Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb Declares For The 2020 NFL Draft

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The 2020 WR class is the most talked-about class since the legendary 2014 WR class. The depth is highly impressive. Dynasty owners will be able to find contributors at the wide receiver position in the third round and later of their rookie drafts. While the depth is exciting, I’m more excited about the talent at the top. One of the most talented WR prospects in recent years recently declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with CeeDee Lamb.

High School

CeeDee Lamb grew up in Richmond, TX, where he attended Foster High School. Lamb has one of the greatest receiving seasons in the history of Texas high school football. As a senior, Lamb caught 99 passes for 2,046 yards and 33 TDs, adding another 3 TDs returning punts. That yardage output is no small feat as he became just the fourth player in Texas high school football history to do it.

Per 24/7 Sports, CeeDee had a composite score of 0.9358, making him a four-star recruit. As the 148th ranked recruit and 24th ranked wide receiver, CeeDee had plenty options available to him. After entertaining SEC programs like Alabama, Auburn, and LSU, Lamb made two Big 12 schools his finalists. He decided to take his talents out of his home state by attending Oklahoma.

College Statistics

 

CeeDee broke onto the scene as a freshman. Lamb posted a very impressive receiving line of 46-807-7. Unfortunately for him, these numbers weren’t enough to give him a dominator rating >20%. Due to that, he did not qualify for a freshman breakout season. While he didn’t break out from a dominator perspective, he flashed to anyone who watched him play. His yards after the catch and contested-catch abilities were highly impressive for an 18-year old. Additionally, he showed more in the route running department than initially anticipated.

Lamb posted a statistical breakout in his second season. With a receiving line of 65-1158-11 his second season, Lamb has an encouraging breakout age of 19.5. Yes, Lamb was the beneficiary of being in a good system—it’s hard to do much better than being in a Lincoln Riley offense with future first overall pick Kyler Murray throwing the ball—but Lamb showed that he was one of the best receivers in the country as a sophomore.

Entering his junior season, Lamb faced his biggest challenge yet. Both of his previous quarterbacks had won the Heisman and became the number one overall pick in the NFL draft. While his new QB had Heisman potential, there was no way he would reach that level. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray were excellent passers, Jalen Hurts was not. Lamb did not let the situation stop him. In just 13 games, Lamb posted an incredible 62-1327-14 stat line, becoming a Biletnikoff finalist in the process. Lamb’s value to that offense became clear in the game versus Baylor. Without him, Hurts and the entire Oklahoma offense struggled mightily to move the ball through the air. When he played in the rematch, Lamb had 8 catches for 173 yards. After a blowout loss to LSU in the College Football Playoffs, Lamb decided to enter the 2020 NFL draft. 

Film Review

This first play comes from his freshman season. It’s a simple screen route. He catches the pass behind the line of scrimmage. The odds don’t look good for Lamb as he only has one blocker but there are three defenders. Lamb shows off his spectacular run after the catch skills by juking a defender, making another one miss, then outrunning the others to the end zone. His YAC abilities are a large reason why some people have them as their WR1 in the 2020 class. His talents in that category were obvious from his freshman season.

I love the release from Lamb in this next play. He uses a stutter release to create an advantage over the corner. With the corner frozen, Lamb can easily create separation when getting vertical on this route. Lamb shows some great tracking abilities on this play. When he makes his move to get back to the ball, he creates further separation from the corner. He does a great job of catching the ball away from his body and getting both feet in bounds. This is a very easy TD made possible from a smooth release from Lamb. 

This next play from CeeDee didn’t count but it’s ridiculous, nonetheless. The throw to Lamb on the outside is too high for him. Instead of watching it go over his head, Lamb tries his hardest to catch it. He leaps up, contorting his body in the only way that allows him to still be able to make the catch. Unfortunately, he falls out of bounds, so the pass is incomplete. Although it doesn’t count, Lamb’s body control and hands are incredible in this play. In my opinion, this is the most impressive catch in the entire 2018 college football season. 

This last play from CeeDee is another example of his remarkable yards after catch abilities. The corner is giving him a lot of space, a testament to CeeDee’s ability to get vertical. After a quick reception, Lamb puts a spin move on the first defender. A little hesitation slows the defenders up enough that he can accelerate past them. Three more Baylor defenders have a chance at tackling him, but they also miss their chance. Lamb is finally brought down inside the 10-yard line, after gaining 71 yards on the play. Lamb is one of the premier yards after catch prospects in this class.

Conclusion

The battle for WR1 between Jeudy and Lamb will be an exciting debate leading up to the draft. After being Team Jeudy for years, I have switched sides to support CeeDee Lamb. The combination of his ball skills, ability with the ball in his hands and ability to manipulate corners to create separation makes me believe that he will be a very successful NFL WR. CeeDee Lamb is my 2020 WR1 and a slam dunk pick in the early rounds of dynasty rookie drafts.

What are your thoughts on CeeDee Lamb? Where does he fall in your wide receiver ranks? Let me know on Twitter at @DFF_Steven.

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