2020 NFL Draft: Top 40 wide receiver rankings and analysis

The third group of receivers for the 2020 NFL Draft are still very talented players who could have a role for a team right away, and especially down the road. They fall in this range because although they definitely bring something to the table, they may be a bit one-dimensional, lack elite upside or lack current refinement in their game.

18. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan

Donovan Peoples-Jones is very athletic, exhibited by his impressive combine, and is a decent route runner. Peoples-Jones’ vertical jump (44.5 inches) is evident when going up for 50/50 balls.

He has fairly good release at the line of scrimmage to create enough space for himself to go up and make a play. His quarterback didn’t do DPJ’s numbers any favors, often missing him when he did come open, but nuanced route running isn’t necessarily his strong suit. He is best when running fades from the slot and taking advantage of mismatches across the field.

It would be interesting to see what he could do with a good QB, but I’m not seeing the first-round hype around Donovan Peoples-Jones in the 2020 NFL Draft.

19. Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi

Quez Watkins is incredibly fast and uses that speed well with or without the ball. He can fly past defenders to come open deep down the field or use some shiftiness and acceleration to take a short pass all the way to the end zone.

Watkins is a sound route runner with great hands and ball skills. With his speed and ball skills, Watkins should be able to see the field early in his career and if he is able to continue to develop as a route runner could become a legitimate starter in the NFL.

20. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina

Bryan Edwards is a very solid route runner with a quick release off the snap at the line of scrimmage. He is a very good runner with the ball in his hands and often gets touches on reverses.

Edwards has experience as a punt returner and has good elusiveness and contact balance as a ball carrier. Edwards lines up outside and inside, proving to be a mismatch with his size and speed regardless of his opposition.

He was unable to participate in the combine due to injury, so he will have to try to prove that he is healthy, but he should be good to go to make an immediate impact as a WR2 or 3 in any offense at the next level.

21. James Proche, SMU

A captain at SMU, James Proche was very productive in his final two seasons. Proche has incredible hands, going out and grabbing throws rather than letting them get into his body. He made more one-handed catches than any other prospect I watched and has incredible ball skills with the pass in the air.

He is very good with the ball in his hands, finishing off runs for touchdowns and excelling as a return man. He isn’t the most nuanced route runner but has enough wiggle to get the space he needs, especially on in-breaking routes to shield the defender and go out and catch the pass. He’s very effective in the red zone and is very tough over the middle.

With his size, teams may want him to play in the slot, but although he can play both inside and out, I think he is more effective on the outside going up and making plays with his ball skills than trying to be ultra shifty underneath. Proche should contribute right away on special teams and as a solid backup receiver, and could develop into a very good NFL pass-catcher.

22. Juaun Jennings, Tennessee

Jauan Jennings has very good size as a slot receiver. He is a good route runner who can create space with a good release. He is effective with the ball in his hands and was used as a direct snap runner in short-yardage situations at Tennessee.

He actually threw multiple touchdowns, one as part of a Philly Special type goal line play and one on a cross-field throwback. I mean he is TOUGH to bring down with the ball in his hands, exhibiting great contact balance and good elusiveness. He is a solid route runner with good hands and ball skills for contested catches.

Also a very effective blocker, I think Jennings should have a shot to contribute right away, even if it’s mostly special teams and in spurts on offense. Jennings does so many things well that I can’t see him not turning into a productive receiver at the next level.

23. Gabriel Davis, UCF

Gabriel Davis is a very effective vertical threat and was extremely productive this past season in UCF’s offense. He isn’t a nuanced route runner but has a feel for where he needs to get to have position on the defender.

Davis had many big plays this past season, but he was often wide open due to the scheming in their offense at UCF. Regardless, he tracks the ball well and has great ball skills when going up for a catch. He doesn’t have elite speed for a deep threat, but for his size, he is fast enough to get the job done.

He is shifty enough with his release at the line of scrimmage to come open on shorter routes but will need to develop as a route runner if he wants to be a complete receiver at the next level.

24. Austin Mack, Ohio State

Similar to his teammate K.J. Hill, Austin Mack is a very impressive route runner. Mack typically lined up outside for the Buckeyes but should have some versatility with his alignment going forward.

Mack excels on routes that break back towards the quarterback, allowing him to plant his foot in the ground, turn, shield the defender with his size and use his good hands to go out and make the grab. As an outside receiver, Mack excels around the sideline with a great feel for the boundary and solid footwork to stay in bounds, with many of his catches counting by NFL standards, too.

Mack has good speed and sufficient elusiveness in the open field to make plays and is tough enough to drive through defenders to finish off plays.

With solid ball skills, often high pointing the ball, especially on contested catches, Mack is a very well-rounded prospect with a high floor. He should be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and could provide some solid depth at any wide receiver position.

25. Quartney Davis, Texas A&M

Between injuries and other solid players at his position ahead of him (Christian Kirk), Quartney Davis didn’t get as much run and therefore didn’t have the kind of production you look for coming into the draft. He could have returned for another season at Texas A&M and probably would have helped his draft stock, but Davis has a lot of tools that make him a legit NFL caliber slot receiver.

With the ball in his hands, Davis is very effective with a good blend of speed, power and elusiveness, often getting the ball on reverses and end arounds. Davis is a very good route runner, using suddenness, wiggle and change of speeds to lose his defender.

He has good size for a slot receiver and is not afraid to make catches over the middle. He has good hands and ball skills and is effective in the red zone. He has a good feel for finding space in zone coverage, is a very good blocker and could probably bring some value on special teams as well.

Davis should be able to find a role quickly in the NFL and before long could become a starting slot receiver at the next level.

26. Collin Johnson, Texas

At 6-foot-6, Collin Johnson is a monster of a target who has proven that he can dominate games against high-level competition. Johnson was productive in 2018 but failed to replicate that success in 2019 due to hamstring injury.

He is clearly a mismatch when it comes to jump balls, making him lethal in the red zone. Johnson is also a decent route runner and has decent speed for his size. Johnson is successful down the field and would likely be even more successful in contested catch situations if he added some more play strength to his frame. Once he catches the ball, he uses his long arms to keep defenders at bay and does a good job of falling forward with that big body.

He is a bit of a project at this point, but Collin Johnson has good potential at the next level.

27. Tyler Johnson, Minnesota

Tyler Johnson projects as a bigger slot receiver at the next level who wins with positioning. He doesn’t have the best release or the crispest route running, but Johnson has great feel, a strong body and great hands. He is very effective in the end zone with great feel for open space and sticky hands to make the catch.

In space, he is effective with the ball in his hands and the longer a play goes, the more likely he is to get open. He was very effective at Minnesota and could carry that over to the NFL with his exceptional ball skills and body positioning out of the slot.

28. Antonio Gibson, Memphis

In the games that I watched, Antonio Gibson lined up primarily at wide receiver in the slot. In that role at the next level, I see him being a Deebo Samuel type of player. Many view Gibson as a running back but he has some legitimate wide receiver traits.

He has some nuances in his routes and has great hands. He excels with double moves, using a little of that running back shiftiness. He can go up and get jump balls and is a threat to take any throw all the way. As a running back Gibson displayed a little explosiveness and solid contact balance.

He brings even more true running back capability than a guy like Samuel but I see him lining up split out more than in the backfield at the next level.

29. Devin Duvernay, Texas

Devin Duvernay is an absolute burner who is built like a running back and runs like one with the ball in his hands. He rarely runs intermediate routes but is a dangerous deep threat and very effective when they can get the ball in his hands quickly around the line of scrimmage.

He’s not a jump ball winner or a nuanced route runner, so his ceiling is limited at the next level, but his speed is going to be appealing enough to a team to warrant a pick in the middle rounds of the draft.

30. Freddie Swain, Florida

Fredie Swain is another Gator that has a future as a slot receiver in the NFL. He doesn’t display the nuanced route running that his Florida teammate Van Jefferson has, but he may be even a little better with the ball in his hands. He is very elusive and is also effective as a return man.

He ran an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash and could work his way onto an NFL roster and earn some playing time in the slot if put in the right situation.

31. Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin

Quintez Cephus is a powerful, bruising receiver both at the point of the catch and with the ball in his hands. He’s just shifty enough at the line of scrimmage to get position on the defender and his body and strong hands do the rest.

With his strength and ball skills, he is a reliable target in the red zone and can win his share of 50/50 balls, but lacks the high-end speed to be a real deep threat. Sometimes he can be a bit too physical, and I bet he’ll get flagged rather frequently early in his career trying to get open against NFL-level competition, but you love the fire and grit that he brings to a team.

32. Joe Reed, Virginia

Joe Reed is an outstanding kick returner, but he is a legit receiver as well. He is very effective with the ball in his hands with great contact balance and effective elusiveness, to the point that teams have been asking him to switch to running back.

As a receiver, he doesn’t possess a lot of outstanding qualities, but he gets the job done. He’s not an elite route runner and doesn’t have exceptional speed (but did run a 4.47 40-yard dash), but he has great hands and ball skills and usually creates enough space for himself to make a play.

Even though the NFL kick returner is becoming absolute, Reed is good enough to line up back there for a team right away, and should be able to contribute elsewhere on special teams early in his career as well. On offense, he is a well-built slot receiver who is great with the ball in his hands regardless of how it gets there.