2020 NFL Draft Rumors: Jets, Raiders Expected to Start Run on WRs

The 2020 NFL draft is loaded at wide receiver, with talent to be had well into the second and perhaps even third day of the event. 

The question is when that talent will start coming off the board. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the run on receivers likely will begin when the New York Jets select at No. 11 or the Las Vegas Raiders pick at No. 12:

Rapoport also noted the Denver Broncos could consider moving up to select a wideout, with The Athletic's Michael Lombardi reporting Thursday that Denver was in talks with the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 10: 

There is plenty of smoke around that No. 10 pick, with Rapoport also reporting that Cleveland was considering trading back:

Look around most mock drafts and the receiver run starts right around pick Nos. 11 or 12. B/R's Matt Miller had Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs III off the board at No. 12 in his latest mock, with Crimson Tide teammate Jerry Jeudy going one pick later to the San Francisco 49ers, and Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb going 15th to the Broncos.  

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, meanwhile, had Lamb, Jeudy and Ruggs going to the Jets, Raiders and Niners, respectively.  

Finally, Peter King of NBC Sports reported this week that: "Jon Gruden's been grousing that he's got no home run playmakers at wideout. Mike Mayock wants clean character guys. Lamb seems pretty logical."

One thing that could cause some players to fall a bit further than expected, however, is the depth of the group. Consider what King wrote of the Jets at No. 11:

"Big needs are tackle, wide receiver and pass-rusher. Joe Douglas, the GM with a six-year contract, knows there isn't a pass-rusher worthy of the pick here, and knows he can get a first-round-caliber wideout at pick 48 in the second round, and sees the best value by far here at tackle. If a value player like Louisville's Mekhi Becton or Andrew Thomas of Georgia is still on the board, I'm betting tackle here."

Could the strength of the receiving class cause some teams to bypass them early, hoping to find value in the second or third round? It's hard to imagine the top three of Jeudy, Lamb and Ruggs will fall too far—if any of them are on the board by pick No. 21, for instance, the Philadelphia Eagles will draft one to give Carson Wentz additional help.

So any slides won't last long. It's possible that by pick No. 14, the top three wideouts will be gone. But don't be shocked if they fall slightly further than expected, with teams banking on nabbing a high-potential option on Friday's Day 2.