NFL Player News

The Ravens selected Duvernay in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 92nd overall.

Baltimore sorely needed to add reinforcements at receiver, but several of the big names came off the board early in Day 2. Duvernay was arguably the best remaining receiver, however. A former track athlete, the Texas product caught 106 of 130 targets for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior in 2019. He clocked in with a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and showed some explosiveness with a 123-inch broad jump. Duvernay primarily worked out of the slot at Texas at 5-foot-10, and that's where he profiles at the next level. He adds another speedy option for Lamar Jackson in Baltimore opposite Marquise Brown.

The Steelers selected Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 49th overall.

Claypool (6-foot-4, 238) could play either or both of tight end and wide receiver for the Steelers, who for now have Eric Ebron and Vance McDonald atop their tight end depth chart. Claypool probably can't compete with Pittsburgh's top three receivers (JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, James Washington), but with a 4.42-second 40 the former Notre Dame standout offers rare speed for his hulking frame. Claypool's owners might want to hope for tight end eligibility -- there's a lower standard of production at that position -- but Claypool figures to play both tight end and receiver for the Steelers depending on the situation.

The Colts selected Pittman in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 34th overall.

Indianapolis is adding some size to its receiver room with the addition of Pittman out of USC. Pittman, son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman Sr., checks in at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds with 4.52 speed. He broke out as a senior in 2019, catching 101 of 136 targets for 1,275 yards (9.38 YPT) and 11 touchdowns. Pittman is a complete receiver who can run the whole route tree and can win jump balls on the outside. He should immediately push for a starting role in three-wide sets for Indianapolis.

The Bengals selected Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 33rd overall.

Higgins (6-foot-4, 216) falls this far due to his middling workout metrics, but his production and film earn top-shelf grades. Credited with a pro day 40 time as bad as 4.59 seconds but as good as 4.43 seconds, there was no obvious consensus on how the NFL viewed Higgins' athletic tools. When you watch Higgins on tape, he shows the ability to threaten the defense vertically, and he demonstrated substantial skill by establishing himself as the top Clemson wideout over the last two years. With Higgins, A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross all in the fold, the Bengals are exceptionally deep at receiver all of a sudden. Auden Tate still lurks in the background, too.

Gallup will face competition for the No. 2 wide receiver spot in Dallas after the team selected CeeDee Lamb with the 17th overall pick in the draft.

Heading into his third NFL season, Gallup's spot seemed secure behind Amari Cooper, but the duo is now joined by a player who many experts tabbed as the most complete receiver in the entire 2020 draft class. On the bright side, there are plenty of looks up for grabs in the Cowboys' offense after slot receiver Randall Cobb and tight end Jason Witten (166 combined targets last year) both left in free agency, so even if Lamb makes a splash right away, Gallup's floor should be safe. Given the new competition, however, it could be tough for him to significantly improve on the 8.1 targets a game he saw in 2019.

Cooper is likely to line up in the slot more frequently after the Cowboys selected CeeDee Lamb with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft, NFL analyst Andy Benoit suggests.

The addition of Lamb to a receiving corps that already featured standout talents in Cooper and Michael Gallup gives offensive coordinator Kellen Moore a lot of formation flexibility, as both Cooper and Lamb have experience working inside and outside. With Dallas having lost slot receiver Randall Cobb and tight end Jason Witten (166 combined targets) in the offseason, there should be plenty of looks available for everyone, but even if Cooper's target volume somehow decreases as part of a deeper group of receivers, improved efficiency would keep his overall production afloat. In the best-case scenario, of course, the Cowboys' No. 1 wideout would both see more passes thrown his way and be able to do more damage with them.

The Panthers aren't shopping Samuel and will only trade him if they get a "really good" offer, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

The late-March addition of Robby Anderson sparked trade rumors, and while other NFL teams are smart to check in, the Panthers seem happy to have three talented wide receivers at Teddy Bridgewater's disposal. New offensive coordinator Joe Brady was part of a record-setting spread attack at LSU last year, and the Panthers don't have much at tight end behind Ian Thomas. In all likelihood, the team plans to lean on three-wide formations with Samuel, Anderson and D.J. Moore all on the field at the same time. Anderson's prowess on deeper routes could allow Samuel to transition to a role featuring more carries and shorter targets, similar to what he did in November and December of 2018. Samuel was able to create separation downfield last year, but he struggled with drops (seven) and was held back by Kyle Allen's inaccuracy.

Teams have been "consistently calling" the Panthers to inquire about trading for Samuel, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Trade rumors started when the Panthers signed Robby Anderson in late March, but a report shortly thereafter suggested the team wasn't shopping Samuel. That doesn't mean the 24-year-old receiver can't be had for the right price, as the Panthers don't need him for a high-volume role in an offense that also has Anderson, D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey demanding targets.

The 49ers selected Aiyuk (core muscle surgery) in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 25th overall.

San Francisco moved up from pick 31 to 25 to get its receiver of choice after a bit of a run at the position. The 49ers lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency and had questionable depth at that position beyond Deebo Samuel coming into Thursday. Aiyuk was a big-play receiver at Arizona State, averaging 18.3 yards per reception in 2019 and proving to be a problem for defenses after the catch. He doesn't have standout speed with a 4.5 40-yard dash, but his top-notch jumps, including a 40-inch vertical, underline his short-area explosiveness. Aiyuk adds another physical presence at wideout for the 49ers alongside Samuel. It's worth noting that he underwent core muscle surgery in April, so his availability for the start of training camp will be something to monitor.

The Vikings selected Jefferson in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 22nd overall.

The draft pick acquired in the Stefon Diggs trade turned out to be Jefferson (6-foot-1, 202 pounds), who was ruthlessly effective for LSU in 2019. Jefferson was good in 2018 too, though, so he was no one-year wonder. Jefferson might not be the greatest fit for a two-TE offense like Minnesota's -- he plays best in the slot, which there won't be in any balanced two-TE formation. Jefferson will likely play well for his own part, but the Vikings offense lacks speed and defenses might feel free to bracket the safeties over Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Still, Jefferson is well-situated for both redraft and dynasty purposes -- Tajae Sharpe cannot keep Jefferson on the bench.