Receivers Who Will Explode in their Rookie Year
Justin Jefferson WR Vikings
Justin Jefferson was the only rookie who made my list as a top 15 WR of 2020. I think he is going to absolutely take over the league in his rookie year and he has that Odell factor to him. It's a mixture between swagger, confidence, explosion, hands, and precision. Every route he runs is so precise and I think he'll be the perfect replacement for Stefon Diggs. He's faster than Adam Thielen and does an even better job with contested grabs than Diggs. I expect Jefferson to end up as the number one receiver in Minnesota and be Kirk Cousins go to guy (especially in the red zone). I want to see how Gary Kubiak splits up his reps in the slot and on the outside. Jefferson can play both and I want to see him used a little bit more on the outside than he was in Joe Brady's offense at LSU. The Vikings are going to use a lot of 2 receiver sets so Justin Jefferson is going to receive a lot of action. I believe he'll be a superstar right away and burst on to the scene in Minnesota.
Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen Hurd* WR 49ers
I don't trust anybody more than Kyle Shanahan when it comes to scouting receivers. I am counting Jalen Hurd on this list because he missed all of last season with back injuries. Let's start with Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk was the best receiver after the catch in college football last season and his body control on routes gets me hyped. He does an amazing job dropping his weight at the top of his routes and Wes Welker and Miles Austin can help him reach that untapped potential. Aiyuk is going to be used a ton on screens and I expect him to catch a lot of slants and in breaking routes. For Jalen Hurd, he has boom or bust potential. Jalen Hurd is a dog. He's going to be used a ton on sweeps, reverses, and out of the backfield. He also has jump ball potential and is another guy who's huge after the catch. I'm not sure if either of these guys will be great in fantasy football, but they're going to help the 49ers go far in the playoffs (and hopefully win the super bowl).
Michael Pittman Jr. WR Colts
This is one of my favorite fits in the entire 2020 NFL draft. He is going to compliment TY Hilton and I think his situation will be similar to TY Hilton's and DK Metcalf's from last year. TY is going to start as the number one receiver, but later in the season Pittman will over take him as Phillip River's number one target. I think he's going to have a ton of red zone touchdowns and be Phillip Rivers' "jump ball guy". Pittman has sneaky speed and is going to have a huge role for the Indianapolis Colts this year.
CeeDee Lamb WR Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb is the only receiver in the draft this year with Julio Jones and Megatron ability to just completely take over a game. I am a little bit worried about Lamb not ever seeing press coverage, but there's no one better than Amari Cooper to teach him the art of releases. CeeDee Lamb is a beast after the catch and is going to have a huge role for the Cowboys this season. The one thing I'm worried about is the Cowboys trying to slow him into the role, I feel like they should throw him into the game and then he'll only get better. CeeDee Lamb is another guy who has that "dog" in him. Lamb has the ability to have over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in a game if the matchup is right. I think he'll be the number two for Dallas this year, but will become the number one in his second season. CeeDee Lamb is going to be an animal for the Cowboys this year.
Chase Claypool WR Steelers
Chase Claypool was one of my favorite receivers in this year draft and I think he'll be the steal of the draft. I genuinely think he will have near 1000 yards and be Big Ben's most reliable receiver. Claypool can play out wide and in the slot and he fits perfectly into the Steelers' culture. Claypool has a ton of potential and a lot of room to develop. I see Claypool and Smith being a really good duo this year and just being a guy who has the potential to have double digit touchdowns year in year out. Claypool is going to explode onto the scene in Pittsburgh.
