2020 NFL Draft: Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb scouting report

CeeDee Lamb is arguably the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. After watching his film, here is my final scouting report on Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb.

CeeDee Lamb is such a well-rounded wide receiver prospect that has flashed so many highlight plays. The country was recently shown what Lamb can do in the College Football Semifinal game against LSU. Lamb announced in a Twitter post the day after the loss to LSU that he was declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft and foregoing his senior season.

Name: CeeDee Lamb
School: Oklahoma
Position: WR
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 189 pounds

Career Stats (40 Games): 173 receptions, 3292 receiving yards, 32 receiving touchdowns
2019 Stats (13 Games): 62 receptions, 1327 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns

Film Assessment

Games Watched: 2018: Alabama 2019: Texas Tech, Texas, Kansas State, LSU

Strengths: Lamb is so good in almost every facet of the position. He is a smooth route runner and has a knack for finding the open field. In zone coverage, he is patient and finds soft spots where he has a window to receive the ball. In man coverage, his motor runs especially high and he finds joy in beating his man and creating separation.

He has strong hands that can pluck the ball out of the air with defenders in the area with consistency. He works through contact so easily and is seemingly unfazed by defenders draped over him.

At the line of scrimmage, he is stellar at releasing off of press coverage. Lamb uses his hands and has quick and sudden feet to get away from his man and get to his route stem. He is very nuanced and creative in his releases. On running plays against press coverage, he often plays around with his release and tests new combinations even though the play is away from him.

His greatest strength lies in his ability to create yards after the catch. He sees the field so well and has an eye for green grass. Whether it’s because of his strength, speed, or contact balance, he often slips past defenders and makes explosive plays as a ball-carrier. He is the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft class with the ball in his hands.

Weaknesses:  There isn’t much to dislike about CeeDee Lamb’s game. I wish he put more effort into his run blocking at times. When they run screen passes behind him he seems to engage well with defensive backs and hold blocks well, but on rushing plays, Lamb will get lazy at times and just run towards his blocking assignment and stop before the contact.

Some evaluators knock his long speed at times as a negative, but he shows signs on tape where he can break-away from defenders in open-field. It’s a weird evaluation, however, because there are other times that I see what others see and he looks a step slow. At his peak speed that I saw, it should be of no concern to the NFL and is fast enough given his other talents and traits.

Route Running: 11/15
Catching: 8.5/10
Release: 8/10
Catch Radius: 8/10
Athleticism: 8/10
Body Control: 9/10
Run After Catch: 10/10
Speed: 7/10
Red-Zone Play: 8/10
Blocking: 3/5

Final Film Grade: 8.05 (Top-10 Talent Film Grade)

Best Film: Texas ’19
Worst Film: LSU ’19
Best Trait: RAC
Worst Trait: Inconsistent Motor

Summary: CeeDee Lamb has seen his production rise in each of his three seasons as apart of the Oklahoma Sooners program. He has had to deal with the change and build chemistry with three different quarterbacks during that time. Though Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts were all great talents, that is still something that is hard to overcome to be as consistent over his career as he was.

The Texas native has such a complete game and has the capability to win in so many ways. To begin with, he releases off the line with suddenness and quickness. He uses his hands against press coverage well and creates separation almost immediately. He isn’t the fastest receiving prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he has a nuanced style to his routes that allow him to find space and win in man coverage.

When the ball is in his hands, CeeDee Lamb becomes the most dynamic player on the field. His awareness and vision are so impressive. He can sense the open-field and hit it with explosiveness and acceleration. Along the way, he can break many tackles whether it be by his strength, elusiveness, or his contact balance.

Lamb is a special and rare talent. It isn’t every year you see a wide receiver prospect with such a complete skill set. Lamb is a universal commodity for any team that selects him. I don’t see CeeDee slipping past the 12th pick to Oakland. Get the ball in his hands in space and he will make a team very happy and will make the defense very upset.

CeeDee Lamb is arguably the best wide receiver prospect in this class, battling Jerry Jeudy for that top spot. Lamb and Jeudy bring such different skill sets to the table and whoever gets drafted first will be reliant on who’s playstyle best fits the team selecting. No matter who you think is better, both are easily top prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft.