The 2020 NFL Draft is April 23-25. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects.
1. CeeDee Lamb
Oklahoma, 6-2, 198
In his final season at Oklahoma, Lamb became the favorite receiver of Jalen Hurts, catching 62 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 21.4 yards per catch led all FBS receivers with at least 40 receptions. In his sophomore season, he had 1,158 yards and a team-high 11 touchdown catches. He also started in his first season and set the school freshman record with 804 receiving yards. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds at the NFL Combine.
2. Jerry Jeudy
Alabama, 6-1, 193
Jeudy is one of two Alabama receivers with a first-round grade. His NFL Draft comparable is another first-round pick of some note — former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes. Jeudy won the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore and was a first-team All-American when he caught 68 passes for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a junior, Jeudy had a team-best 77 catches and scored 10 touchdowns. He ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
3. Henry Ruggs III
Alabama, 5-11, 188
The smaller of Alabama’s top two wide receivers, Ruggs ran a blistering 4.27 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He led the Crimson Tide by averaging 18.7 yards per catch as a junior while also catching seven touchdown pass and averaging 23.8 yards on kickoff returns. Ruggs also started as a sophomore and caught 11 touchdown passes.
4. Justin Jefferson
LSU, 6-1, 202
Jefferson made the most of his junior season at LSU when he helped lead the Tigers to the national championship. He tied for the FBS lead with 111 catches and totaled 1,540 yards. He also finished second in the country with 18 touchdown catches. Jefferson also started as a sophomore when he had a team-high 54 catches for 875 yards and six touchdowns. He ran a 4.43 40 at the NFL Combine.
5. Tee Higgins
Clemson, 6-4, 216
Higgins turned pro after three seasons at Clemson in which he started the final two. Higgins combined for 25 touchdown receptions over his sophomore and junior seasons, and his 27 career touchdowns catches are tied for most in school history with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. His only 1,000-yard season came in 2019 when he had 59 catches for 1,167 yards and averaged 19.8 yards per catch. Higgins didn’t test at the NFL Combine, but he was one of the few wide receivers who benefited from a pro day before the coronavirus outbreak shut them down. He ran the 40 in 4.54 seconds at the workout.
6. Jalen Reagor
TCU, 5-11, 206
To say Reagor did it all at TCU is an understatement. Not only did he catch passes, he returned kickoffs and punts and took handoffs during his three years playing for the Horned Frogs. As a junior, Reagor led TCU with 43 receptions and he totaled 611 yards and five touchdowns. He also combined for 20 punt and kickoff returns. His best season was in 2018 when he was named team MVP after catching 72 passes for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns. He also scored twice on runs. Reagor ran the 40 in 4.47 seconds at the NFL Combine.
7. Denzel Mims
Baylor, 6-3, 207
Mims spent four seasons at Baylor, and he punctuated his college career with 66 catches for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also started as a sophomore and junior, leading the Bears with eight touchdown catches in 2018. He had 1,087 receiving yards in his first year as a starter. At the NFL Combine, Mims ran an impressive 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.
8. Laviska Shenault, Jr.
Colorado, 6-1, 227
Shenault’s breakout season at Colorado came in 2018 when, as a sophomore, he became the only player in the country with five rushing and receiving touchdowns. Limited to nine games that year, Shenault caught 86 passes for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 9.6 catches a game and was fourth in the nation with 112.3 receiving yards per game. His numbers dropped to 56 catches for 764 yards and four touchdowns in his junior season. Shenault ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
9. KJ Hamler
Penn State, 5-9, 178
Hamler’s small stature makes him a prototypical slot receiver, and he displayed his elusiveness at Penn State before leaving after his redshirt sophomore season. A two-year starter for the Nittany Lions, Hamler had 56 receptions for 904 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. He also excelled as a kickoff and punt returner. As a freshman, he was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award that is given to the most versatile player in the nation. Hamler did not test at the NFL Combine, and his pro day was eliminated because of the coronavirus outbreak.
10. Brandon Aiyuk
Arizona State, 6-0, 205
Aiyuk spent his final two seasons at Arizona State after transferring from Sierra College. After achieving modest success as a junior — 33 catches for 474 yards and three touchdowns — Aiyuk found his footing in his final year of eligibility. He became a first-team all-conference pick and third-team All-American after catching a team-high 65 passes for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs and punts. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.
Best fit for Steelers
Michael Pittman, USC
If Jalen Reagor is off the board, a good name to remember is Pittman, the 6-4, 223-pound son of the former NFL running back with the same name. Pittman played with a physical style that was reminiscent of another USC and Steelers wideout: JuJu Smith-Schuster. As a senior, Pittman caught 101 passes for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist.
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