CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones and his front office were quite happy to steal Oklahoma’s Lamb with the 17th overall pick — he’ll add a ton to a receiver corps that’s already full of talent with Amari Cooper and the underrated Michael Gallup. Lamb may not have high-end deep speed, but from route awareness to short-area quickness to toughness over the middle, he’s got everything else to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
(John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports)
This is assuming Tagovailoa’s hip is 100% when he gets into Dolphins training camp, and if it is, he’ll super-charge Miami’s offense with a skill set that is equal parts Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. Over three seasons at Alabama, Tagovailoa’s combination of a 69.3% completion rate and 10.9 yards per attempt is as sure an indicator of success as one can extrapolate.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs managed to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years with the NFL’s most explosive offense, and that was without the home run threat at running back they’d had in Kareem Hunt before Hunt’s off-field issues prompted his release. Edwards-Helaire, who was the glue that held LSU’s national championship offense together in 2019, is an ideal cog in Andy Reid’s offense, because he can do everything from working through inside runs to lining up wide as a primary target for Patrick Mahomes. This might be the best bet for OROY in 2020. Of course, there is the matter of Edwards-Helaire’s former quarterback…
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Forget anything you’ve heard about Burrow being a “one-year wonder” at LSU — you don’t shred most of the NCAA’s best defenses as he did in 2019 if you’re a fluke. Whether facing zone or man coverage, under pressure, in or out of the pocket, no quarterback was more prolific than Burrow last season, and his 2019 campaign was one of the greatest quarterback seasons in collegiate history. The Bengals aren’t quite there when it comes to surrounding him with talent on the offensive line, but he’s got the receiver corps, and the talent, to put up some estimable NFL numbers.