobatic catches his whole career, beginning with the legendary one last year against UCLA. He makes these plays look routine and displays how dominant he indeed could be in the NFL. He will be one of those players you can trust even when he doesn’t win his route, he will fight like heck to get to the football.
This is one of my favorite traits for a wide receiver because it usually always translates to the pros. If you can make catches in traffic or make special plays on the sideline, you can genuinely become a go-to player in an offense. Lamb check that box in every way possible.
CONTINUE TO CEEDEE LAMB’S WEAKNESSES
Con: Never facing press coverage
Lamb, as a prospect, doesn’t have many issues that would, for sure, be a knock on his skill set. Could Lamb be faster? Of course, but so could A.J. Brown, who ran over a 4.5, then went into the NFL and accumulated 462 yards of YAC, which was sixth in the NFL. The main issue you could find when looking and Lamb’s game is we have no idea how he truly is against press coverage.
Playing in the Big 12, there isn’t a team that presses at the line. Even LSU didn’t press Lamb and gave him free releases, which you could say is because of skill set, but he’s never been tested. This means when Lamb enters the NFL, we don’t know whether he can handle press coverage or not, and it is pure projection.
Lamb release ability the few times he did face press was good and allows the thought that he could handle it in the NFL. But there is just not enough tape of him winning against press coverage for you to be for sure he can win at the NFL against the press. It’s nitpicky for sure, but it is still a question that needs to be answered.
How would CeeDee Lamb fit with the Raiders?
After the combine, I just don’t see the Raiders even having a chance at Lamb. He is just too dynamic to fall all the way to 12, where the Raiders would be able to select him. Lamb YAC ability and separation at the top of his routes would make him the ultimate X receiver in Gruden’s offense.
He would be able to deploy him like he intended for Antonio Brown by at least year two of his young career. If you are a Raiders fan, you are praying Lamb hits a 4.6, but the reality is he’s one of the best wide receiver prospects we have seen, and that caliber of player doesn’t get out of the top ten.
