- Name: CeeDee Lamb
- Position: WR
- College: Oklahoma
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 198
- Season: Rookie
Overview:
Lamb is an explosive playmaker with exceptional hands, ball skills and running ability. The Oklahoma standout finished his three-year career with 173 receptions, 3,292 receiving yards and 33 total touchdowns (32 receiving; 1 rushing). Most impressive, he averaged 19.0 yards per catch as a big play specialist on the perimeter.
Studying the tape, Lamb is at his best when he gets the ball on the move. He is a remarkable runner with ball in his hands and the Sooners fed him on the perimeter on an assortment of swings/bubbles, shallow crossers, digs and vertical routes. Lamb is a big play waiting to happen when he gets the ball in space and getting him a significant number of "touches" increases the offense's chances of putting points on the board.
As a route runner, Lamb relies on his athleticism and strength to create separation from defenders at the top of routes. He bullies cornerbacks prior to the ball's arrival to carve out enough room to catch the ball in traffic. Despite being a little unrefined as a route runner at this stage of career, Lamb's stop-start quickness and subtle push-off tactics make him hard to defend on the perimeter.
As a pass-catcher, Lamb displays A-plus hands and ball skills. He tracks the ball down like MLB centerfielder exhibiting extraordinary tracking skills and hand-eye coordination. Watching Lamb repeatedly come down with 50-50 balls with defenders draped over him reminds me of DeAndre Hopkins but Lamb is a more explosive and dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. The Oklahoma product expands the strike zone with his tracking skills and expansive catching radius, which will make him a QB1's best friend in critical situations.
Strengths:
- Acrobatic pass catcher with exceptional ball skills and hand-eye coordinator
- Electric playmaker with dynamic running skills on the perimeter
- Versatile receiver capable of playing in the slot or on the outside
Weaknesses:
- Lacks elite top-end speed
- More athlete than polished route runner
What are scouts saying?
"Lamb is one of the best 'RAC' (run after catch) runners that I've ever seen. He's special with the ball in his hands. He's not a polished route runner but he can make it happen when he gets the ball in space. You never see him get tackled by the first guy and he runs with the toughness and physicality of a running back… He has great hands and ball skills, too."
How does he fit in with the Cowboys?
Lamb is a talented playmaker with all of the tools needed to be a WR1. He has experience playing out-wide and in the slot, and his versatility would enable the Cowboys to use a variety of personnel deployments in their "11" personnel package (1 RB, 1 TE & 3 WRs) to create mismatches all over the field. Moreover, Lamb's positional flexibility could enable Mike McCarthy to put the rookie and Amari Cooper in interchangeable roles to make it nearly impossible to double team or bracket No.19 in the passing game. With Michael Gallup also experienced enough to master another position, the Cowboys could shuffle the deck with an infinite number of formation combinations and personnel deployments on the perimeter. This is how McCarthy created big-play opportunities for his wide receivers with the Packers during his time in Green Bay and Lamb's arrival should enable the veteran coach to rely on a similar blueprint in Dallas.
From a passing game standpoint, Lamb's exceptional running skills should shine in McCarthy's scheme. The veteran coach has always employed a scheme that's built on quick-rhythm passes (slants, arrows, and stick routes) designed to get the ball in the hands of explosive runners and a creative play-action package that features an assortment of "shot" plays with big-play potential. Lamb's electric running skills and dynamic playmaking ability should stand out in this system and it could help the 17th overall pick emerge as a star by the end of his rookie season.
