The 2020 NFL Draft featured one of the deepest and most talented wideout classes the league has ever seen. In fact, 37 rookie wide receivers were selected over the course of the three-day event, with a record 13 of them coming off the board during the first two rounds. Naturally, whenever there is such an impressive collection of incoming talent at any position, some special players tend to get lost in the shuffle and languish in the shadows as their more celebrated peers receive all the acclaim.
Well, that’s not happening today.
While stars like Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, and CeeDee Lamb have easily been the most hyped wideouts in the class, and Justin Jefferson and Jalen Reagor have seen their share of optimistic forecasts over the last few months as well, it’s time to take a look at three slightly less talked about players who could make an immediate impact in 2020.
Don’t Overlook These Three 2020 Rookie Wide Receivers
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Admittedly, it seems a little silly to label a first-round pick a sleeper, but Aiyuk absolutely qualifies for this distinction. Despite the fact that the San Francisco 49ers traded up to select him with the 25th overall pick, the sixth and final first-round receiver doesn’t seem to get the same amount of love as his peers. And that’s a shame because he has the potential to be a special talent.
In fact, coach Kyle Shanahan has stated that Aiyuk was the highest-rated wideout on the 49ers’ board. That’s a strong statement given the incredible amount of talent at the position in this draft class, so it’s clear the franchise thinks Aiyuk can be a truly dynamic player.
While the Niners are a running team first and foremost, Aiyuk has a chance to slide right into a significant role in the early portion of the season. While tight end George Kittle will continue to operate as the franchise’s top option in the passing game, Aiyuk could realistically be a significant contributor in the team’s passing attack from Week One.
Deebo Samuel, the 49ers premier wide receiver, suffered a broken foot during the off-season. The Jones fracture he sustained is a tricky injury and will likely cause him to miss the early portion of the season. It’s not unreasonable to imagine Aiyuk functioning as the team’s top wideout while Samuel is sidelined. Players like Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Hurd, Dante Pettis, and the recently-signed Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson are in the mix, but none of them come with the same expectations and draft capital as Aiyuk.
Aiyuk was a big play waiting to happen in his senior season, averaging a stunning 18.3 yards per reception. Now he’s paired with Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback whose completion percentage of 61 percent on throws of more than 20 yards was the best in the league by a full 10 percent a season ago. That sounds like a potentially spectacular combination. It’s entirely reasonable to imagine a strong start for the former Arizona State stud.
Denzel Mims, New York Jets
Denzel Mims could have easily been a first-round pick, but somehow slipped all the way to the late second round, where the New York Jets were more than happy to scoop him up. The former Baylor receiver boasts one of the more impressive athletic profiles of any wideout from this class, per Player Profiler, with a 96th-percentile speed score and a 95th-percentile catch radius.
Mims had 66 grabs for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior year at Baylor and averaged an impressive 15.5 yards per reception. The rookie enters a Jets receiving group that includes Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman, and a lot of highly unproven players. Mims is expected to slot in as an immediate starter and it would not be a stretch to imagine him becoming quarterback Sam Darnold‘s favorite target in short order.
Mims is currently dealing with a hamstring issue in training camp, so he will likely take some time to get up to speed, but with his incredible abilities and such an opportunity for a high-volume role, he could make a huge impact in his rookie season.
Bryan Edwards, Las Vegas Raiders
Bryan Edwards had a nightmarish run-up to the NFL Draft as a knee injury ended his senior campaign early, and a broken foot ultimately cost him the opportunity to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. As a result, he fell to the Las Vegas Raiders in the later portion of the third round.
While many viewed Edwards as a player who could have been selected higher based on his ability, it’s possible that no team valued him as highly as the one that he ultimately landed with. In fact, word has emerged that the Raiders had the former South Carolina star graded as a first-round talent, so it’s clear the franchise has high hopes for his future.
Since the Raiders opened training camp, there has been no shortage of optimism about Edwards within the organization. Quarterback Derek Carr compared him to his former college teammate Davante Adams while referring to him as a “freak talent”, and Tyrell Williams likened him to former Chargers teammate Mike Williams. There have even been rumors that Edwards could earn the role of the team’s starting “X” receiver, with Williams as the flanker and fellow rookie Ruggs III in the slot.
Should Edwards earn significant playing time in year one, he has the ability to be a difference-maker, particularly with a quarterback who has already seemingly formed a connection with him. Without question, Edwards could prove to be one of the steals of the draft if he continues at his current trajectory.
