Jerry Jeudy vs CeeDee Lamb: Who is in a Better Dynasty Situation?
There’s no disputing that the wide receiver draft class of 2020 is loaded with all kinds of talent. Even if options were gone after the first round, there was still a ton of high-quality options available on day two. As such, several teams hauled in potential WR1s, and at the very least some damn good players on cheap contracts.
In terms of the best receivers taken, however, the consensus is that Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb were the two best in the class, and neither landed outside of the top 20. Jeudy went to the 15th pick and is now a member of the Broncos, while Lamb joined the Cowboys at pick #17.
Many football fans have considered either one of Jeudy and Lamb as the best playmaking prospect at the position, so there were virtually zero complaints between Broncos and Cowboys fans about taking one player over the other or settling for the other option. And to me, both teams got great young talents with the potential to start their careers as the number one targets for their respective teams.
This now begs the question; Which receiver is in the best situation to become a star in the NFL? Both are two of the most talented receivers from this class, so you can’t go wrong with either, but a player’s situation and supporting cast can have implications on how quickly they can make an impact at the professional level.
With that said, let’s consider both Jeudy and Lamb’s skill sets, their quarterbacks, the players around them, and the coaching staff. Let’s get into it!
Skill Set
Describing the talents of Jeudy and Lamb is difficult to abridge because there are so many things both players do well.
Jeudy is an absolute game-changer as a route runner. The usual requirements for a good WR1 include consistent catching (of course) and the ability to beat press coverage. Most teams would be happy with that, but Jeudy takes it a step further with how he’s able to do this.
Similar to receivers like Antonio Brown and Doug Baldwin, Jeudy is able to smoothly control his acceleration at a rate where it’s ankle-breaking. He can go at top speed and transition into seemingly slow motion at the blink of an eye, and before corners know it he’s past them. In other words, Jeudy’s use of hesitation at the line of scrimmage is brilliant, and it makes his route running ability that much deadlier.
Jeudy’s ability after the catch is also tremendous because he uses the same delayed movement in his route running. His footwork is sharp and precise, so he can also cut it back like any traditional running back can. I guess the only knock you can put on him is he’s not much of a contested catcher, but that’s hardly a big deal when he’s able to separate at the rate he can.
Lamb, on the other hand, is considered better after the catch. He uses a similar, particular set of skills to Jeudy but is even slippier. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he ended up breaking more tackles between the two receivers’ rookie seasons; He’s just near impossible to bring down at times.
Lamb’s route running can’t compare to Jeudy’s, but he’s still damn good at it. He’s lacking in the level of hesitance his Denver counterpart has, but is able to run sharp angles on his route breaks and can also separate versus man. He’s better on contested catches than Jeudy as well.
Overall, both receivers are extremely intriguing athletes, but I’d have to give my vote to Jeudy. His route running is on a level of its own and I’d argue his athleticism is even better than Lamb’s.
Quarterbacks
This isn’t that difficult of a decision. Jeudy’s quarterback, Drew Lock, has only played five games in the NFL, so his career is still in progress. Meanwhile, Lamb’s quarterback is Dak Prescott, a top ten quarterback who can make plays outside of the pocket.
Lock could end up becoming a good quarterback, but based on resume, Lamb’s quarterback wins this vote.
Receivers around them
Now this is interesting because while I could give my vote to Lamb, Jeudy is also surrounded by talented receivers. Courtland Sutton is one of the best young wideouts in the league with consistent separation as a vertical receiver and ridiculous hands, while fellow rookie KJ Hamler is ridiculously fast and can fit the slot role nicely in Denver.
Obviously joining the duo of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup should give the Cowboys debatably the best wide receiver trio in football, but Jeudy, Sutton, and Hamler aren’t too far behind. Regardless, I think Lamb is entering a better receiving corps (and better offensive line), but it’s awfully close.
Coaches
Pat Shurmur has returned to being an offensive coordinator with his stint in Denver. He was really good at his job with the Vikings back in 2017, though many question if that was more of a one-year wonder. Luckily, there’s plenty of talent for him to work with thanks to a group of skill players that includes Jeudy, Sutton, Hamler, Phillip Lindsay, Melvin Gordon, and Noah Fant.
Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore will be running the Cowboys offense. McCarthy was pretty mediocre (sometimes even very bad) during the last stretch of his career with the Packers, but Moore helped lead a monster passing offense with all kinds of numbers. That can only improve with Lamb joining the fun.
In this case, I think Jeudy has the better coach for now, as I feel Shurmur the OC is at least less predictable than McCarthy has been. Perhaps the latter’s newfound love for analytics can change that, we’ll see.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s a close race, but I’d have to say CeeDee Lamb is in a better situation to create numbers in dynasty. There are better receivers around him, and right now Dak Prescott is a better quarterback than Drew Lock, which ultimately gives Lamb the edge over Jeudy.
In terms of talent, Jeudy takes my vote, but Lamb could make a dangerous connection with Prescott before Jeudy can with Lock. Still, I would not hesitate to take either receiver in a dynasty draft. Whichever player is available when your team picks is going to give tremendous value.
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