Here are the top 10 wide receiver prospects (with projected round) for the NFL draft, which is set for April 23-25:
1. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds (first round): Was high school teammates with Calvin and Riley Ridley. He played in 41 games for Alabama and made 26 starts. He caught 159 passes for 2,742 yards, averaging 17.2 yards per catch, and scored 26 touchdowns. He was first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American last season.
2. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma, 6-2, 198 (first round): He was a three-year starter for the Sooners in their "Air Raid" attack. He lined up mostly on the left side and played some in the slot. He flourished while playing with three different quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts. He caught 173 passes for 3,292 yards (19 yard per catch) and 32 touchdowns.
» MORE: A talented receiving group in draft
3. Henry Ruggs, Alabama, 5-11, 188 (first round): Set the NFL scouting combine ablaze by running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds. He caught 98 passes for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns over his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. He also thrived on special teams at Alabama. He must continue to work on getting off the line of scrimmage and his route running.
4. John Jefferson, LSU, 6-1, 202 (first round): The younger brother of former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. He blossomed into one of the nation's top threats last season after barely getting into school because of low grades in high school. He caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He is an accomplished route runner and competes for the ball.
5. Tee Higgins, Clemson, 6-4, 216 (first/second round): He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds at Clemson's Pro Day, which was one of the last before the Coronavirus pandemic forced the nation to shelter-in-place. He caught 135 passes for 2,448 yards and 27 touchdowns, which was tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins for the most receiving touchdowns in school history
6. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State, 6-0, 205, (first/second round): After going to junior college, he played two seasons for the Sun Devils and finished with 98 catches for 1,666 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's excellent at getting yards after the catch and turning short passes into long-gainers.
7. Denzel Mims, Baylor, 6-3, 207 (first/second): He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at the scouting combine. He was a four-sport athlete –- baseball, football, basketball and track -– in high school. He caught at least 55 passes in each of his final three seasons. He finished with 186 catches for 2,925 yards and 28 touchdowns.
8. Jalen Reagor, TCU, 5-11, 206 (second round): He is the son of Montae Reagor, a former NFL defensive tackle from 1999-2007. He played in 99 games and made 46 starts. Jalen Reagor is a dynamic game-breaking wide receiver, who amassed 148 catches for 2,248 yards and 22 touchdowns in three seasons.
9. Michael Pittman Jr., USC, 6-4, 223 (second round): Son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman, who helped Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl over the Raiders. He was a three-year starter for the Trojans. He battled through several injuries, including a broken collarbone (2016), hand surgery (2017) high left ankle sprain (2017) broken nose (2017) and shoulder surgery (2019).
10. Chase Claypool, Notre Dame, 6-4-238 (third round): He's a native of Abbotsford, British Columbia. He caught 150 passes for 2,159 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Fighting Irish. He must work on his route running and eliminate the dropped passes. He had eight drops last season.
Best of the rest: Tennessee's Marquez Callaway (Warner Robins), Virginia's Joe Reed, Colorado's Laviska Shenault, Boise State's John Hightower, Penn State's KJ Hamler, Texas A&M's Quartney Davis, Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones, Georgia's Lawrence Cager, Texas' Devin Duvernay, Florida's Van Jefferson, Liberty's Antonio Gandy-Golden (East Paulding), South Carolina's Bryan Edwards, Ohio State's K.J. Hill, Tennessee's Jauan Jennings, Central Florida's Gabriel Davis, Memphis' Antonio Gibson (Eagle's Landing), Kentucky's Lynn Bowden, SMU's James Proche, Oregon State's Isaiah Hodgins, Wisconsin's Quintez Cephus (Stratford Academy), and Texas' Collin Johnson.
» Here's a look at the top wide receivers from 2013.
Teams in need. Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Indianapolis, Minnesota.
Need area for Falcons. No. The Falcons are comfortable with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage as their top three. They signed Laquon Treadwell in free agency and did not re-sign Justin Hardy.
Top 5 seniors for 2021 draft. Clemson's Justyn Ross, LSU's Ja'Marr Chase, Alabama's Devonta Smith, FSU's Tamorrion Terry and Alabama's Jaylen Waddle.
AJC’s 2020 POSITION BY POSITION DRAFT SERIES
Quarterbacks: Joe Burrow leads class | Top 10
Running backs: Cam Akers' life lesson | Top 10
Tight ends: Milledgeville's own Harrison Bryant | Top 10
Guards/centers: Kindley was a big swimmer | Top 10
Offensive tackles: Austin Jackson's life lesson | Top 10
Wide receivers: Jeudy or Lamb | Top 10
Defensive tackle: Brown, Kinlaw stand out | Top 10
Part 7: Defensive tackle
Part 8: Defensive end
Part 9: Linebackers
Part 10: Safeties
Part 11: Special Teams
Part 12: Cornerbacks
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