Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Profile | WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
CEEDEE LAMB
Height: 6-foot 2.
Weight: 195 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: Oklahoma
CeeDee Lamb is a wide receiver, originally from Opelousas, Louisiana. His family eventually moved to Richmond, Texas, where he attended John and Randolph Foster High School. According to rivals.com, he had offers from 15 Division I schools. Lamb committed to play at Oklahoma in July of 2016.
Considering his size, speed and physicality, it’s easy to see why Lamb is rated as one of the top receivers in this year’s draft class. He’s coming off a stellar junior season at Oklahoma in which he had 62 catches for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 21.4 yards per reception.
He also had one rushing touchdown. Following this standout performance in 2019, Lamb was named a first-team All-American. He was also a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, the honor given to the best wide receiver in college football every year.
Lamb had four receptions for 119 yards during Oklahoma’s 63-28 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl. He announced that he would declare for the 2020 NFL Draft on December 29, 2019.
Last season, Lamb took over as Oklahoma’s top receiver after the Baltimore Ravens drafted Marquise Brown in April of 2019. Even when he was the second option behind Brown, Lamb still put up very impressive numbers.
In 2018, he had 65 receptions for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns. During his freshman season in 2017, Lamb had 46 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. Throughout his three years at Oklahoma, he also returned punts, totaling 54 returns for 475 yards (8.8 average).
Lamb worked with three different quarterbacks during his time at Oklahoma and had good chemistry with all of them. Baker Mayfield was throwing to him in 2017, while Kyler Murray was his quarterback during the 2018 season.
Last year, Lamb was catching passes from Jalen Hurts. He should not have any issues adapting to an NFL offense, as he has proven that he can succeed no matter who is throwing him the ball.
According to Kristian Dyer of JetsCountry.com, an NFL executive believes than Lamb is the best wide receiver in this year’s draft class.
“I know everyone likes [Jerry] Jeudy, and he is a great prospect, Pro Bowl-caliber. But Lamb is the most polished wide receiver in this draft,’ the executive told Dyer.
“He grades out very well. Fantastic route runner. Great hands. Breaks plays, reliable. His radius is great, jumps off the charts. If it is thrown in his direction, he gets it. Watch his tape, and he is the type of player who checks every box. To me, he should be the first wide receiver taken in the draft, but the hype around Jeudy is strong and deserved. But to me, he is the best wide receiver out there.”
Indeed if a team is looking to build its passing attack around a receiver, Lamb appears to be a good candidate. In addition to his ball skills and ability to track the ball in flight, he has an exceptional catch radius. He almost always finds a way to haul in passes that are within his radius.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lamb's 62 receptions for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019 were very diverse. He ran just about every route on the tree and had only five dropped balls. Of his receiving yards, 401 came on deep balls, and 311 yards came from the slot.
Lamb runs sharp routes and has shown consistency in separating, particularly at the top of the routes. He' also doesn't go down very easily and will fight (and protect the ball0 for additional yards. Lamb also doesn't let press coverage bother him as he keeps his balance and fights for the contested catches.
Why He’s a Fit
Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman has plenty of needs that he must address this offseason, on both sides of the ball, one of which is a No. 1 receiver. Golden Tate was signed to fill that role after the Giants traded away Odell Beckham Jr, but Tate is at best a short-term solution whereas someone like Lamb could be a longer-term answer.
And although Sterling Shepard played well when he was healthy, staying on the field has been a significant issue for him throughout his career. Shepard has yet to prove that he can be the top receiver in the Giants’ offense.
If Gettleman decides to take Lamb with the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Giants would have a dynamic No. 1 receiver. Lamb can be the next great young receiver in the NFL. If the Giants draft him, he could be Daniel Jones’ top weapon in the passing game for the next 5-7 years.
The idea of having a receiving corps that includes Lamb, Shepard, Tate, Evan Engram, and Darius Slayton is undoubtedly enticing. With all of these options for Jones to throw to and Saquon Barkley as the running back, the Giants’ offense could look very different in 2020. New offensive coordinator Jason Garrett could get a lot out if this unit if Lamb is on the team next season.
Gettleman is going to have a tough decision to make once the Giants are officially on the clock in April. His team needs a lot of help on defense, so it would make sense for him to take an edge rusher, offensive tackle or a linebacker with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
However, Gettleman is known for surprising people and making unconventional moves. If he thinks Lamb is the best player on the board, there’s a chance that the Giants could end up with this explosive receiver out of Oklahoma.
