2020 NFL season: 5 offensive rookies poised for big season
The 2020 NFL regular season sees some serious offensive talent debut. We take a look at 5 offensive rookies who will burst onto the scene.
5. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers lost receiver Emmanuel Sanders this offseason to free agency and traded Marquise Goodwin to the Philadelphia Eagles. Beyond Deebo Samuel, there’s nobody to stop Aiyuk from racking up a ton of targets. After starring at Arizona State for the Sun Devils, San Francisco should be using him in a multitude of ways in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s innovative offense. Look for the Niners to get creative with their first-round receiver, giving him ample ways to rack up yardage.
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4. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb has amazing talent coming out of the University of Oklahoma. The only reason he falls to fourth on theist is because of the talent around him. Quarterback Dak Prescott still needs to give running back Ezekiel Elliott the ball, along with targets for receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. This is going to cut into Lamb’s touches, but he should still have a major impact on one of the league’s best offenses.
3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings traded star receivers Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills in March, and used the first-round pick they received in return on LSU’s Justin Jefferson. The former Tiger and 2020 national champ caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns last season in the SEC, putting forth some of the more absurd numbers we’ve seen in some time. Across from Adam Thielen, Jefferson will see plenty of targets and likely draw the opponent’s No. 2 corner.
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2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Edwards-Helaire was a teammate of Jefferson’s at LSU, and almost the top choice on this list. While the Chiefs will be spreading the ball plenty with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins, CEH figures to get the lion’s share of the carries alongside fellow back Damien Williams. At LSU, Edwards-Helaire caught 55 passes last year while averaging 6.6 yards per rush on 215 attempts. In Kansas City, head coach Andy Reid will use him in myriad ways, creating mismatches galore.
1. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Lastly, another LSU Tiger. Burrow went No. 1 overall to the Bengals and while Cincinnati has a ways to go before being a true contender, the young quarterback should have a big year. He’s surrounded by offensive talent in running back Joe Mixon and receivers Tyled Boyd and A.J. Green. The defense is porous, so he’ll likely be throwing plenty. If the offensive line can hold up in any capacity, look for Burrow to shred NFL defenses.
