Re-visiting the 2020 WR Draft Class

[Jetsfan80]

More than 2 years after the 2020 draft, vaunted as perhaps the greatest WR draft class ever, there's enough evidence thus far to suggest the class lived up to the hype in many ways, but there are also quite a few names that were hyped up at the time that haven't been heard from since.  

35 WR's were taken in the class.  This means that on average, one in every 7-8 picks was a WR.  For our purposes we'll break the 35 WR's down into 3 groups:  1) Hits, 2) Busts/Disappointments, and 3) Non-factors.  All of this is, of course, subject to change in year 3.  And feel free to quibble over which group certain WR's were placed, of course, but I'm confident there will be little disagreement for most of them:

Hits (17)

• Jerry Jeudy (DEN, 1.15):  90 catches, 1,323 yards, 3 TDs
• CeeDee Lamb (DAL, 1.17):  153 catches, 2,037 yards, 11 TDs
• Justin Jefferson (MIN, 1.22):  196 catches, 3,016 yards, 17 TDs
• Brandon Aiyuk (SF, 1.25):  116 catches, 1,574 yards, 10 TDs
• Tee Higgins (CIN, 2.33):  141 catches, 1,999 yards, 12 TDs
• Michael Pittman (IND, 2.34):  128 catches, 1,585 yards, 7 TDs
• Chase Claypool (PIT, 2.49):  121 catches, 1,733 yards, 11 TDs
• Van Jefferson (LAR, 2.57):  69 catches, 1,022 yards, 7 TDs
• Gabriel Davis (BUF, 4.128):  70 catches, 1,148 yards, 13 TDs
• Tyler Johnson (TB, 5.161):  48 catches, 529 yards, 2 TDs
• Quintez Cephus (DET, 5.166):  35 catches, 553 yards, 4 TDs
• Darnell Mooney (CHI, 5.173):  142 catches, 1,686 yards, 8 TDs
• K.J. Osborn (MIN, 5.176):  50 catches, 655 yards, 7 TDs
• Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE, 6.187):  48 catches, 901 yards, 5 TDs
• Quez Watkins (PHI, 6.200):  50 catches, 753 yards, 2 TDs
• Freddie Swain (SEA, 6.214):  38 catches, 502 yards, 6 TDs
• Jauan Jennings (SF, 7.217):  24 catches, 282 yards, 5 TDs

 

Busts/Disappointments (11)

• Henry Ruggs (LVR, 1.12):  50 catches, 921 yards, 4 TDs -- career essentially over
• Jalen Reagor (PHI, 1.21):  64 catches, 695 yards, 3 TDs
• Laviska Shenault (JAC, 2.42):  121 catches, 1,219 yards, 5 TDs
• KJ Hamler (DEN, 2.46):  35 catches, 455 yards, 3 TDs
• Denzel Mims (NYJ, 2.59):  31 catches, 490 yards, 0 TDs
• Lynn Bowden (LVR, 3.80):  28 catches, 211 yards, 0 TDs
• Bryan Edwards (LVR, 3.81):  45 catches, 764 yards, 4 TDs
• Devin Duvernay (BAL, 3.92):  53 catches, 473 yards, 2 TDs
• Antonio Gandy-Golden (WAS, 4.142):  1 catch, 3 yards, 0 TDs
• Collin Johnson (JAC, 5.165):  29 catches, 377 yards, 2 TDs
• James Proche (BAL, 6.201):  17 catches, 216 yards

 

Non-factors (7)

• Joe Reed (LAC, 5.151):  0 catches
• John Hightower (PHI, 5.168):  10 catches, 167 yards
• Isaiah Coulter (HOU, 5.171):  0 catches
• Isaiah Hodgins (BUF, 6.207):  0 catches
• Dezmon Patton (IND, 6.212):  2 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD
• K.J. Hill (LAC, 7.220):  10 catches, 103 yards
• Tyrie Cleveland (DEN, 7.252):  6 catches, 63 yards

[TuscanyTile2]

 

[Jet_Engine1]

Bunch of No Brainers. 

 

Jefferson the best.

 

Ruggs destroyed himself. 

 

Done.  

[PS17]

Voted Jefferson and Reagor. Ruggs was looking like a promising player so I’m not going to declare him biggest bust. Reagor is as bad as Mims and he was taken with a first rounder, and one pick ahead of Jefferson. 

[slats]

Mims is the only one with any catchees, so he must be the best. 

[jetstream23]

Aiyuk, Higgins and Pittman were my favorite somewhat realistic options for the Jets in that Draft knowing that they were going OLine in Round 1.  Thought the Jets might get a shot at one of them.  Given how completely devoid of talent the Jets were when JD stepped thru the door he was in trade-down mode that first year and needed to get some bodies on the roster.  Had the Jets been where they are now and having seen how JD operates with a trade-ups for AVT, JJ and Breece Hall I'd have to think that a do over of that 2020 Draft would have him moving up instead of down to snag a better WR prospect.

[jNYC1]

I'd argue Jerry Jeudy has been a disappointment given how high he was taken... although obviously not a bust...

Laviska Shenault has somewhat comparable stats despite being a round later and is in the disappointment/bust category...

[Jetsfan80]

11 minutes ago, jNYC1 said:

I'd argue Jerry Jeudy has been a disappointment given how high he was taken... although obviously not a bust...

Laviska Shenault has somewhat comparable stats despite being a round later and is in the disappointment/bust category...

Jeudy’s #’s are impacted by a severe ankle injury he suffered last season.  He missed 6 games and only started 5 largely due to that.  So we’ll see if he bounces back in 2022…after serving his likely upcoming suspension that is.  Given his issues I suppose a strong case can be made to put him in that category, but he is an undeniable talent and has shown it on the field when not hampered by injury. 

The problem for Shenault is he played well his rookie year, but in year 2 (when WRs tend to make a big leap) he stumbled.  He didn’t catch a single TD pass last season.

Maybe the lion’s share of the blame for the falls on his “generational” talent at QB…but I digress.

[Hael]

IMO Reagor is the biggest bust so far.  Ruggs and Jeudy were both beginning to show off when injury/off field stuff came into play.

Reagor definitely surprised me, I thought he would be much better than he is.  Its a bit of a learning lesson too.  If you are a 5’11 wr, you better have either amazing route running, speed or hands.  You can’t just be average.  

[Joe Willie White Shoes]

The hit list is way too big and contains players that are not hits.  And Claypool is not a hit. He is not improving despite being given opportunities and the Steelers just drafted his replacement (Pickens).  He is their 3rd or 4th option. Not a hit.  Judy - not a hit.  Vance Jefferson - not a hit. Johnson, Cephus, Osborn, Peoples-Jones, Watkins, Swain, Jennings - not hits.

[Jetsfan80]

2 hours ago, Joe Willie White Shoes said:

The hit list is way too big and contains players that are not hits.  And Claypool is not a hit. He is not improving despite being given opportunities and the Steelers just drafted his replacement (Pickens).  He is their 3rd or 4th option. Not a hit.  Judy - not a hit.  Vance Jefferson - not a hit. Johnson, Cephus, Osborn, Peoples-Jones, Watkins, Swain, Jennings - not hits.

Whatever Claypool becomes, 1733 yds and 11 TDs Thru 2 years for a mid 2nd rounder is 100 % a “hit” at this time.  And as for the late rounders, you’re seriously arguing that guys who are not only sticking on their rosters, but thriving in their roles, are “disappointments”?

As I mentioned in the OP, it’s all subject to change over time.  This list could look very different by the end of next season.  

[More Cowbell]

22 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

More than 2 years after the 2020 draft, vaunted as perhaps the greatest WR draft class ever, there's enough evidence thus far to suggest the class lived up to the hype in many ways, but there are also quite a few names that were hyped up at the time that haven't been heard from since.  

35 WR's were taken in the class.  This means that on average, one in every 7-8 picks was a WR.  For our purposes we'll break the 35 WR's down into 3 groups:  1) Hits, 2) Busts/Disappointments, and 3) Non-factors.  All of this is, of course, subject to change in year 3.  And feel free to quibble over which group certain WR's were placed, of course, but I'm confident there will be little disagreement for most of them:

Hits (17)

• Jerry Jeudy (DEN, 1.15):  90 catches, 1,323 yards, 3 TDs
• CeeDee Lamb (DAL, 1.17):  153 catches, 2,037 yards, 11 TDs
• Justin Jefferson (MIN, 1.22):  196 catches, 3,016 yards, 17 TDs
• Brandon Aiyuk (SF, 1.25):  116 catches, 1,574 yards, 10 TDs
• Tee Higgins (CIN, 2.33):  141 catches, 1,999 yards, 12 TDs
• Michael Pittman (IND, 2.34):  128 catches, 1,585 yards, 7 TDs
• Chase Claypool (PIT, 2.49):  121 catches, 1,733 yards, 11 TDs
• Van Jefferson (LAR, 2.57):  69 catches, 1,022 yards, 7 TDs
• Gabriel Davis (BUF, 4.128):  70 catches, 1,148 yards, 13 TDs
• Tyler Johnson (TB, 5.161):  48 catches, 529 yards, 2 TDs
• Quintez Cephus (DET, 5.166):  35 catches, 553 yards, 4 TDs
• Darnell Mooney (CHI, 5.173):  142 catches, 1,686 yards, 8 TDs
• K.J. Osborn (MIN, 5.176):  50 catches, 655 yards, 7 TDs
• Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE, 6.187):  48 catches, 901 yards, 5 TDs
• Quez Watkins (PHI, 6.200):  50 catches, 753 yards, 2 TDs
• Freddie Swain (SEA, 6.214):  38 catches, 502 yards, 6 TDs
• Jauan Jennings (SF, 7.217):  24 catches, 282 yards, 5 TDs

 

Busts/Disappointments (11)

• Henry Ruggs (LVR, 1.12):  50 catches, 921 yards, 4 TDs -- career essentially over
• Jalen Reagor (PHI, 1.21):  64 catches, 695 yards, 3 TDs
• Laviska Shenault (JAC, 2.42):  121 catches, 1,219 yards, 5 TDs
• KJ Hamler (DEN, 2.46):  35 catches, 455 yards, 3 TDs
• Denzel Mims (NYJ, 2.59):  31 catches, 490 yards, 0 TDs
• Lynn Bowden (LVR, 3.80):  28 catches, 211 yards, 0 TDs
• Bryan Edwards (LVR, 3.81):  45 catches, 764 yards, 4 TDs
• Devin Duvernay (BAL, 3.92):  53 catches, 473 yards, 2 TDs
• Antonio Gandy-Golden (WAS, 4.142):  1 catch, 3 yards, 0 TDs
• Collin Johnson (JAC, 5.165):  29 catches, 377 yards, 2 TDs
• James Proche (BAL, 6.201):  17 catches, 216 yards

 

Non-factors (7)

• Joe Reed (LAC, 5.151):  0 catches
• John Hightower (PHI, 5.168):  10 catches, 167 yards
• Isaiah Coulter (HOU, 5.171):  0 catches
• Isaiah Hodgins (BUF, 6.207):  0 catches
• Dezmon Patton (IND, 6.212):  2 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD
• K.J. Hill (LAC, 7.220):  10 catches, 103 yards
• Tyrie Cleveland (DEN, 7.252):  6 catches, 63 yards

I don't  think Shenault belongs in the bust list. I would say jury is still out

[Grandy]

Guys I know we're a Jet board, but Mims is just NOT the biggest disappointment from his class lol. 

 

[Flightattendant]

20 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

Aiyuk, Higgins and Pittman were my favorite somewhat realistic options for the Jets in that Draft knowing that they were going OLine in Round 1.  Thought the Jets might get a shot at one of them.  Given how completely devoid of talent the Jets were when JD stepped thru the door he was in trade-down mode that first year and needed to get some bodies on the roster.  Had the Jets been where they are now and having seen how JD operates with a trade-ups for AVT, JJ and Breece Hall I'd have to think that a do over of that 2020 Draft would have him moving up instead of down to snag a better WR prospect.

Having the pick of the litter is more important than an extra 5th rounder gained from trading back.  Like you said, JD learned that early in his career thankfully. 

[Zachtomims47]

1 hour ago, Grandy said:

Guys I know we're a Jet board, but Mims is just NOT the biggest disappointment from his class lol. 

 

One of…yes. 

But after this season when he catches 12TDs for 2300 yards he’ll be a hit. 

[Long Island Leprechaun]

2 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Whatever Claypool becomes, 1733 yds and 11 TDs Thru 2 years for a mid 2nd rounder is 100 % a “hit” at this time.  And as for the late rounders, you’re seriously arguing that guys who are not only sticking on their rosters, but thriving in their roles, are “disappointments”?

As I mentioned in the OP, it’s all subject to change over time.  This list could look very different by the end of next season.  

This list actually makes me feel better about JD's draft. There are basically five guys who came up as excellent to very good starters. The rest are middling contributors to non-entities. That's even with Mims showing very little so far, although I think he will be better this year. 

[Hex]

It's probably good to revisit this draft class after their rookie deals are up, because then we have a mmuch better idea of what it's like

[Long Island Leprechaun]

Here's the great irony: there are at least five guys from 2019 and 2021 that are every bit as good as or better than the top five from 2020. I'm beginning to think the 2020 WR class was vastly overhyped.

[derp]

6 minutes ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

Here's the great irony: there are at least five guys from 2019 and 2021 that are every bit as good as or better than the top five from 2020. I'm beginning to think the 2020 WR class was vastly overhyped.

I think 2020 was clearly about depth more than top end talent and that shows once you get past the top guys in those classes. Top end talent in 2021 was definitely better and got drafted accordingly.

And 2019 had really good players but the NFL didn’t draft them that way. In some ways I think the production of the 2019 day 2 guys led to guys getting pushed up in subsequent classes.

[UntouchableCrew]

Jefferson is the best player and best bargain.

Ruggs is the biggest bust.

Haven’t heard of a single guy on your mid round disappointments list so I voted for the Bills guy who’s at least playing with a great QB.

[section314]

Ruggs isn't a bust as far as playing goes. He belongs in a totally different conversation. Reagor is the definition of a bust.

[Jetsfan80]

6 hours ago, UntouchableCrew said:

Haven’t heard of a single guy on your mid round disappointments list so I voted for the Bills guy who’s at least playing with a great QB.

You never heard of Gandy-Golden?  He had an enormous following here, and people were clamoring for him on draft day.  Small school guy (Liberty) but he's enormous (6-4, 223) and had 3 straight 1,000+ yard, 9+ TD seasons to finish his collegiate career.

[#27TheDominator]

On 5/15/2022 at 1:08 PM, More Cowbell said:

I don't  think Shenault belongs in the bust list. I would say jury is still out

Agreed.  Looking at their production I don't see how Shenault is a bust and Jeudy a hit.