An Even Closer Look: 2020 WR draft class

[darb72]

Also absurd to call Mims a late riser while pumping up Claypool who was less productive in college and even more of a combine superstar. At least Mims’s testing shows up on film

Their stats were nearly identical this year, with Claypool actually coming out slightly on top. Same way last year but with Mims coming out a bit further ahead. Claypool is coming from a largely basketball background in British Columbia so it took him some time to adjust to American football.

[LukeDaniel]

Don't why anyone would single out an entire conference for underachieving receivers as if other schools don't produce busts. Also knocking the Big XII for quality of receivers is weird when the Big 10 exists.

There was a time 15+ years ago where you wanted to avoid WRs out of the state of Michigan (Desmond Howard, Charles Rogers, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards), but that has run its course.

I looked at every WR drafted in the Big 10 in the last thirteen years....and found no real support for your theory.

Last year the #1 and #3 WRs in receiving yards were from the Big Ten (Thomas/Godwin). Both were under drafted severely at 47 and 83. DJ Moore was also 9th in yards. That's three Big 10 receivers drafted in the last four years in your top 10.

Allen Robinson was drafted too low.

Erik Decker was under drafted.

McLaurin appears to have been also.



In terms of busts, I found 1.5

AJ Jenkins was atrocious as San Francisco's pick at the #30 in 2012. He had a career 17/223/0 line as a 1st rounder.

Former Raven James Hardy (RIP) was another massive bust who did nothing, but least he was a 2nd rounder.

Teddy Ginn was originally slated as a bust, but just got done playing his 13th NFL season, so hard to beat that drum too hard.

This appears to be a great year for B12 WRs with Lamb, Mims, and Reagor, but let's see for sure a few years down the road. Maybe 10 years from now its Cephus, Peoples-Jones, and Hamler that we are talking about as the gems of this class.

[QtR Nevermore]

I’m just worried the whole second tier is cleared out by 55.

I think it will be. If we want one of them 28 or a trade back is our best hope.

[seraph]

There was a time 15+ years ago where you wanted to avoid WRs out of the state of Michigan (Desmond Howard, Charles Rogers, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards), but that has run its course.

I looked at every WR drafted in the Big 10 in the last thirteen years....and found no real support for your theory.

Last year the #1 and #3 WRs in receiving yards were from the Big Ten (Thomas/Godwin). Both were under drafted severely at 47 and 83. DJ Moore was also 9th in yards. That's three Big 10 receivers drafted in the last four years in your top 10.

Allen Robinson was drafted too low.

Erik Decker was under drafted.

McLaurin appears to have been also.



In terms of busts, I found 1.5

AJ Jenkins was atrocious as San Francisco's pick at the #30 in 2012. He had a career 17/223/0 line as a 1st rounder.

Former Raven James Hardy (RIP) was another massive bust who did nothing, but least he was a 2nd rounder.

Teddy Ginn was originally slated as a bust, but just got done playing his 13th NFL season, so hard to beat that drum too hard.

This appears to be a great year for B12 WRs with Lamb, Mims, and Reagor, but let's see for sure a few years down the road. Maybe 10 years from now its Cephus, Peoples-Jones, and Hamler that we are talking about as the gems of this class.

I don't think that scheme a player plays in matters once they're drafted since we're looking for attributes and skills that project to high level play. Receivers are only asked to do what the system requires so it's hard to figure out if they can run a particular route or they can't because they aren't asked to do it.

NFL offenses are starting to adopt spread concepts from college offenses that go across every major team in college football so now they can pick receivers who are comfortable playing in these concepts which means that they can contribute something while learning new skills on the job.

It doesn't matter to me what schools or conference they come from as long as they show that they can do something great in an offense.

[WNCRavensFan]

TOP 50 WRs, Yards Gained in 2019, By College Conference

AAC (5) - Courtland Sutton, Emmanuel Sanders, Robby Anderson, Cole Beasley, Anthony Miller

ACC (7) - DeVante Parker, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Boyd, Mike Williams, Jamison Crowder, Larry Fitzgerald, Sammy Watkins

BIG 10 (6) - Michael Thomas, Chris Godwin, DJ Moore, Allen Robinson, Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin

BIG 12 (4) - Tyler Lockett, James Washington, Danny Amendola, Dede Westbrook

CUSA (0)

IND (2) - Golden Tate, Will Fuller

MAC (3) - Kenny Golladay, Julian Edelman, Diontae Johnson

MWC (2) - Michael Gallup, Davante Adams

PAC 12 (3) - Keenan Allen, Robert Woods, Marvin Jones

SEC (14) - Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Jarvis Landry, Mike Evans, AJ Brown, Odell Beckham, DJ Chark, DK Metcalf, Calvin Ridley, Randall Cobb, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Darius Slayton, Christian Kirk

SUN (0)

NON-FBS (4) - Cooper Kupp, John Brown, Tyreek Hill, Tyrell Williams

[JimZipCode]

I’m just worried the whole second tier is cleared out by 55.

Yeesh. That's a sobering thought.

Everyone says that the the '14 draft was "comparable". Here's how the first 20 WRs came off the board that time:

(with this year's top 20 prospects off NFL dotcom)

Posn	Rnd	Pick	Player	2020 Prospect List
WR1	1	4	Sammy Watkins	Ceedee Lamb
WR2	1	7	Mike Evans	Jerry Jeudy
WR3	1	12	Odell Beckham	Henry Ruggs
WR4	1	20	Brandin Cooks	Laviska Shenault
WR5	1	28	Kelvin Benjamin	Tee Higgins
WR6	2	39	Marqise Lee	Justin Jefferson
WR7	2	42	Jordan Matthews	KJ Hamler
WR8	2	45	Paul Richardson	Michael Pittman
WR9	2	53	Davante Adams	Brandon Aiyuk
WR10	2	56	Cody Latimer	Chase Claypool
WR11	2	61	Allen Robinson	Denzel Mims
WR12	2	63	Jarvis Landry	Bryan Edwards
WR13	3	86	Josh Huff	Van Jefferson
WR14	3	90	Donte Moncrief	Antonio Gandy-golden
WR15	3	91	John Brown	Gabriel Davis
WR16	3	97	Dri Archer	Lynn Bowden
WR17	4	104	Jalen Saunders	Isaiah Hodgins
WR18	4	106	Bruce Ellington	Tyler Johnson
WR19	4	115	Shaquelle Evans	Quintez Cephus
WR20	4	118	Martavis Bryant	Kalija Lipscomb
WR21	4	123	Kevin Norwood	Trishton Jackson
WR22	5	142	Ryan Grant	Antonio Gibson

I could see them going a little faster this year. Like instead of 12 thru two rounds, maybe 15 thru two rounds. So we could be looking at WRs #12, 13, 14, 15 still being on the board at 55.

I dunno: I think DeCosta showed us last year that he's very attuned to The Need, The Need For Speed. He's said in interviews before he became GM that he thinks modern offenses need mismatch threats that force the defense to take special account. And this year he's talked about the undefendable offense.

The closer we get to it, the more I think he'll have taken a WR by pick #35 or 40 – very possibly in a trade-back scenario.

[NjRavensFan]

I think we could see 9 or 10 off the board by 55, but bumping up Mims in lieu of Hamler or Pittman from that list.

I think Mims goes either 4th or 5th (behind the top three and possibly Jefferson), and I think there's a good chance those 5 are all gone by 28.

[BearArms]

I think we could see 9 or 10 off the board by 55, but bumping up Mims in lieu of Hamler or Pittman from that list.

I think Mims goes either 4th or 5th (behind the top three and possibly Jefferson), and I think there's a good chance those 5 are all gone by 28.

I started a thread about moving up in the 2nd because of this scenario. A trade back might be better but I doubt they'll do it

[edromeo]

I read a lot of the conversation about Claypool and hadn't watched his film closely...i'm starting a dive on his film now and I gotta say i'm surprised about him based on what i'd heard

[darb72]

I read a lot of the conversation about Claypool and hadn't watched his film closely...i'm starting a dive on his film now and I gotta say i'm surprised about him based on what i'd heard

Good or bad surprised?

[edromeo]

Good or bad surprised?

Good surprised.
I heard one of the guys I respect either DJ or Charles Davis say that Claypool might be TE convert.
Then the Senior Bowl started and he was killing dudes.
But weirdly he tested well at the combine and people seemed to be jumping all over themselves to show they weren't swayed by combine numbers.
So I expected his film would show the TE(ish) guy everyone was describing that didn't match-up to his testing numbers.
In short I thought his film wouldn't be good.

[darb72]

Good surprised.
I heard one of the guys I respect either DJ or Charles Davis say that Claypool might be TE convert.
Then the Senior Bowl started and he was killing dudes.
But weirdly he tested well at the combine and people seemed to be jumping all over themselves to show they weren't swayed by combine numbers.
So I expected his film would show the TE(ish) guy everyone was describing that didn't match-up to his testing numbers.
In short I thought his film wouldn't be good.

Yeah, he's more athletic than people expect.

I've haven't wanted a man this bad since the last time I walked in front of a mirror.
https://twitter.com/chaseclaypool/st...264256?lang=en
https://twitter.com/chaseclaypool/st...899137?lang=en