Draftables: WR, CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Wide Receiver, CeeDee Lamb

School: Oklahoma
Height: 6’1
Weight: 198 lbs.
Wingspan: 76 5/8

Testing Results

Compared to the average figures of the top 30 wideouts shown in RED

Scouting Report

Massively productive wideout who was a major cog in three straight years of record-breaking Oklahoma offenses, putting up monster stats despite having a different starting quarterback each year (two won the Heisman and went first overall in the draft so… don’t feel too bad for him). In three years playing both outside and in the slot, he had upwards of 3,000 yards and racked up 32 scores with a 19 yd/catch clip.

Big plays? Yes please.

A silky-smooth athlete with elite body control who plays stronger than he looks and faster than he tests, Lamb is a true three-level weapon and a home run threat from anywhere on the field. In the short game, he can pluck the ball off of a slant or quick out and has the burst, slippery elusiveness, and vision to turn any short pass into a big gain. In the intermediate game he uses his hands well to get subtle separation and has the incredible hips to stop on a dime and turn upfield after a comeback or open up for a nasty back shoulder fade. And as a deep threat — while lacking great top-end speed — he walls off defenders, tracks the ball with ease, and routinely wins at the catch point.

Also, his hands are pretty good.

He’s a savvy and natural route runner who gets separation by varying his route tempo and breaking into long gliding strides that bely his play speed, but his cuts aren’t as crisp as you’d like to see. Playing in Lincoln Riley’s scheme and competing against Big 12 defenses, he was able to get away with a little more freelancing and was rarely threatened with physical coverage. That’ll change in the NFL. And while Lamb has the loose hips, body lean, and quick feet to beat the press, he had some issues against it in college. He particularly struggled against DBs who employed an off-the-line catch press style (or taxi technique), and will need to get more efficient at releasing and uncovering underneath against bump-and-run coverage. 

On a similar note, his gliding style is a bit too casual at times. Some of that— as mentioned above — is simply a need to speed up his routes and releases. But some of it’s loafs when he knows he’s not getting the ball. And while a tempo air raid college offense will run him faster and more often than most NFL schemes, taking those plays off won’t fly on good NFL teams.

For Lamb, maximizing his potential is about mitigating his lack of bulk. That means speeding up his foot speed and efficiency on releases, learning the nuances of setting up breaks by uncovering in the early stages of the route, making cuts with more purpose and less wasted motion, and adjusting to the more physical catch point of the NFL. If he can do that, his ceiling is as high as anyone’s in this draft class.

Fit with Niners

Lamb would slide into Emmanuel Sanders’ role, playing all over the field but likely starting initially in the slot to avoid press coverage as he works on adjusting to outside coverage in the pros. Having Kittle, Deebo, and Lamb would further cement our status as the YAC yardage GAWDS, and Lamb would get heavy slant and utility use as the team grooms him into an eventual No.1 wideout position.

While Shanahan is as big a stickler as any for sharp, on-time routes, and Lamb needs to clean up some things in his approach, he has all the physical tools to become an excellent route runner (and already possesses many of the natural traits that are tough to teach). And make no mistake, if he doesn’t clean up those routes or is caught taking a play off here and there, Shanahan will become a permanent (and vocal) resident inside his ass.

NFL Comparisons

Floor: Robby Anderson, Temple (now with Jets)

Skinny, slippery, and a big-play threat down the field, Anderson may never become a true No.1, but his field stretching ability makes him a coveted outside receiver and will probably get him paid this off-season. While lacking the pure speed of Anderson, if the NFL game proves just a bit too big and physical for Lamb, he should still be able to carve out a role as a complementary big-play wideout.

Ceiling: Skinny DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson (now with…“le sigh” Cardinals)

Lamb hasn’t shown the foot speed nor the physicality that Hopkins showcased at Clemson, but they’re both three-level playmakers who play longer than their height at the catch point and are dangerous with the ball in their hands. And while Hopkins is known for his strength and weighed in 16 pounds heavier than Lamb coming out of college, Lamb has the high ceiling to become a similar kind of playmaker — albeit in a more slippery and acrobatic way.

Mock Drafts