Tier 5
12. Henry Ruggs | WR | Las Vegas Raiders | WR6
Ruggs was the first wide receiver off the board in the draft, but his landing spot is what gives me pause. Despite a lackluster statistical profile, Ruggs is in the conversation as arguably the best wide receiver in this class purely from a talent standpoint. However, the pairing with Derek Carr limits his ceiling massively. Even if the Raiders want to use Ruggs as a catch-and-run receiver, his ceiling is limited if his quarterback won’t look to make plays downfield. He still should see a big enough target share now and in the future to be a solid fantasy asset, but he’s likely going to be a better real wide receiver than in fantasy.
13. Tee Higgins | WR | Cincinnati Bengals | WR7
I wasn’t as high on Higgins entering the draft, but there is still plenty of intrigue. The Bengals hope he can be the next A.J. Green and while those are high expectations, Higgins could be groomed to be the offense’s next WR1. Taking Higgins will be more of a long-term approach, but it could pay off after the 2020 season.
14. Denzel Mims | WR | New York Jets | WR8
Mims has the skills and athletic profile to be a team’s unquestioned WR1. He’s the prototypical X receiver and his volume alone with the Jets should make him relevant pretty quickly. That said, it’s hard to trust the pairing of Adam Gase and Sam Darnold in New York. The draft capital and opportunity make him a very high-upside pick, but I have questions about the Jets offense as a whole and the people running it.
15. Brandon Aiyuk | WR | San Francisco 49ers | WR9
It might be a little shocking to see a first-round pick this far in the rankings. Aiyuk is a big-play machine with the ability to break off a long touchdown at any given moment. He had an elite receiving yards market share and receptions per game, but his late breakout age and landing spot in a run-heavy offense as the likely WR2 cloud the optimism. That said, Aiyuk has the skillset to succeed in the YAC offense under Kyle Shanahan, and the draft capital helps his cause a lot.
16. Laviska Shenault | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR10
Shenault was potentially a first-round pick in the NFL Draft but slipped to the second likely due to injury concerns. That said, he could wind up being one of the biggest steals. Shenault can step in almost immediately as the WR2 opposite D.J. Chark and with his skillset and early breakout age, there is no denying the chance for him to be arguably the top wide receiver to come out of this class. It’s all about whether he can stay healthy or not.
17. Bryan Edwards | WR | Las Vegas Raiders | WR11
Another long-term rookie, Edwards is an intriguing second-round pick in rookie drafts. His elite breakout age and statistical profile are astounding. However, his work came very close to the line of scrimmage, which means we have limited knowledge of his ability to work down the field. But his landing spot with the Raiders is strong. Derek Carr prefers the short game and Edwards can thrive in that area. It wouldn’t be a shock if he is the most productive rookie wide receiver on the Raiders offense in 2020.