PSO Scouting Report: WR CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma)

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Physical Tools, College Game Film, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: WR

Hometown: Opelousas, LA

School: Oklahoma

Class: Junior

Age: 21

Height: 6’2″ (67%) | Weight: 198 lbs (41%)

Hands: 9.25” (41%) | Arms: 32.25” (57%)

Bench: 11 reps (21%) | 40 Time: 4.50s (55%)

Facts to Know

Consensus All-American (2019), Freshman All-American (2017)
1st-Team All-Big 12 (2019), 2nd-Team All-Big 12 (2018)
26 forced missed tackles in 2019 (2nd-most among WRs)
11.0 YAC per reception (7th in FBS)

Physical Tools

Pros

Solid size (6’2”, 198 lbs) for a NFL WR
Quality length — 32.25″ (57th percentile)
Flexible, fluid hips, and very agile
Very explosive — 124″ broad jump (71st percentile)
Deceptive strength (11 bench reps) to absorb hits
121.8 SPARQ rating — 70th percentile

Cons

Doesn’t possess “special” speed — 4.50s 40 (55th percentile)
Still needs to continue filling out his frame
Average hand size — 9.25″ (41st percentile)

Grade: A-

Game Film

Pros

Fantastic ball skills and strong hands
Very strong and controlled at the catch point
Incredibly talented ball carrier, YAC monster
Manipulates defenders in a variety of ways (head fakes, route pacing)
Physical, intimidating play style
Plays much bigger/stronger than 198 lbs
Return man ability/potential

Cons

Left TDs on the field without breakaway speed
Double moves could use a bit more polish
Faced poor defensive talent in the Big 12

Grade: A-

Production

Pros

Consensus All-American, 1st-Team All-Big 12, Biletnikoff Award finalist (2019)
2nd-Team All-Big 12 (2018), Freshman All-Big 12 (2017)
3 years of fantastic production — 3rd in yards, 6th in receptions, and 2nd in TDs in Oklahoma history
26 broken tackles in 2019 — 2nd-most in FBS
11.0 YAC per reception (7th)
527 deep receiving yards (11th)
Well above-average at nearly 4.0 yards/route run (3.99)
Primarily played on the outside — 1,805 snaps to 338 from the slot

Cons

Just a 38.5% contested catch rate

Grade: A

Risk

Pros

Far more athletic than testing indicates
Year-to-year improvement
Strong, consistent hands and excellent body control
Tons of experience out wide — over 83% of career snaps
Produced with 3 different starting QBs each of his 3 seasons
Physical and explosive both at the catch point and after the catch

Cons

Feasted off of weak Big 12 Defenses
One relative weakness is breakaway speed

Grade: A-

Overall

With three different (but extremely talented) starting QBs throughout his three seasons at Oklahoma, CeeDee Lamb’s production only increased with each new installment of Lincoln Riley’s offense. Finishing his career in Oklahoma’s all-time top-10 in all three main receiving stats (receptions, yards, TDs), Lamb has more than proven his superb ability week-in and week-out. An absolute beast after the catch, his physicality and ball skills will become an even greater strength if he keeps adding to his frame.

Quite frankly, deciding between Lamb and Jeudy comes down to splitting hairs. They’re both great athletes and should be able to produce immediately, it just depends on a given team’s preferred type of WR. Lamb is slightly bigger, more physical, and has much more experience and production out wide. Yet, he didn’t play the greatest defensive competition and is not the route technician that Jeudy is. Regardless, it’s impossible to go wrong either way — both would without a doubt be WR1 in almost any other draft class.

Pro Comp: WR DeAndre Hopkins (Arizona Cardinals)

Projected Round: Top-15 Pick

Prime Destinations: DEN, JAX, NYJ, LVR, SF

OVERALL Grade: A-