Some might take a break during the offseason, but we never rest. Satisfy your fantasy football appetite with our overview of the top rookie wide receivers in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
As a follow-up to our fantasy football recap of the top running backs available in the upcoming NFL Draft, we take time out to highlight the best rookie wide receivers. The 2020 NFL Draft offers one of the deepest wide receiver corps in recent memory, evoking memories of the 2014 fantasy football bonanza featuring Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry and Kelvin Benjamin (welp, they can’t all be home runs).
This past weekend’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama allowed some under-the-radar wide receiver prospects to improve their draft stocks through a week’s worth of heavily scrutinized practices and skill showcases. The game itself lent a stage to Texas A&M’s Quartney Davis, who caught all four passes thrown his way, as well as Tennessee’s Jajuan Jennings and Texas Longhorn David Duvernay, who each made a couple of nice, tough grabs.
A few other wide receivers also flashed in Mobile, such as Ohio State’s K.J. Hill, who had an impressive punt return, and Baylor’s Denzel Mims, who turned heads on an end-around. Duvernay’s teammate, 6-5 Collin Johnson, likewise intrigued observers, and those in deep, standard dynasty fantasy football leagues should likewise track him for his red-zone potential.
The upcoming NFL Scouting Combine will shine brightly on many athletic prospects who were nowhere close to making our Top Seven. These include a pair of 6’4″ physical specimens who saw limited playing time in Mobile this past weekend: Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden and Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool. Mississippi State’s Stephen Guidry, a former JuCo standout, flashed in his brief appearance in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, along with Arkansas State’s Kirk Merritt; this pair also bears watching.
Several other fantasy football prospects in this deep class deserve honorable mentions. Those who came close to making the list include South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards and USC’s Michael Pittman Jr.
Diminutive Penn State sophomore speedster K. J. Hamler is also on our radar, as he’ll present matchup nightmares in the right system, while Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson and Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk barely missed the cut; both are squarely in our top 10. Without further ado, we present the cream of this year’s crop.
7. Jalen Reagor, TCU
Reagor is undersized compared to other wide receivers in this draft class, but he is one of the fastest, hands down. He’s extremely dangerous in space, and even more so on go routes. He’s a capable route runner and more than shifty enough to create space but will drop the occasional pass, as illustrated by a catch rate barely north of 55 percent.
Height: 5-11
Weight: 195 pounds
Projected 40 time (per WalterFootball.com): 4.35 seconds
The native of Waxahachie, TX caught 72 passes for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, and while he still finished as the team’s leading receiver, his counting stats trailed off significantly in his junior season (43-611-5). He compiled over 100 yards from scrimmage only once, in a 34-27 loss to Oklahoma State, and only saw more than seven touches the week before against Kansas State. That game-breaking ability, though…
Jalen Reagor may be the explosive player that the #Eagles need. pic.twitter.com/ZyISc9I7Ms
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) January 24, 2020
Reagor isn’t physical enough to be the go-to guy on crucial third-down catches, but he’ll break a game wide open in a matter of seconds on just one play. Fantasy football freaks, take note: the tired “he’s threat to score every time he touches the ball” cliché absolutely applies here.
Preferred Draft Day Destinations: Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles