Raiders: 3 NFL Combine winners to target in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Justin Fried
1. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
In an absolutely stacked wide receiver class, Justin Jefferson has managed to fly a little under the radar. But this week, he made sure that he was the star of the show.
While the pre-draft attention has been on Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, Jefferson has bided his time. And while the focus of the Combine was on Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs, it was Jefferson who quietly stole the spotlight.
The LSU wideout ran a terrific 4.44 40-yard dash which is especially impressive considering the concerns that scouts had about his straight-line speed going into the week.
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Jefferson has been praised for his great hands and route-running ability, but many questioned if he was anything more than a reliable slot receiver at the next level. But this week, he proved a lot of people wrong.
The 20-year-old wasn’t asked to run a lot of deep patterns in LSU’s offense — especially not with 2019 Biletnikoff winner Ja’Marr Chase on the field as well. But he proved that he has the speed to be more than just an underneath possession receiver.
Combine his speed with his route-running and ball skills and you have a receiver who’s very much in play for the first round now. With the Raiders holding the No. 12 and 19 picks in Round 1, Jefferson could be a target with the latter of those two selections.
Depending on how the board falls, the Raiders could do much worse than landing the LSU standout in the first round. He’s not as highly-touted as Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb. He’s not as fast as Henry Ruggs.
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But when all is set and done, Jefferson is a true Day 1-caliber who should immediately be an instant impact starter in the NFL.