Imagine two DeAndre Hopkins in the NFL in 2020 and neither of them are playing for the Houston Texans.
That is the situation that will debut as early as September as the three-time All-Pro wideout is now with the Arizona Cardinals.
As for the other Nuk, that is a comparison the Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar provided when he analyzed former Oklahoma Sooners receiver CeeDee Lamb. Farrar took a look at the top 50 prospects and the closest comparison in the NFL to the way Lamb plays is Hopkins.
Lamb is tied in many minds on top of the receiver board with Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, but the difference Lamb brings to the game is an alpha mentality over the middle and a willingness to go hard for the contested catch. Watching him brings Hopkins to mind, especially when it comes to consistency and toughness.
What was remarkable about Hopkins’ run in Houston was it was pock marked with bad quarterback play from 2013-17. The former 2013 first-round pick didn’t have a capable field general until Deshaun Watson’s second year in 2018. Hopkins still made his first All-Pro the year prior when he had Tom Savage and T.J. Yates for the nine games after Watson tore his ACL on Nov. 2, 2017.
If the NFL is ready for another big play receiver who can make spectacular catches, then there is a place for Lamb.