Final Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part Two

Throughout the season, the Rookie Report Card has covered some of the biggest rookies and not only looked at their performance to date – but also their long-term upside. Now that the season has wrapped up and fantasy owners are looking towards the future, we have an opportunity to take one last look at the 2020 season and assess the rookies – a final report card if you will.

We covered 37 rookies throughout the season, including 18 wide receivers. Let’s wrap the season up by taking one more look at these rookies’ first shot catching passes as pros, as well as a quick glimpse into their futures.

Van Jefferson, WR LAR

Season Stats: 19 receptions, 220 receiving yards, one touchdown (31 targets)

Jefferson was one of my favorite late-round rookie picks because of his crisp route running. He landed in an ideal spot with Sean McVay in Los Angeles and made a handful of noteworthy plays as a rookie. Despite Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp being under contract long-term and McVay’s recent history of preferring two tight end sets on offense, the upgrade from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford may be exactly what he needs to get more field-stretchers on the field which makes Jefferson an excellent end-of-roster stash this off-season considering Josh Reynolds is a free agent.

Jerry Jeudy, WR DEN

Season Stats: 52 receptions, 856 receiving yards, three touchdowns (113 targets)

Many dynasty managers were disappointed with Jeudy’s rookie stat line, especially considering the injury to Courtland Sutton, but I simply was not. I wrote in week 17 that because he was second in the league in air yards per target (12.9) behind only Calvin Ridley and generated a 21% target share in his rookie campaign, more consistent quarterback play in his second season is all he needs for a breakout season. Whether that comes from Drew Lock improving in the off-season or the team adding a better passer, Jeudy’s body language on the field after missed throws makes me think he believes he’s getting open and just needs to get on the same page as his quarterback.

I still rank Jeudy third among 2020 rookie wide receivers. He’s easily worth a mid to late first-round rookie pick along with a throw-in veteran on the trade market this off-season.

Tyler Johnson, WR TB

Season Stats: 12 receptions, 168 receiving yards, two touchdowns (17 targets)

While a 12-catch season as a rookie isn’t going to grab many headlines, Johnson made his presence known despite being buried behind three All-Pro receivers on the depth chart for much of the season. Physical at the catch point as well as running with the ball after making the grab, he should be on dynasty managers’ radar going into the off-season with both Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown unsigned for 2020.

CeeDee Lamb, WR DAL

Season Stats: 74 receptions, 935 receiving yards, five touchdowns (111 targets)

Lamb was second on the team in targets (104), receptions (69) and yards (89), and led the Cowboys in touchdowns (6) as a rookie – all while sharing targets with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. There were times in his first season – particularly before Dak Prescott’s week five season-ending injury –he appeared to be the most dynamic wideout in Dallas.

Lamb is a purebred WR1. With a full off-season to prepare, the return of Prescott, and entering the second year in Mike McCarthy’s offense (which consistently provided multiple top-24 wide receivers per year in the past), it’s only a matter of time before he reaches his elite potential.

Denzel Mims, WR NYJ

Season Stats: 23 receptions, 357 receiving yards (44 targets)

Despite having a limited wide receiver depth chart, the Jets had a hard time working Mims into their struggling offense. While it was a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve and kept him from being productive through week seven, even after returning to the lineup he failed to catch more than four passes, reach 75 yards or find the end zone in any of his nine games despite playing 82% of the team’s snaps. Regardless of his statistical struggles, he flashed the playmaking ability he displayed in college and that his 4.38-second 40-yard dash and 38 1/2“ vertical from the combine suggests he possesses.

Mims is a downfield threat but needs quality quarterback play to reach his potential as a fringe WR1. If you believe the Jets will steady their ship with new head coach Robert Saleh and whoever they entrust under center, he’s a solid trade target this off-season.

Darnell Mooney, WR CHI

Season Stats: 61 receptions, 631 receiving yards, four touchdowns (98 targets)

Despite being undersized at 5’-10”, 175 pounds, Mooney’s speed (4.38-second 40-yard dash) and leaping ability pushed him into Chicago’s starting lineup and onto the dynasty radar in his rookie season. When I wrote about him back in week two I called him a “deep-league stash.” I swung and missed on that one.

Mooney showed that he can get open, high point the football and create yards after the catch. If he gets the upgrade at quarterback that he badly needs to take the next step in his career, he could reach his consistent top-30 potential as quickly as next season.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR CLE

Season Stats: 14 receptions, 304 receiving yards, two touchdowns (20 targets)

Peoples-Jones mixed into the Browns rotation as a rookie, catching 14 of 20 targets but faces an uphill battle for playing time with Odell Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and whoever else Cleveland adds to the depth chart this off-season. Although there are reasons to believe in him included his pedigree (former five-star recruit), height-speed combination (4.48, 6’-2”) and him flashing good hands in contested catch situations as a rookie, his inability to get separation makes him an end-of-roster player at best for dynasty managers. He’ll likely hit waiver wires during draft season this spring and summer.

Michael Pittman, WR IND

Season Stats: 40 receptions, 503 receiving yards, one touchdown (61 targets)

After battling through toe and calf injuries early in the season, Pittman put together a nice stretch between weeks nine and 11, catching 14 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. After that, he didn’t reach 50 receiving yards until the playoff game against the Bills when he surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage.

Now with Carson Wentz in Indianapolis, Pittman is a great trade target. Considering the lack of an alpha wide receiver, his physical style both at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point and that he came in at WR40 in January ADP, he presents an excellent value for those looking for a wideout with fringe-WR1 upside at a discount.

Jalen Reagor, WR PHI

Season Stats: 31 receptions, 396 receiving yards, one touchdown (54 targets)

I covered Reagor in the week 15 edition of the Rookie Report Card. If you don’t want to click the link, the point I tried to make was that I feel strongly that the Eagles’ coaching staff didn’t use him properly. Perhaps he didn’t have a good understanding of the playbook or his thumb injury kept him from unlocking his upside. Maybe the coaching staff simply didn’t feel his skill set was right for their offense. Either way, Doug Pederson is gone, the thumb now has ample time to heal and he should get a proper off-season to get acquainted with the playbook.

Perhaps the most affordable wideout with upside in the 2020 receiver class, Reagor comes in at WR34 in January ADP at pick 64 overall sandwiched between players like Robert Woods, Will Fuller, Tyler Lockett and Odell Beckham. Meanwhile, the DLF Trade Analyzer values him between pick 2.01 and 2.02. He’s an excellent trade target for those still believing in the WR1 upside he entered the league with just one year ago.

Henry Ruggs, WR LV

Season Stats: 26 receptions, 452 receiving yards, two touchdowns (43 targets)

The first wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft, Ruggs had an incredibly disappointing rookie season – especially considering the need the Raiders had for a playmaking threat on the outside. Ruggs struggled to get open in the short to intermediate part of the field, garnering just 43 targets from dink-and-dunk specialist Derek Carr. Whether you believe in Ruggs and feel he simply needs more opportunities or you don’t and think he’s a one-trick pony, his ADP in January suggests he’s a bargain (at least in best-ball leagues) as he’s currently the WR48 and sure to be bumped down a few notches as the new crop of rookies enter our data.

Laviska Shenault, WR JAX

Season Stats: 58 receptions, 600 receiving yards, five touchdowns (79 targets)

After a slow start to his rookie season, Shenault finished strong by catching at least five passes in each of his last four games. Scoring three times in the final two games of the season, he put an exclamation mark on his rookie year which leaves dynasty managers eager to see more of the versatile playmaker. The Jaguars’ former coaching staff scratched the surface of his versatility by using him on a few jet sweeps, screens and end-arounds but with an upgrade at head coach and quarterback in Jacksonville, Shenault’s upside could be unlocked as early as this September. He appears destined to become a fantasy WR2 as long as he can remain healthy.

Final Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part Two