NFL Draft Combine Preview: Wide Receivers

The diva position of the NFL has seen an influx of playmakers enter the league in recent years. With so many teams moving to spread offenses, gone are the days of the third year breakout formula that many fantasy owners were used to. Opportunities are growing in these passing attacks each season, meaning we see player targets increasing as well. Players like DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas stepped into the league and have been elite producers in fantasy from day one. It was seen from their college days, but their progression was not lost as they made the next step to the pros. So many of these receivers are ready to play early because of the similarities of college offenses to the pros. This is a trend we should be getting used as I'm not so sure it will be changing any time soon.

Even going back to just a year ago, the 2019 draft class at the position provided plenty of fantasy firepower as A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel all made a seamless transition to the NFL. As ballyhooed as last year's draft was for how deep the talent pool was, we just might be looking at a deeper field this year. Headed by ultra-talents CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, we could very well see more receivers come off the board in the first three rounds than we ever have before. We have all-around talents, field stretchers, red-zone targets all in this year's class. It's truly a mixed bag of potential and we could even see players further down the draft board have weeks where they are fantasy relevant.

As we head into the scouting combine, let's dive into the top players at this position. I give you my take on who you should be targeting in your drafts and the potential impact that they will be making on your rosters.

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CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Lamb has all the makings of being an elite receiver in the NFL. He has the prototypical size with a blend of elite ball skills and body control. He will be tapped to become the focal point of a team's passing attack and should post outstanding numbers throughout his career. He can make any QB look better with his hands and tendency to make the most difficult catches look easy. He can play against any type of coverage put in front of him. He can release well off of press coverage and finds the hole against the zone. Once he gets into the open field, watch out. His juice and elusiveness are unrivaled, coupled with breakaway speed, Lamb should see plenty of big plays in the pros. He is an ultra-productive college receiver whose ascension to the pros will be just as productive.

Fantasy Impact:

Lamb will be tabbed as one of the first players off the board in rookie drafts and will be a hot commodity in season-long formats as well. His landing spot will be key to his immediate success, similar to A.J. Brown. But much like Brown, he should find success as the 2020 season wears on and will be a player that should be in starting lineups by season's end. In terms of a dynasty, he will become a true WR1 in fantasy and a player that will be a cornerstone of your roster.

Jerry Jeudy, Alabama

Jeudy enters the NFL with quite a bit of value in his own right. Playing in a high-powered Alabama offense, Jeudy was the focal point of the passing attack in the last two seasons. He is one of the more polished route runners that you will see and uses that to his advantage as he sets up defenders. He can play all across the field and gives a team some flexibility in terms of offensive alignments. He plays well over the middle as well as tracking balls deep. He can have bouts of consistency as times with his hands as drops have crept up from time to time. His vision and acceleration are among the tops in this class and translate well to the next level. He projects out to become a team's top receiving option and should hear his name called early on draft day.

Fantasy Impact:

Jeudy, much like Lamb, should find himself being selected very early in dynasty drafts. For the seasonal formats, look for him to be ranked as a high to mid-tier WR3 during draft season. If things shake out well and he finds the right home, he has all the skills to finish the 2020 season as a WR2. But as far as the future is concerned, he is a no-doubt WR1 prospect and will hold that value for many years to come.

Laviska Shenault, Colorado

Shenault may be the most intriguing prospect in this year's class. A "can do it all" player, he was used in several different ways at Colorado. His versatility was on full display as both a runner and receiver with 17 total TDs over the last two seasons. One thing you will notice if you look at Shenault's stats is that he wasn't as overly productive as others in this class. Much of that has to do with the poor QB play that he was plagued with during his time in college. He is a much better route runner than he gets credit for as he can quickly snap in and out of his breaks. His hands are among the best in this draft and is a monster in the open field once he has the ball. His release off the line is amazing. He uses a blend of footwork and hands to get off of press coverage making him a difficult player to cover depending on the defensive alignment coaches choose to employ. He is one of those prospects whose size, speed and athleticism will draw praise from many NFL scouts.

Fantasy Impact:

Depending on the landing spot, Shenault should prosper in the NFL from day one. He has all the makings of a receiver that you can build your passing attack around. While also displaying the versatility as a runner on jet sweeps out of the backfield. Look for him to be a mid-first round pick in rookie drafts as well as a player that will grow in popularity in seasonal formats much like D.K. Metcalf a year ago. He will eventually become a WR1 in this league but as for 2020, he should find his value firmly as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3.

Tee Higgins, Clemson

Higgins has the prototypical size for the position and has been a blue-chip prospect throughout his collegiate career. His ball skills, hands and ability to position himself for the catch are among the tops in this class. He was very productive in college with these attributes (2,103 yards and 25 TDs paired with Trevor Lawrence). He has great concentration out on the field but can tend to let off the gas in his routes from time to time. He will need to polish his route-running skills in the short to the intermediate area, but his long-range makes him a top deep threat. He is not as versatile as some others in this class, but if paired in the right scheme he has all the skills to excel at the next level.

Fantasy Impact:

Higgins has a wide range of potential as he leaps the pros. He has the look and skill to become a primary option in a team's passing attack. But at the same time, he could be slotted into a deep threat role on a team with a possession receiver, limiting his value in PPR formats. His landing spot will impact his value in fantasy. He could become a high-end WR2 in the right spot but also be a player that is a matchup based WR3. Heading into the combine, I'm valuing him as a low-end first-rounder in rookie drafts.

Henry Ruggs, Alabama

As I was doing my film study on Jerry Jeudy, someone else continued to pop off the tape. That player was Henry Ruggs. He has an unmatched speed in this class. A true burner that will become a problem in the NFL in open space. The wild thing with Ruggs is that he has other tools at his disposal as well other than the speed. His body control and ball skills allow him to be a tough matchup on all levels of the field. He worked on his route running ability in between the 2018 and 2019 seasons and that showed last year. He can work on the outside or in, but is destined to become a slot receiver at the next level. There are a few things to his game that need fine-tuning in the pros, but if he is coached up correctly, watch out.

Fantasy Impact:

Many will look at Ruggs as a one-dimensional prospect coming into the league. But with a good showing at the combine, it will change his value on many draft boards. As it stands now, he holds more value in standard formats than in PPR. A big play waiting to happen, Ruggs will also become a popular play in DFS. I value him currently at the one-two turn in rookie drafts, but that could be changing post-combine.

Jalen Reagor, TCU

Reagor is yet another explosive prospect in this year's receiver group. He is very twitchy and uses his crafty sense of route running to create space for himself on the field. His acceleration at the top of routes is very impressive and will allow him to blow the top off of opposing defenses. He has above average ball tracking skills and makes great adjustments to poor throws his way. Reagor can tend to struggle against press coverage but is aggressive enough in his release for it not to affect him often. His route tree at TCU was rather small, something that will need to change at the next level. But what will impress his coaching staff in the pros will be the blazing speed and ability to create after the catch, making him a nice weapon for an offense to utilize.

Fantasy Impact:

Reagor may begin his pro career as a one-trick pony, which will limit his upside as a fantasy scorer. His field-stretching ability makes him a prime value target in standard-scoring formats. But under the right tutelage, or even playing opposite a true WR1, he could blossom into a very strong WR3. As for dynasty drafts, look for him to come off the board early in the second round.

Justin Jefferson, LSU

Jefferson is coming off of an amazing season in 2019 with the explosive LSU offense. He led the nation in receptions (111), was second in TDs (18), and third in yardage (1,540). His versatility allows him to win on all levels of the field. He can be lined up both in the slot or on the outside. He is very smooth and a master technician with his route running. He may not be the fastest on the field, but his body control and ball skills allow him to set up defenders in coverage. Look for him to be utilized the most in the NFL on the outside against a team's second corner. He will have to show more consistency against press coverage. But all in all, he projects out to become a solid WR2 for a team's passing attack.

Fantasy Impact:

Jefferson is almost destined to become a receiver that will be in a supporting role as a WR2. Which means his targets will vary weekly. The key will be where he lands and finding the right matchup to put him into your starting lineups. He values out as a second-round pick in dynasty formats and could eventually produce as a steady WR3 in the right offense.

Jauan Jennings, Tennessee

I am probably higher than the consensus in terms of the expected value of Jennings as a pro prospect. But what I see in him is a football player, plain and simple. He was mired in mediocrity with a poor Tennessee offense throughout his collegiate career. His 2019 totals were by far his highest (59 catches for 969 yards and 8 TDs). What you will see with Jennings as he makes the next step is a player that will produce more on the pro level than he ever did in college. Is he the fastest? No. Is he the best route runner in the class? No. But he is aggressive on the field. He plays hard through contact and can go after a ball better than most in this group. You will see him on the field a lot due to his willingness to block with grit and determination unrivaled in this class. I've said for the longest that his pro comp will be similar to what we saw in Anquan Boldin. Not the most exciting athlete on the field, but a player that will simply get the job done.

Fantasy Impact:

Jennings is destined for a versatile role in the pros. A player that a team will use out of the slot or in the backfield. He may never produce at the level in terms of production like Lamb or Jeudy, but he will be a steady player in the pros. Consistency will be the name of his game. Look for him to be up and down as a WR3/WR4 in his career. But he has a ceiling to become a WR2 in fantasy in the right situation. For me, he is a late second-round pick in dynasty formats. But he may be available in the third or fourth depending on your league.

Denzel Mims, Baylor

Mims has the ideal size that pro coaches want in a receiver. Even with his frame, he plays with a burst similar to that of a smaller receiver. He is a vertical receiver with a great upfield push that has a knack for making incredible catches look easy. But on the flip side of that, he also has had issues with drops on the easiest of catches. With that being a prolonged issue, this will likely be something that will stay with him in the pros. He has been a consistent producer over the last three seasons but nothing overly spectacular. His speed and ability to get down the field are his pros, but his cons of below-average route running and drops could leave him with inconsistent playing time.

Fantasy Impact:

Likely to become a bench depth type in fantasy, especially in dynasty formats. His draft stock currently sits anywhere from the third round through the fifth. With a good showing at the combine, his value could rise but I don't see him becoming a weekly starter in fantasy formats.

Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State

Aiyuk saw a large leap in production from the 2018 season to 2019 (474 yards up to 1,192 with 8 TDs). Aiyuk flies off the line of scrimmage with a great explosion, allowing him to find open space. This speed is only amplified in the angles he takes on routes, making him a big play waiting to happen. He can hold his speed in and out of breaks. He can be somewhat inconsistent at the catch point (only 3 catches on 14 career contested catches). He also pushes off down the field instead of using body control to create space. It makes you think if he is just a one year wonder based on the lack of production in 2018 (with N'Keal Harry also starting) or if he truly found his game last year. But coming into the draft, he may just be a more well-rounded prospect than Harry.

Fantasy Impact:

Aiyuk is a hard player to gauge in terms of fantasy potential. If he finds the right landing spot, he could pan out as high as a WR3 as early as 2021. But he is also a player that could get lost in the shuffle and be a very inconsistent performer. In dynasty, he looks to be a matchup play early on in his career and a player I would look to draft in the third round of rookie drafts.

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